Harry Kind, a consumer expert at the consumer body Which?, says: “Selling unwanted items at a car boot sale can be a great way to make some extra cash and declutter your space but it's worth doing some research and having a plan if you want to make it truly worthwhile.”

Upmarket Brocantes feature antiques and antique furniture sold by professional dealers. Car boot sales on the other hand tend to be held in villages where everyone tries to get rid of stuff that's been lying around in the attic- hence the French name Vide-Grenier (Empty the Attic).