By Baptiste Murier, antique and second-hand dealer in Île-de-France.
An apartment clearance in Paris can be free, but it is not a rule. It is free when the value of the items we buy covers the work: sorting, carrying down the stairs, transport and disposing of whatever does not sell. When the buy-back covers only part of it, it is deducted from the cost. To know which case you are in, a visit is needed. It is free and with no obligation. Here is how we reason, room by room.
Why can a clearance be free?
Emptying an apartment takes time, people and a van. That work has a cost, even when no one sends you a bill. A "free" clearance therefore means something simple: something in the apartment pays for that work.
With an antique and second-hand dealer, that something is the items we buy. We value what has value, we buy it, and that amount comes off the cost of the clearance. When the two balance out, you pay nothing.
That is the difference with a company that only empties homes. It mainly looks at the volume. We look first at what the furniture and objects are worth, because that is our trade. Our page on house and apartment clearance describes the whole process, from the visit to the cleaning.
Which items can cover the cost of a clearance?
There is no magic list. An apartment full of recent flat-pack furniture will rarely cover the work. A more modest apartment with a few fine antique pieces may be enough. Here are the items we look at closely during the visit:
- period furniture: chests of drawers, secretaires, sideboards, armchairs, small tables;
- clocks, wall clocks (cartels) and watches, even if they have stopped;
- silverware: canteens of cutlery, dishes, christening cups, table pieces;
- antique jewellery and gold, even broken or odd pieces;
- coins and medals;
- paintings, engravings and old frames;
- porcelain, and objects from Asia;
- old postcards, especially in lots;
- curiosities, the things that are hard to put in a category.
Value is often not where you expect it. An imposing wardrobe may be worth little, while a box of jewellery at the back of a drawer changes the whole sum. That is why we ask you to throw nothing away before we come. If you first want an idea of what a few pieces are worth, a free valuation of old objects, from photos or at home, is a good place to start.
What tips the balance?
On one side, there is what we buy. On the other, the work to be done. Several things weigh on that second side.
The amount of items with no value
What does not sell still has to go. Anything still useful is given to Emmaüs, the Secours catholique, the Armée du Salut (Salvation Army) or nearby ressourceries (reuse centres). The rest goes to the tip or to recycling channels. All of this means sorting and trips.
Access to the apartment
A sixth floor with no lift, a narrow service staircase, a courtyard to cross: every piece of furniture carried down by hand takes time. A ground floor with the van outside the door makes a big difference.
The extra spaces
The cellar, the attic or the chambre de service (service room, often a former maid's room under the roof) add to the volume. But these are also places where interesting items sometimes sleep: boxes of tableware, trunks, frames, old toys.
Cleaning
If you want to hand the apartment back clean, to a buyer or a landlord, we can take care of it. It is extra work, and it goes into the quote.
For the practical details specific to Paris (parking the van, building rules), our guide to clearing an apartment in Paris explains everything step by step.
Are cellars, attics and service rooms included?
Yes, when you want them to be. During the visit, we see the apartment and its extra spaces at the same time. The quote covers everything you hand over to us, and the buy-back also includes what we find in the cellar or under the roof.
Remember to tell us before the visit if a cellar or a service room belongs to the home. These are spaces people easily forget, and you often need the key or the access fob to get in. It also happens that a full cellar no one had mentioned is discovered on the day itself. It is better to have seen it beforehand.
How can you find out whether your clearance will be free?
The only real answer comes from the visit. Here is how it works with us:
- You call us or send a few photos of the rooms on WhatsApp. This gives us a first idea.
- We come to the apartment, free of charge, in Paris and across the Île-de-France.
- We value the furniture and items we can buy.
- We look at the work: volume, floor, access, extra spaces, any cleaning.
- We give you a quote with the buy-back already deducted. You see at once whether the clearance is free or whether there is something left to pay.
You then decide, with no pressure. If you would rather keep some items, you take them out of the buy-back: the quote simply changes. The items we buy are paid for immediately, by bank transfer.
Should you be wary of "free clearances" without a visit?
Be careful. An advert promising a free clearance without having seen the apartment raises a simple question: how can anyone know in advance that the work will be covered? No one can.
A few pointers to protect yourself:
- Insist on a visit before agreeing to anything. A serious professional wants to see the place.
- Ask for a written quote that says what is bought and what is taken away.
- Check who you are dealing with: a name, a SIREN number (French company registration number), an address, reviews.
- Ask where the items that are not bought will go. Bulky items left in the street end up causing problems for the whole building.
- Do not let valuable items go without knowing what they are worth. A "free" clearance can sometimes cost a lot, if a clock or a silver canteen of cutlery leaves without being valued.
We are easy to check: Murier Antiquités, Baptiste Murier, antique and second-hand dealer based in Issy-les-Moulineaux, with a stand at the Puces de la porte de Vanves flea market at weekends.
What if the apartment is part of an estate?
This happens often. The heirs frequently have to empty the home before selling it or handing it back. The principle stays the same: the buy-back is deducted from the cost, and the clearance can be free if it covers the work.
Before clearing, set aside the papers and whatever each heir wants to keep. If several people need to give their agreement, plan the visit for a time when everyone can be reached. The page on our antiques service for estates explains how we work with families in this situation.
Which areas do we cover?
All of Paris, from the studio under the roof to the large family apartment, and the whole Île-de-France: Hauts-de-Seine, Val-de-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne and Seine-et-Marne. Travel for the visit is free everywhere.
Would you like to know whether clearing your apartment can be free? A call to 06 24 56 38 58 (+33 6 24 56 38 58 from abroad) is all it takes, or a few photos of each room sent on WhatsApp to the same number. We give you a free valuation with no obligation, then come and see in person.
