Has anyone allowed their house to be used as a filming location?

[maxbranning]

I had a letter through the door today from a production company asking if we’d consider our house to be used. Phoned the chap and he was in the locality and he popped by and took loads of photos, inside and out.
He explained it is for the main character of a new 5 part drama, if chosen we will need to leave the house for about a week (not sure how we will manage the elderly cat and dog though).
No idea if it will be chosen, our house is light and spacious but very blank and neutral all the way through.
He said he’d let us know in a couple of weeks.
It sounds like a fun thing to be a part of, not to mention the £300-£500 day payment which will come in very handy.
Fingers crossed we get chosen now!
Anyone else done this and regretted it?

My dad did. The removed all the furniture and dressed it all for filming. Was a bit of a faff but cool to see his house on telly. I would hate it personally as its invasive.

I've heard film crews can really trash your house, but hopefully someone with actual experience will be along

And hopefully not a Bonnie blue type production.

Do your research into the production company that's approached you, and find out what other programmes & serials they have been involved with.

A house near me is being used as a film set this week, but it is rather on the stately home side of average. 😁

They are a well known production company, I’ve no worries on that front.

Yes, I have friends whose home was used and I've also experience of my workplace being used for filming.

In both cases, there was some damage to the building - and this was noted at a final walk round along with some very minor issues - blu-tak marks on walls, and all was fixed to my/my friends' satisfaction. They should pay for alternative accommodation for you, and also pay for your cat and dog to be accommodated as well.

Check the contract carefully, especially re insurance and fixing of any damage.

Enjoy!

Also, ask if they're using a generator or if they'll be using your electricity. If the latter, then make sure payment for the power they use is included in the contract.

My friend's parents did it.

They were out for three weeks in an Airbnb in the same village, and they put in a lot of fake mould, damp etc, then fixed it back up to normal as the characters' circumstances improved. They got a bit of a say in the new decor, so long as it was in keeping with the character, but nothing identifying.

My mum saw the film crew in and thought they'd moved without telling her!

So long as it’s nothing too famous - you don’t want hoards of fans gawping at your house in the future.

Yes, about 12 years ago. We had the same - someone knocked on the door and then we allowed him to take photos of the rooms. He was looking for a family home for a commercial - garden, boy's room, girl's room.

We heard that they wanted to use the house for two days, it was less than that although we were paid for 2 days. It was for a TV commercial for a child's mental health campaign. First day they were there for about 2 hours taking pictures of a boy playing football in our back garden. Second day they filmed parts of two other commercials. It was total bedlam, the house was filled with about 40 crew, the child actors and their chaperones (mums). DH took the kids out for the day, I stayed for the first while to show them where everything was and then left them to it. The location manager was very professional and they left the house cleaner than when they arrived. Some of the things they wanted for the set - floor length curtains, a specific Xbox game, a rug - they left. They also went to the local Co-Op and spent about £250 on crisps, snacks and cans of soft drink. And brought 48 loo rolls with them.

I think we got about £600 for the two days filming. I know if it's a bigger budget production which uses your property much longer then they pay considerably more and put you up in a hotel for the duration.

Oh, and they left all the uneaten crisps and snacks. Kids thought it was CHristmas.

I used to watch a podcast that was hosted by two actors, and they were talking about this once and how they used to look through people's things. The 'green room' would be a kids bedroom or something that they'd sit in between shooting

I'd never have done it anyway

Yes, a very small company paid me a few hundred quid for a weekend. It was quite an upheaval and they squashed a lot of garden plants (had said nothing about filming from outside). They repainted my living room and everything was made good by the end. In hindsight, it was not worth the trouble, so it does depend on the fee and how up for a bit of disruption you are

I would do this like a shot. As well as the day rate they will cover any damage.

We recognised our house and garden when we saw the ad on the TV but nobody else would have known it.

My parents’ friends did. They actually broke through one of their internal walls so that they could get the camera angle they wanted, and replaced it with French doors.

It was all discussed and agreed in advance, and they were paid a decent amount, and if anything, the house looked so much better after it was repainted and the French doors installed.

Yes - make sure you negotiate for all the expenses to be paid on top of the fee (pet care/accommodation etc) and have a rate for each additional hour per day they are there. Even for multi day schedules it’s usually 12 hours a day on site (in my experience). Clearly mark out of bounds areas and they should protect all flooring not on camera. Have an adult present when they are there!! We’ve had fantastic experiences and anything broken has been fixed or paid for with no arguments at all. We don’t have neighbours to consider but consider them too as they arrive with a lot of people!

My uncle's house was used in a film and they never changed anything inside. When I watch it now I'm transported back to visiting in the early 70s and plink-plonking away on the piano in the parlour

Yes, they only wanted back kitchen, hall and a sitting room so we didn't need to move out (very large ancient and run down farmhouse).

They removed everything modern and rebuilt some original features like a mock stone fireplace. They left them when they went, looked genine and lasted for years!

Never even had an offer, although the street I live in has been on a French tv documentary (the people featured walked past the end) and another was shown on a crime drama (won't say as it would be outing the location).

About 35 years ago, my front door and porch was used in Coronation Street. I asked them why they’d picked my house and was told it looked sufficiently scruffy!! It was on television for a matter of seconds when a paper boy was running away from home and sought refuge in my doorway.
Years later, the front door again was used in ‘Fresh meat’ about a group of students from Manchester University. Obviously my front door still looked scruffy!
I couldn’t believe the trailers, number of people and equipment used to film the Coronation Street film, including a catering van. It was good fun though.

To be honest the only thing they would want to film my house for is one of those horder type programmes or an episode of shameless 😅. Seriously though if it wouldn't bother you and the film company is legit then go for it!

A Friend of my mum’s house was used in a film recently, while the house looked great and you’d never know they’d been filming there after the production crew left, they unfortunately misplaced some family photos of her parents, who are sadly no longer here, while storing furniture and other possessions and haven’t been able to locate them since!

It sounds like a great opportunity and could be a lot of fun, but maybe make sure any irreplaceable items are personally stored elsewhere for peace of mind!

I’d go for it, but as with everything just be aware that after filming like Happy valley and such like, sometimes you get visitors at your door taking pictures and traffic parking up outside. But it wouldn’t bother me. Good luck with whatever you decide 🍾🥂

Currently sitting in my sitting/dining room that was re-decorated by ITV when it was used for a series staring Stephen Graham a few years ago! It features as Stephen Graham's house and there are a couple of scenes inside with him and his family in the series, and a few brief scenes of him outside too. https://www.itv.com/watch/the-walk-in/2a7556

It was when the previous owners owned the house - they said it helped pay for their daughter's wedding! I think they got a few thousand. They had to move out for a week or two and ITV put them up in a local hotel. They had to agree for ITV to redecorate the room they filmed in and they were given a shortlist of wallpapers to choose from. They took the furniture out and replaced it with the furniture you seen in the TV series. They didn't mention anything about damage and there was certainly nothing obvious when we moved in a year or two later. But I guess there could have been.

I think they got a flyer through the door from the location scout, quite a lot of that series was filmed in the same town and it was really funny watching it and spotting various local streets!

I would totally do it but at the moment it would be too inconvenient with two secondary school aged DC. Maybe once they move out...!