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How to give your home top billing

Susannah Wright
26/10/2006

HOMEOWNERS in south Manchester are cashing in on their des res properties by offering them up as sets for TV productions.

Residents are earning anything between £300 and £1,500 for allowing their homes to be used in dramas, music videos and commercials.

A Didsbury firm has now been set up to take advantage of the number of large number of quirky and well-designed homes in the area by hooking their owners with production companies.

Filming can take anything from a day up to a few weeks.

Rosheen Carmichael and husband David have allowed their Stanton Avenue home in West Didsbury to be used in a television advert for Lenor fabric conditioner.

It has also been used in photo shoots for a furniture catalogue and lingerie company.

Rosheen, 39, said: "It can be quite exciting and it's a good way of earning some extra pocket money. The downside is that you have to be very easy-going about having strangers wandering through your house and you often have to be available at short notice.

"It can be quite disruptive so it's probably not suitable for anyone with kids, but if you don't mind the upheaval, it's all part of the fun."

The couple bought the house last year and Rosheen gave up work to refurbish it. They signed up to the agency after locations' manager Nick Jones, who was looking for suitable homes, knocked on their door out of the blue.

He started the firm 18 months ago after realising there wasn't a proper facility taking advantage of the area's large number of interesting and character-imbued homes.

Nick has been a television and film locations manager for many years, working on television series such as Bob and Rose and Waterloo Road. He has also worked on BBC2 dramas for Trainspotting director, Danny Boyle, as well as a video for The Beautiful South's single Manchester.

Nick said: "Homes can be of any type. They can be period houses, contemporary, and we especially like anywhere that has got quirky features.

"There are so many interesting and fascinating homes in this area. There is a lot of interest from production companies in homes in south Manchester."

Homeowners can register their homes free of charge with the agency at www.northwestlocations.co.uk.

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