Seven ways to make money from your home (without selling it)

If you’re strapped for cash there are several ways to
use your home to boost your income. In the era of
the “sharing economy” people are coining it in by
renting out anything from a spare room to a garden
shed. We’ve looked at seven of the best ways to make
extra money from your home.


1. Take in a lodger
Under the Government’s Rent A Room scheme
homeowners can earn up to £7,500 a year tax-free by
renting a furnished room to a lodger. Unlike renting a
whole property to tenants, renting a room is done
using a lodger agreement or licence which is more
weighted in the landlord’s favour. Bills are usually
included in the rent. You can advertise for a lodger
on spareroom.co.uk or mondaytofriday.com if you’re
just looking for a weeknight lodger.
2. Be on TV
TV and film production companies are always on the
lookout for homes to use for filming. Your place
doesn’t need to be Downton Abbey to be in demand –
TV programmes are shot anywhere from council
estates to typical family homes. To get involved
register your property with an agency such as Lavish
Locations (lavishlocations.com).
3. Rent your parking space
Your parking space or driveway could be a goldmine
if you live near a train station or anywhere else
where parking is in high demand or expensive.
Websites such as justpark.com and
yourparkingspace.co.uk put drivers in touch with
people with a spare parking space.
4. Store other people’s stuff
Storemates.co.uk connects people with unused
storage space with those who need space to store
anything from paperwork to sports equipment.
Storage space can be anything from the attic or
basement to a shed in the garden. You set your own
rates with most people charging about 50% of the
cost of professional self storage.
5. Declutter
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure so they
say. Take a look around your home and see if there is
anything you don’t need or don’t use. Ziffit.com will
give you an instant price for books, CDs, DVDs and
computer games, or you can list items on ebay.co.uk
for auction. If you’d prefer to get rid of a lot of things
in one go, consider a car boot sale or garage sale.
6. Throw a party
Direct selling might conjure up images of
Tupperware and Avon, but these days you can flog
anything from kitchen equipment with Pampered
Chef to jewellery and accessories with Stella & Dot –
all without leaving the comfort of your home. Sellers
earn commission on the products they sell with the
keenest becoming sales managers and recruiting
other sale staff.
7. Airbnb
This is another more obvious one, but beware - you'll
also have to comply with some strict conditions.
Airbnb.com and similar sites enable homeowners to
rent a spare room, or the whole property if you’re
away. But you'll have to keep the place clean and tidy,
be available when your guest needs you, and provide
basic ammenities such as soap, toilet paper, sheets
and towels.