Diogenes cleaning prices in Paris 2nd
On a job involving hoarding, the heaviest item is almost never the cleaning: it is the sorting. And sorting cannot be timed in advance, because it depends on what the person concerned and those close to them want to look through, keep or let go of.
This page shows no figures. It explains how a quote for a Diogenes syndrome clean in the 2nd arrondissement is put together, which factors move it, and why two flats of comparable size can end up with quotes that are nothing like each other. You will also find what to have ready so that an estimate rests on real information rather than on an impression.
- Sorting time, often the heaviest item on the quote
- Volume accumulated and the height of the piles
- Condition of the surfaces found underneath
- Carrying, stairs and removal in a period building
Why a hoarding job is not quoted like an ordinary clearance
A standard clearance
- The contents go; the decision has already been taken
- Progress depends mainly on the carrying
- The volume can be judged reasonably well by eye
- Quoting rests on cubic metres and on access
A hoarding job
- Every item may have to be looked at before it leaves
- Papers, post and official documents to set aside
- Cash, jewellery and keepsakes surface as the sorting goes on
- The pace is set by the person, not by the team
What comes to light afterwards
- Floors and walls left covered over for years
- A bathroom and kitchen sometimes out of use
- Traces of damp or of pests under the piles
- Cleaning on a scale nobody could see at the outset
The 2nd arrondissement: little floor space, no shortage of constraints
In the smallest arrondissement in Paris, the flats concerned are rarely large. There are a great many studios, one-bedroom flats and former maids’ rooms under the eaves, where hoarding quickly reaches head height simply because there is nowhere to spread out. Floor area therefore misleads the estimate: a small home can hold a considerable volume, stacked in several layers, with narrow walkways left between the piles. It is the height, as much as the square metres, that has to be assessed.
Then comes getting it all out. Around the Sentier, rue Réaumur and the passages of Vivienne, stairwells are often shared with businesses trading all day, inner courtyards are tight, and the streets of the Montorgueil area rule out bringing a vehicle close. A Diogenes clean there means trips on foot, protection laid over the communal areas, and an approach designed to stay discreet towards the immediate neighbours. These constraints are not extras added after the event: they are noted during the survey and they appear in the quote.
From the first conversation to the quote, without rushing anyone
Getting in touch
The enquiry often comes from a relative, a landlord, a managing agent or a court-appointed deputy. The exchange stays factual, with no judgement passed on the occupant.
Survey visit
We look at the volume, the height of the piles, which walkways are usable, the visible state of the kitchen and bathroom, and access to the building.
Agreeing how sorting will work
The decisive point for the quote: who decides, who is present, and what must always be kept or checked before anything is taken away.
A quote split into separate items
Sorting, removal, cleaning and any treatments are priced separately, with what is included and what is not set out in plain terms.
Working zone by zone
The home is handled one zone at a time, which keeps a usable route open and lets the family see progress as it happens.
Closing review and what may follow
Once the surfaces are clear and cleaned, we say whether disinfection or a final restoration clean is genuinely warranted.
Criterion by criterion: what moves a Diogenes quote
No figures appear here. This table lists the factors recorded during the survey and shows which way each one pushes the final quote.
| Criterion | What makes it vary |
|---|---|
| Volume accumulated | Actual cubic metres, height of the piles, number of rooms affected, and whether a cellar or an attic forms part of the same job. |
| Sorting time | The most variable item of all. It depends on how thoroughly things are to be checked, on whether the occupant or the family is present, and on how quickly decisions get made. |
| What the contents are | Textiles, paper and packaging take up a lot of room for very little weight; furniture has to be dismantled; food and organic waste have to be removed first. |
| Belongings to be saved | Paperwork, photographs, jewellery, cash: searching for these systematically slows the job down on purpose and is allowed for in the quote. |
| State of the surfaces uncovered | Floors, walls and skirting boards covered over for a long time. The real cleaning can only be judged as the clearing goes on, which may justify a caveat in the quote. |
| Kitchen and bathroom | A kitchen and sanitary fittings that are unused or out of order take the most time and often decide whether a further treatment is needed. |
| Presence of pests | Where insects or rodents are found, specialist treatment may have to come before or after the clean, and it is priced separately. |
| Access and carrying | Floor level, no lift, the width and turns of the staircase, distance to the vehicle, pedestrianised street. The number of trips on foot drives the hours. |
| Building rules | Protecting communal areas, the hours the building allows, going through a shared courtyard, sharing the address with shops or offices. |
| Follow-on work requested | Disinfection where the condition warrants it, odour treatment, or a final clean if the property is to be re-let, sold or handed back. |
To prepare the estimate, gather the type of property, the number of rooms affected, the floor level, whether there is a lift, some idea of how high the piles reach, and the name of the person who will make the sorting decisions. That last point sounds minor; it is in fact the one that shifts the length of the job, and therefore the quote, more than any other.
Related Paris 2nd pages
Here the quote turns above all on the level of sorting and on the decisions about what is kept; the criteria common to any extreme clean are gathered on the general pricing page. To understand the service itself, or to compare with the criteria that apply to another kind of job in the 2nd.
Frequently asked questions — what a Diogenes clean costs
Why does sorting cost more than the cleaning itself?
Because it is not ours to control. Taking a volume out without looking at it goes quickly; opening every bag, setting papers aside and recovering documents or keepsakes takes hours of presence. That time is set by the person concerned and by their family, and it is the first item on the quote.
Does a small flat always cost less?
Not necessarily. In the 2nd, plenty of studios and former maids’ rooms hold a volume stacked to a considerable height. Floor area tells you very little: what decides the scale of the job is how many cubic metres have to come out and what state the surfaces underneath turn out to be in.
Does the family have to be there while the work goes on?
It is not compulsory, but it changes how the job is run. If a relative is on hand to decide as things come up, the sorting moves without interruption. If nobody is there, clear rules have to be agreed beforehand on what is kept, what is checked and what can go straight out.
What happens to valuables found during the sorting?
They are set aside and handed to the person named at the start of the job. Identity papers, official documents, photographs, jewellery and cash are separated out as a matter of course, provided that instruction is written into the quote.
Is disinfection always added to the quote?
No. It is offered when the condition found after clearing warrants it, and it comes after the cleaning, never instead of it. Pest treatment is a different trade again and is priced on its own where it is needed.
Can the quote be revised once the home is cleared?
The quote stands on what was seen at the survey. A revision is only justified if clearing reveals something that could not be seen before, such as an old water leak or a damaged floor. You are told before any further work goes ahead.
How can I get a first indication before the visit?
Describe the type of property, the number of rooms affected, the floor level, whether there is a lift and roughly how high the piles reach, attaching photographs if you are able to take any. That is enough to prepare a first indication, which a visit then confirms.
Have a Diogenes clean quoted in the 2nd
Tell us about the situation and who will make the sorting decisions. The quote separates sorting, removal, cleaning and any treatments, and nothing starts without your agreement.