Anybody work in TV/Film and know about location sets?

[Ahardyfool]

My sister and I are trying to find a solution to the eternal problem of my mum’s house.
Dad was a hoarder and died 5 years ago leaving my mum alone in a 4 bed house that is pretty much full to the rafters with stuff. We have come to realise that mum perhaps not just an enabler but also partial contributor the problem and although she doesn’t come home with stuff out of skips she has a hard time throwing things away. Probably made worse by the fact she isn’t really coming out the other side of grief and also (sis and I think) PTSD following a serious accident 18 years ago that nearly killed her.

Mum has had a recent health scare and (nothing serious but temporarily disabling as she had to have surgery and now is slightly less independent and capable than she was) so I have travelled up from West Sussex to helpand my sister now has her staying with her temporarily. Mum is terrified of returning home again and frankly, she can’t cope with the house situation alongside her emotional/mental health challenges.

It would take years to sort the house out - maybe into decades if you’ve include the time required to get her emotionally to where she needs to be to part with the ‘junk’ whereas she needs to feel safe now - not several years down the line.

Anyway, the reason for this backstory is, we hit upon the idea of mum being able to maybe hire out her home as a ‘set’ for TV or film that required an absolute state of a place for filming. I’ve seen places like these on programmes so I know there is a least down demand. We thought that maybe this would generate a little income that would allow mum to to move out into a smaller property near my sister or I even for 6 months at a time. She is mortgage free and has been for years so is financially in a good place but not quite able to spend her whole monthly income on rent when she has a perfectly decent (underneath) house sat there. However, the reality of her sorting the place and selling to be somewhere more manageable is pretty much unachievable and DSIs and I have designed ourselves to having to face this together after she dies.

So, I know of companies you can register with to offer one’s home as a film location but these seem to require more ‘normal’ properties.

Does anyone know of such a company that may be interested. The house is close to the M25 so within easy reach of London based film and TV studios.

Are we mad to have conjured up this idea? We haven’t mentioned to mum yet but would do of course once we felt the concept may be viable.

Personally, I'd start bagging stuff and donating it, or throw it all out if it is not good stuff. Not against her will, I mean the things your mum doesn't want or need. Would she like to go back to live there if not cluttered? Or sell it?

Anyways, here is one company that supplies locations. You can register your property with them to be added into their portfolio.
www.saltfilm.com/public/index.html#services
Just search the web for scouting location for film, that was the first one I saw.

Sorry, but it would never work. A health and safety nightmare and far too much paperwork involved.
Also, the 'lovies' wouldn't go in there even if you pushed them in with a bargepole!

In the state it's in this would not work. If a tv company wanted a set that looked a 'state' they would find a property and dress it as such themselves.

I don’t think you should wait until she dies to get this sorted. I know it’s going to be a massive task, but you need to start getting rid of things now. If you can start with things that are obviously broken or useless that would be a start, as most of it is your Dads then chances are she isn’t even aware of most of the stuff that’s there, but has just added her layer of things on top.

I agree with the others. It's a nice idea, but I also don't think it would work due to health and safety concerns. Also, I suspect your mum would feel really uncomfortable at the idea of the inside of her house being on TV.

You'd probably be better off paying a house clearance company to come in. They can discuss with you what stays and what goes. They will also put to one side any valuables. You could be present to take photos or documents you wanted to keep. Essentially it would give you the manpower you need to get it done quicker.

I agree, a house clearance company sounds a more likely solution.