Hollywood in your own home?

You don't need training or qualifications.

Pros

You can make a substantial amount of money without much time or effort. If you hang around while the filming is going on you could meet interesting people - including well-known actors - and even get a walk-on part!

Cons

Film crews can be very intrusive and can break things you would never have imagined could be broken! You will have to move out if the crew is there for any length of time, which can be quite a nuisance, particularly if you have family.

Useful contacts Amazing Space, 020 7251 6661
BBC Locations Department, 020 8576 8863
Sarah Eastel Locations, 01225 460022 www.film-locations.co.uk
Film Locations UK, 020 8393 2423, www.locations-uk.com
Lavish Locations, 020 8742 2992, www.lavishlocations.com
The Location Partnership, 020 7734 0456, www.locationpartnership.com
Location Works, 020 7494 0888, www.locationworks.com

Having a film-set home

Five years ago, full-time mother of four Anna Rankin and her husband moved back into her parents' home, Micklefield Hall - a wonderful Georgian house with acres of farmland, near Watford in Hertfordshire. The house is large and needs a lot of upkeep, so the couple's first thought was to hire the place out as a film location.

'It's fantastic when film companies use it as a location,' she says. 'The money's really good but it is a bit erratic so you can't bank on getting a certain amount every year.' Last year the house was used as a location for 12 days, but in other years it has been more.

'It's really fun having film crews around,' Anna adds. 'I've met some really interesting people, including some famous actors, and the children love it. But you do have to be relaxed about it.

They can turn the place upside down and you have to not worry about what they're doing to your paintwork or your floors. But they make it all right afterwards anyway so it's not too bad.'