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?

I think I did well money-wise looking at these comments. The Bill used my house as a location for one day about 20 years ago, they paid £1000. They did have to remove a door and replace with one that a character would kick down and moved some furniture around. All put back afterwards. We were there the whole time, it was amazing how many people, cameras etc could fit into my living room! Interesting to watch the filming process and how many takes one simple scene took, also the subtle additional lighting required.

Yes! Did it, loved it!

My sister works weekends in a quite famous (locally) ice cream shop
it was used in a production, they were paid a very substantial sum, partly to compensate for needing to shut for the duration of the filming

It's practically a cottage (pun intended) industry where we live. Interestingly, those who have bought composite doors with those incongruous handles never feature for exterior shots.

Some series offer extras work. Some take over a whole street or village green for a day. Get the best deal you can and do some research on who's filming if you can.

We did! About 20 years ago now - it was a. 1670's cottage, cobblestone pavement. They were filming nearby, and our house fitted the brief for external shots, so they could film it without having to move to a new site. Filmed a character walking in the front door, from the street (no front garden). No internal shots, no damage, took half-a-day and paid about 1k. All they did to the house was put matte black paper over the windows inside.

Yes, we charge a lot more than you’ve been offered though. It depends on the company but between 2 to 4k a day. It’s a pub in London, though so not a house.

@maxbranning someone I know hired out their house for the Gavin & Stacey filming. It was used as a base for the child actors and their chaperones x

One of my close friends lives in an iconic 1920s apartment complex in Bloomsbury in London, and her apartment was used as the murder victim’s home in a long running ITV series about five years ago (can’t recall the name).

She stayed at her partner’s home a block away for a few weeks and was paid about £8000. They left it immaculate but she was shocked to see the final result on TV, as they’d changed so much it was unrecognisable. I think they were more interested in the exterior and common ways and then styled the apartment with loads of accessories.

Yes, my friend's daughter did. They redecorated the apartment and then it was up to her if she wanted it back to original or keep what they did. I don't know how much she was paid but I know she really enjoyed it as a kind of different experience.

I dont understand how, from the outside, they would know the interior would be suitable?

Our neighbours did. Complete surprise because although we exchange pleasantries, everyone very much 'keeps themselves to themselves'.

We saw the neighbours leave with cases, as if going on holiday. Thought nothing of it, then a couple of days later several film lorries and a catering truck arrived in the street. We saw a family of actors filming a scene in the front garden of their house. Possibly filming inside too. They were there for 2 days then just disappeared. Neighbours returned at the end of the week. Nothing ever said! So all I can assume is that the money you get is roughly enough for a week's holiday!

It's a street of 3 bed semis. An unusually wide road though, and very quiet, so plenty of room for film lorries without causing inconvenience.

My Dads house is Gillian’s farm in Last Tango in Halifax. He loved it, got to eat from the catering truck every day, went to wrap parties and got to know the cast.
He didn’t have to move out, he just kept out of the way. He was a kind of special advisor too, showing how to handle sheep, drive tractors and dry stone walling.
They only used the interior for season 1 though, subsequent indoor scenes were done on a set.

They can see the style of house though and know if it’s a Victorian terrace, a 60s bungalow or whatever. Then the interiors can be changed.