How to turn your house in to a second income

A second income is a wonderful thing to have, and if you own your own house or flat, there are a number of ways to get your space working harder for you. From using it as a shoot location to renting out storage space, here are our tips for making your house pull its weight

Use it as a location

Alice Gao

Surprisingly, and unlike other options for creating income from your house, this one does not really require that you have a particularly large space. There are a number of agencies looking for houses to use as locations, sometimes for film and TV, but often also for advertising shoots or commercial photography, and variety is crucial. Ella at 1st Option, a leading location agency, stresses that as long as you have a USP, almost any kind of residence can be considered: "The most important aspect of any location house is that it is unique. It could be a mid-century manor house in the heart of Kent with bundles of heritage and character; or it could be a plush bachelor pad with its own tennis court and outdoor swimming pool; or it could be a rundown little flat in the middle of East London." Agencies like 1st Option can pay between £500-£1500 per day - not bad. Although using your house for film and TV shoots does pay higher rates, beware that you're in for far more disruption; for example longer days, larger crews, camera tracks in the house, and trucks parking outside.

Rent it out

Lionel Moreau

Airbnb is increasingly the way to make money if you have a spare room, particularly if you live in a desirable location. It may be a hassle to change sheets and coordinate with guests constantly, but more and more agencies, like Airsorted and Hostmaker, are springing up to take care of the logistical side of hosting. Anyone with a spare room, or an entire house they don't mind leaving for the weekend, can put their property on Airbnb, but there are some ways to make your listing more successful: in-depth local knowledge is something guests look for, so creating a guide to your local area can go down very well, as do personal touches like a basket of snacks. For high-end properties, onefinestay is a more hands-on agency, taking care of everything from listing photography, property management and housekeeping, to vetting and welcoming guests, as well as looking after them during their stay.

Use it for parties

Lucas Allen

Larger houses, especially those in the country, can work really well as venues for parties and weddings, and there are, unsurprisingly, agencies who will take care of this for you as well. Landed Houses specialises in renting out large country houses, and demand is high across the price range. "Most groups," he says, "are simply looking for a traditional country house experience without feeling like the house should be bubble-wrapped. Comfort is important, as are traditional features like roll-top baths and open fireplaces." Renting your house out this way tends to fetch between £50 and £100 per person per night on a self-catering basis.

Rent out storage and parking spaces

Michael Sinclair

Possibly the lowest-maintenance option for making money from your extra space is to rent out a room or garage as storage or parking. Parking spaces in London can fetch up to £200/month, and renting out storage space in a garage or box room can bring in up to £100/month.

Grow things

Elsa Young

If you don't want the disruption of guests in your house, but you have some outdoor space, it's worth considering growing produce for farmers' markets - something that could always be done on a cooperative basis with neighbours and friends. Cheryl at London Farmers' Markets emphasises that you should look for in-demand, high-retail-value products that can be grown for as much of the year as possible, like herbs and flowers.