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Rent out your garage or parking space
You can earn up to £300 a month by letting out your parking space or garage. Commuters pay around £75 a month for a space within walking distance of a train station, and up to £150 for a secure, gated parking space in central London, while a space near stadiums such as Wembley and Twickenham can be rented out for around £20 when an event is on. Register your parking space or garage for free on websites such as www.parkatmyhouse.com or www.yourparkingspace.co.uk so that people can contact you if they are interested.

Hire out your home
Magazines, television and film companies are constantly looking for places to feature and use as locations. If you’re lucky enough to have a beautiful home you could be in high demand for photo shoots or films, or if your house is a typical family home it is more likely to be used in television. If your home is used you can earn up to £5,000 a day, though bear in mind that the crew may want to move furniture, change things around or even redecorate completely. If you’re considering loaning your home out just take a few snaps of the place – they don’t have to be professional looking shots – photos taken on a digital camera will be fine. Send these to broadcasters such as the BBC and ITV, or register with agencies such as Location Works or Shoot Factory.

Rent out a room
If you’re paying off debts or need help with mortgage payments, renting out your spare room is the ideal solution. It’s a good idea to meet potential lodgers first, and go through any ground rules initially to avoid disagreements. The government’s rent-a-room scheme could make you up to £4,250 tax-free a year if you provide a lodger with a fully furnished room, or register your room on www.gumtree.com or www.spareroom.co.uk. If you’re unsure what to charge check on these sites to see how much rent is in similar rooms in houses around your area. 

Homestays
If you don’t want your spare room used permanently, a homestay or short-term lodger is a good alternative. Foreign exchange students are always looking for host families for terms or for the holidays, and you will be paid directly by their school. If you want to take in a short-term lodger, such as somebody who has a short-term work contract in the area, advertise on www.gumtree.com stating how long the room is available for.

House swap
While this won’t earn you money, it’ll certainly save you some. At the height of the recession in 2009 home swaps soared by 61 per cent as holidaymakers searched for ways to tighten the purse strings – think Katie Winslet and Cameron Diaz in The Holiday – you could swap your English home for two weeks with someone who lives abroad, meaning you won’t have to pay hefty hotel accommodation costs when you go away. To register your home for house swaps, visit www.homebase-hols.com or www.guardianhomeexchange.co.uk.

By Fiona Forman