A new take on home movies

Don't audition your property for the silver screen if it's a quiet life you're after, says Tom Bruce-Gardyne

Do you own an allotment with a ramshackle wooden shed? Could your sitting room double as a Parisian salon? Do you live in a 30-bedroomed mansion within the M25, preferably with its own helipad? If you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, then Sarah Eastel would like to hear from you, assuming you are also happy to let a film crew loose in your house.

Sarah Eastel Locations is one of a handful of companies that brings homeowners and film companies together in a process she describes as being "a bit like internet dating".

If you are considering putting your home on the casting couch, Eastel suggests asking yourself why you want to do it in the first place. She explains that while some people's motives are financial, others are excited by the idea of fame. Eastel adds that she often receives interior shots where children and pets feature prominently. And while it's not unheard of for the kids to get a walk-on part, it's best not to bank on it.

Clearly, glamour and the prospect of dinner party gossip is part of the appeal. Telling guests you once found Johnny Depp asleep in your bed would be hard to cap, and it actually happened to one of Kate Rowe-Ham's clients. Rowe-Ham runs Lavish Locations, a company founded by her mother 20 years ago.

Rowe-Ham arranged the house used to film the Peter Pan film Finding Neverland, with Johnny Depp. But she has plenty of impressive tales from her childhood. Growing up in a house used for filming was obviously fun, especially when she got to eat with the crew. "I remember sharing spaghetti with David Suchet and a hot dog with Nigel Havers," she says.

"People have got to like the film industry to a degree," syas Eastel. "I'm a firm believer they should want to get involved and support the production."

David Rudland at the Spacemen agency warns that with cast, crew and all the technical equipment, giving up your house for filming can be intrusive. "It's like the circus coming to town," he adds. And like the circus, it brings plenty of traffic. So make sure you consider the neighbours, whose frustrations over parking may be fuelled by envy that you are making a fortune from your house. And a fortune is there to be made.

Fees start at £1,000 a day for a feature film, where filming usually lasts no more than two weeks, with a few days at either end—for setting up and taking—down—usually at half the amount. A TV commercial might start at £1,500 for two to three days and involve 30 people. Lower down the scale comes the less disruptive photoshoot where, according to Rowe-Ham, fees average £600 a day for editorial work and £800 for advertising, depending on the client. If it's a high-profile star doing a major poster campaign, you can expect more.

"To be a location owner you definitely have to have a certain mindset," says Juliet Bawden of Dixcot Locations. "There is no point being over-precious." In terms of fees, Bawden feels the growing number of channels and companies has diluted what's available. Not that she did badly from her own Arts & Crafts house in Wandsworth, which earned £20,000 for a week's work as the backdrop to Paul Weiland's movie Sixty-Six, about the 1966 World Cup.

Lavish Locations has a property on its books that once made £250,000 in one year, but that is exceptional. "An average house," says Rowe-Ham, "might generate £20,000 to £40,000."

And this potential income could also add to your property's value when you come to sell it. Even a one-off appearance might help in marketing the house when it comes to selling up, although remember that "as featured in the Pampers ad" doesn't carry quite the weight of  "as used by James Bond".   

Rudland admits that there is little rhyme or reason to the location business and it can be hard to predict. "Frequency of use can vary from a few times a year to never," he says. 

As for what's currently in demand, Rudland points to "wide open loft apartments, with good access and light". Rowe-Ham, meanwhile, claims that "shabby chic" is definitely in. But anything can appeal, especially within a 50-mile radius of London.

According to Eastel, 80 per cent of all filming in the UK happens within the M25. And production companies are notoriously reluctant to foot hotel bills if they can avoid it. Of course, some scripts will demand a mountainous backdrop or a storm-tossed cottage beside the sea and there are a growing number of film and production companies based outside London.

As well as promoting your property, a good location agent should vet the production company and ensure they have statutory public liability insurance. They will then agree fees from which they take a 15 to 20 per cent cut, and draft a contract. Once you are happy to proceed, the film company will send someone to look at the property.

The process may seem daunting, but as Mark Mackenzie from London-based production company Coast says: "The sense of losing control of your house can be scary at first. But most people come to enjoy the experience of being part of a small adventure."

Real to reel
Dee Jones's home in southwest London had been previously used for the odd photoshoot when its 25-foot kitchen was picked to star in the latest Hellman's Mayonnaise commercial. "It was the first time we'd had a big ad done," says Jones. "We were quite excited, but a bit overwhelmed as well."

The day kicked off at 7am, with the arrival of a catering truck. "Then people began pouring in until there were about 35 in total—I didn't realise there would be quite that many. It caused quite a stir in the neighbourhood. Most people were interested, though a few were annoyed by the extra vehicles."

The crew, described by Jones as being "really friendly", were happy to show her 12 year-old son around when he came back from school. They finally left at 8pm that evening with nothing damaged and everything back in its place.  

"I don't think it's something I would want to do every week, but it was
good fun," says Jones, who received just over £1,000 plus a new set of handles for her kitchen cupboards.