Hiring a private house or estate out as a film location is fairly common diversification of income. Needless to say, it's not quite as straightforward as you might think. And while film locations do not require a vast amount of set-up cost, the potential income is unpredictable and difficult to budget. But if you like the idea of your home being cast in a starring role, here's how to go about hiring your home out as a film location.

Where are film crews looking?

Most film and television productions have a dedicated location team whose job it is to search for locations and manage the filming process on those locations, be it a railway station, a river or a typical Cotswold village. Alternatively, there are location agents who represent estates, houses and other entities. These agents are easy enough to find via an internet search engine, but bear in mind that they will charge for their services, either as a percentage of any fee, or a flat rate.

What do they need?

Even the most straightforward site requirement in theory can prove far from easy in practice. The compromise between a real-life location and a set will be dictated by the budget, time constraints and the ability to recreate a scene artificially.

With film production comes a lot of people and equipment. The cast and crew can number in the hundreds. They will require accommodation, caterers, offices, power supplies and filming equipment, much of which arrives in large lorries which need to be situated close to the set. So although the set can be quite small, the ‘base’ location can be vast and can cause widespread disturbance.

The ability to film without aeroplanes flying overhead or members of the public walking across a scene on a right of way is vital. A secluded location can be attractive as secrecy is often a requirement on set.

What’s in it for the owner?

Film location fees can be substantial but very much depend on the type of production and the facilities being used. Typical fees can be between £1,000 and £2,000 per day for the use of a house, but larger scale use can attract far higher fees for each day of filming, with a set-up and break down rate either side.

Film locations are usually credited and being known as helpful and accommodating to production crews can help to generate interest and attract further fee income.

Is it worth it?

Using a property for film locations can be lucrative. Houses such as Blenheim, Highclere and Hatfield House are commonly used for film locations and the income will be a significant contribution to the running costs, but not all properties attract the same level of fees. There will be interruption – especially for internal filming, with frequent crew meetings and ‘recces’ in the period prior to filming.

There's no doubt that having a movie made in your house can be exciting and lucrative - but just as actors sometimes discover, being a film star is not for everyone.

Further information

Savills country house consultancy team can help you with all aspects of country house ownership, from daily running costs to major renovation projects.