Make money from your home: With Film and TV
Are you a film buff? If so, test your memory.
Which blockbuster film featured Kate Winslet in a kissing scene on the doorstep of this little cottage in the photo above?
Book shop in Notting Hill featured in the film by the same name staring Huge Grant and Julia Roberts
Can you make money by creating your own game/quiz show format? Check out the top ten all time favourites.
Making Money in Time of Austerity
Making money from home to supplement income, or indeed as the main income stream has never been more in demand.
The internet is inundated with schemes to make money online, but the majority of these money making schemes are designed to separate unsuspecting internet user from their hard earned cash.
However, if you happen to have some time on your hands, a keen eye and a bit of savvy, sifting through the online information can prove to be quite rewarding.
As austerity cuts bite deep into our pockets, even the wealthy are tightening their belts, many people are falling on hard times, young and old alike are facing a bleak future, a mountain of debt, the grim reality.
The Bank of England’s debt figures reveals an average British household debt of £55,808 including mortgages. Individually, the average debt owed by each UK adult including mortgages is a staggering £29,539 that equates to 122% of average earning, the average interest paid by each household on their overall debt is said to total £2,441 per year.
The Reality:
- 346,000 loan account is reportable in arrears
- 839,000 people unemployed for longer than 12 months
- Every 3.87 minutes someone will be declared insolvent
- There are more credit cards in the UK than people
- According to Santander 3.6 million people in Britain are still paying off credit card debts from Christmas 2009
- 1,732 people are made redundant daily
These figures are rising even as I write this article; things are not getting better. People are becoming increasing concern about the situation and how it will impact on their future, and not only in the UK.
The average American family is no better off, the American family’s finance is said to be in turmoil.
The average American family:
- Has $3,800 in the bank
- In 50% of American household, no provisions are made for retirement
- The other 50%, only have as much as $35,000 saved for retirement
- The family home is worth $160,000, but the family owes $95,000 on the property to the bank
- They make $43,000 per year and are unable to pay off credit card balance of $2,200
- The average household has $117,951 debt
With Government’s austerity measures set to bite even deeper, many of us are looking for creative ways to make money.
I will continue to share tips and ideas on my Hub page, so come back and check frequently, I aim to provide a mix of ideas to suit different pockets, abilities and skill levels.
Make money by:
Thinking up a format for a TV game show:
Television companies are often looking for new formats for game shows, if you love game shows and watch a lot of them, you may be able to have fun thinking up new and different formats and get paid for doing something you enjoy doing. You can fit your description onto an A4 sheet, make your ideas fresh, do not use ideas that have already aired, contact the relevant sites or TV companies with your proposal and hopefully you can start making some money from your ideas.
Rent out your home as a film location
Contrary to popular belief you do not need to own a mansion to be able to rent you home out as a movie location.
A few years ago, my next door neighbour could not believe her luck when she found that she was able to make money by renting out her home as a film location for TV. She was floating on air for weeks after the BBC used her cottage; she found herself chatting and drinking tea in her home with her favourite actor, Martin Shaw. I was amazed to see my then garden and kitchen on TV some years ago when the property was used as a location for the British TV series Jonathan Creek, starring the British actor Alan Davis.
Film and TV production companies are always on the lookout for appropriate locations to shoot films, take photos or film TV commercials. Often, what is required is a place that is interesting and unique, but there is also a market for ordinary houses. Large or small, your home may be just what the script needs.
Prices may vary depending on the production company involved, but can be as much as £1,000 to £5,000 a day for the right property. Obviously, it will be less for a small property and more for a large one.
Now is a good time to rent your property out as a film location. There has never been a better time to make money from you property with film and TV. The main reason for this is because many production companies are switching from studios to authentic private property.
How to rent out your home as a film location:
One way to do this is to contact the BBC locations department or your local film commission, ask if they would be interested in using your home for film or TV location.
If your home is chosen by a movie or TV photo-shoot-producer, they will arrange a visit for viewing, if they like what they see, the producer will negotiate a timetable and payment. This should document the fee, type of production and the length of time it will take. It is also important to remember to include in the agreement that your property will be returned to its original condition after filming has taken place. Before the film crew arrive a team will prepare your home for the show, this will involve redecorating and making somewhere comfortable for the actors
If you’re living close to a film production city, you can contact them directly, you can also contact some of the web based locations departments who will send you an application form to fill out, and you can e-mail this, together with photos of your home.
Most of these websites will list your house free of charge, and if your home is chosen, they will take a commission of approximately 15% from what you earned. You should not have to pay to enter your details on any list.
Some companies need properties such as bedsits, so if you live in one, you can still make money by renting.
Period décor is in demand as is 70s furnishings, 50s look or 80s new romantic style, you can also rent your home out for still shoots; obviously the fee will be less. Renting out your home as a film location can be financially rewarding, but like everything else in life, it too has its downside.
- A film crew can consist of many people, just look at the credits at the end of a film, plus all the equipment.
- You may have to move out of your house during the filming, if it is longer than one day, this could be costly and annoying especially if you have a family, find out before you sign any agreements.
- Be prepared for breakage, with so many people milling about your home. Production Company will usually replace or reimburse you for anything that is broken or damaged.
- There can be a certain amount of wear and tear on your property, which you may only discover later.
All in all, you can make a good deal of money if you are prepared to tolerate a bit of an inconvenience.