After 60 years, owner of a fully paid-off house, some seniors discover themselves rich on paper but unable to make ends meet. This is the situation experienced by thousands of retired French, faced with a drop in income from 30 to 50% upon transition to retirement, while the cost of living and the cost of staying at home increases. To cope, some of them now choose to mobilize their principal activetheir accommodation, without leaving it.
The phenomenon is documented. According to the first Seniors and Heritage Barometer carried out by OpinionWay for Merci Prosper in April 2026, 47% of senior owners declare themselves under financial pressure, and 60% would be ready to mobilize their real estate assets to finance their retirement if they had a concrete reason to do so. “Owning your home no longer protects against financial insecurity.”analyzes Thibault Corvaisier, co-founder of Merci Prosper. However, 93% are unaware of the partial sale.
Sell part of your home and stay at home
Laurence, 65 years old, former audiovisual executive, Paris. “In 2023, the company in which I worked, and in which I had shares, filed for bankruptcy. Overnight I found myself unemployed, with consumer credits piling up, and a retirement that I saw slipping away. I first thought about creating an SCI with my children, but that meant putting them in debt for something that would come to them anyway. I refused to make them wear that. I preferred to sell part (28%) of my apartment and receive 115,000 euros. I paid off all my debts and kept savings. I stay at home, majority owner, free to resell whenever I want. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve made. My children are delighted for me and know they will inherit the remaining 72%.”
How does it work?
The principle differs radically from life annuity. Rather than selling all of his property with the famous bet on the lifespan, the senior sells a fraction of their accommodation, from 10 to 50% maximum, while continuing to live there 100% and paying their expenses as before. “The seniors sum up what we do well by saying that it’s a bit like selling in two installments. I sell a little bit now to live well, and the rest I keep to be able to pass on”explains Thibault Corvaisier. The system is based on a joint ownership agreement drawn up with notaries. The average need observed in the first files is around 100,000 euros.
Several conditions govern access to the device. The property must be valued at a minimum of 200,000 euros, the portion sold cannot correspond to less than 50,000 euros of need, and the accommodation must be located in a town with more than 30,000 inhabitants. or a dynamic tourist area, to guarantee the liquidity for resale. These thresholds effectively exclude small properties from very sparsely populated rural areas, where resale would be uncertain. A simulation detailed information allows you to precisely quantify the amount that can be mobilized according to the value of the property and the expressed need.
Cost is the key argument. Where the ready life annuity mortgage has a financing cost of around 7%, which can double the amount owed over time, the partial sale comes at a cost of around 3% for the senior. This level is explained by the financial arrangement. The solution is based on an approved real estate company ESUS by the State (social utility company)which opens to investors a tax reduction by 25%. This tax advantage, borne by the investor and not by the senior citizen, makes it possible to lower the overall cost for the seller while attracting the capital necessary for financing.
Preserving transmission, the decisive criterion for families
André, 84 years old, and Jacqueline, 78 years old, Clamart (92). “We have lived in our house in Clamart for over forty years. This is where our children grew up, and this is where we want to grow old, together, for as long as possible. But with age, daily life became more difficult. Jacqueline needs help with everyday tasks, and I myself no longer have the energy to carry everything. We had to finance home help for several hours a week, and our pension was no longer enough. Selling the house to move into residence was not an option, we are too keen on it. We talked about it at length with our three children.
“The partial sale allowed us to keep the house while obtaining the liquidity we needed. We sold 24% of our property, estimated at 480,000 euros. This covers home help in addition to state aid for the years to come and some improvements, a walk-in shower, a stair lift. Our children were relieved to see us take this decision calmly, and they know that they will inherit the remaining 76%.”
Transmission remains at the heart of concerns. If 81% of seniors remain attached to transmit to their heirs, this attachment evolves. Now, 46% say they are ready to use the value of their home even if it means reducing the portion transferred. The partial sale responds precisely to this tension, since it makes it possible to free up liquidity today while retaining the majority of the property to be bequeathed. The senior never sells more than half of their home, and therefore remains the majority owner until resale or inheritance.
The decision is made as a family. 72% of seniors would make this decision in consultation with their children, including 44% only with their agreement and 28% by simply informing them. The motivations are also very concrete. The first remains the funding of the loss of autonomy at home for 36% of seniors, ahead of entry into a residence or EHPAD (32%) and significant health expenses (26%). Far from the squandering feared, the mobilization of heritage most often responds to a need for security and dignity.
Vigilance remains essential before committing. The partial sale is a long term commitment which lastingly modifies the structure of the assets and the amount transmitted. The use of a notary is essential, and the opinion of a wealth management advisor independent can inform the decision. It is appropriate to compare the partial sale to other solutions, life annuity, mortgage life loan or simple sale with purchase of a smaller property, in order to choose the one that corresponds to your situation. “The real subject is not the desire of seniors to use their assets, but the lack of clarity of the solutions”summarizes Thibault Corvaisier.
The survey cited was carried out online by OpinionWay in mid-April 2026 among 1,003 people over 60, owners of one or more real estate. The partial sale has a lasting commitment to assets and transmission. Investing in a property of this type carries a risk of capital loss and past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Before any commitment, it is recommended to carry out a detailed simulation, to consult a notary and, if necessary, an independent wealth management advisor. The ESUS tax reduction is subject to holding period conditions.
