In the current economic climate it’s not surprising that many of us are finding ourselves a little strapped for cash. We work hard for our money and yet at the end of the month, when all the bills and debt payments have been taken, there’s often very little left to help us play hard. For many of us, our mortgage is the biggest debt we will face and our home is our biggest asset, so why not make them do some of the hard work for you? Here are some ideas on how you can put your house to work, so you don’t always end up with too much month at the end of your pay check.

Open your home to the public

Opening up your home to the public can be a daunting thought, there is something about the safety and security that we get from knowing we can lock ourselves away in our own little haven and something a little unnerving about the thought of strangers having access to our inner sanctum. But, and this is a big but, it can also be amazing! Not only can you earn extra income but you can meet people you never thought you would, it can open your mind to new possibilities and it can prompt you to finally make use of any unloved/unused spaces in your home. Here’s a couple of ideas to get you thinking about how:

• Turn outhouses, basements, lofts etc into self-contained guest areas so you can do short term holiday rentals through companies such as Homeaway or Airbnb
• If your home is beautiful and well-kept but doesn’t have the luxury of the above additions, minor additions to guest rooms can still enable you to let it through companies like Airbnb and still make a decent amount of extra cash
• No spare rooms? You can always let the property out as a whole whilst you are on holiday or not making use of the house at all. If you’re lucky, your house might just pay for your holiday let and really bring down the cost of your getaway

Let your house host an event

There are a couple of ways to go about this, firstly starting up your own small, self-employed business selling for larger companies has been a long standing way of making money from home. But if we think outside the box, you might have a few extra cooking or hosting skills, your home might have an amazing plot of land you could add a gazeebo to, your property might boast a large feature room and these kind of skills and areas could open up doors into; supper clubs, private parties and even wedding receptions. These companies might be a good place to start your research:

• As a sales / Party Rep: Neal’s Yard Remedies, Forever Living, Avon, Body Shop and many more
• As a supper club: Sites like London Pop Ups can help with advertising and you can take workshops and masterclasses with companies such as The Guardian who run a Guardian Masterclasses section

Let the cameras in

There are quite a few specialist agencies that source and then hire out locations for film companies, and they are always interested in a variety of different properties. They tend to be mainly around the London area and it is not regular income but you may find joy with agencies that also book for photography shoots. You are likely to have to put up with a large amount of people in your home, and they are likely to move things around a fair bit but the companies put the property back to its original state and you never know you might even get chance to rub shoulders with a few stars. There are a number of location agencies that can help if you think your home is ready for its close up, and 1^st Option, one of the UKs leading agencies, could be a good place to start.

Make use of unused land

If your home has unused land, you might be able to earn a little extra money by letting out the land rather than parts of your property. I great way to do this, especially if your property is close to a city centre is by creating a little car park or simply letting out your drive if you don’t use it. Companies and websites that might assist are:

• For info: Save The Student, The Guardian and Your Money all have some good advice
• Directories: Just Park, Park on my Drive, Your Parking Space and more

Have you tried any of these before?*collaborative post