One spare room - ways to make money?

[PlinkPlonkFizz]

We are desperately trying to find ways of making a bit of cash. Our situation is that there's no spare bathroom or kitchen space for a lodger, but there an upstairs bedroom - big box room - that's going begging? Any innovative idea to generate ££££? Good broadband.

In our area they are often looking for host families taking in students for a period of time. I think sometimes it's just for a week or two, or there are longer placements.

My understanding is you might have to feed them as well, but could be an interesting experience?

Is your home reasonably quiet during the daytime? What about an office or studio space for someone who needs to WFH but whose own home is unsuitable for that?

But remember in winter you would have to pay for the heating costs.

We’ve done this a few times before covid happened and we never made money. There’s a lot of waiting around for coaches to drop students back, they are usually young and starving teens who come home hungry. We provided three meals a day and it didn’t leave much change from the allowance from the agency.

We host foreign language students and teachers. Our agency is pretty good, the students use public transport except on the first and last day and they text if delayed. However, unless you can fit two beds in the room, it won’t make you a lot of money for the inconvenience of having to be responsible for looking after and feeding teenagers. It is tax free up to £7500 though under the let a room scheme. We make it pay by taking three students or teachers - our kids have left home and we have the space.

I host students, I don't find it difficult and only have one bedroom so just have one student. I cook for them as well as us each evening and give them a selection of breakfast each day - no packed lunch. I seem to be getting longer stays - had 8 weeks at start of the year and am looking at 12 weeks this summer/autumn. The going rate here is £200 a week so for 20 weeks of having an extra person in the house its worthwhile to me

Ah - I did host a language student a few years ago and made no money on it!

@Saracen thanks 👍 that's a good suggestion. It might indeed work as an office space. Very quiet area.

Storage for someone maybe?

Would it work as a space for a massage therapist/hairdresser/counsellor or similar?

Not so much unfortunately but I think @Houseahome23 that storage would work well.

I would be careful with the storage. What if they want to store drugs or stolen articles at your house? You wouldn’t know what was in the boxes. Perhaps I just have suspicious nature😂

True! Ok back to home office idea...but what if they are selling illegal stuff 🤔!?