House of the Year

In this section

• The Programme
• The Application Process
• Shortlisting Process
• Filming
• The Final
• Judging
• Photographs

The Programme

The show is BBC Northern Ireland’s search to find the House of The Year across our six counties. 

Houses are suggested by members of the public and entered via an application form including 6-8 photographs.

There will be six county episodes, featuring three houses per county.

Our presenter, Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, and three industry judges will visit each selected property on camera. Our judges will select one house per county to go forward to the Final.

In the Final our judges will select two runners-up and an overall winner. 
The winner will receive the BBC Northern Ireland House of the Year Title and Trophy.

There is also an Individual Merit Award which all contestants featured in the series are eligible for.

The Application Process

Members of the public who are over 18 can nominate their own houses and houses other than their own (e.g. if they are renting or wish to nominate another person's house) but they must have the homeowner’s permission to enter. Entrants may be asked for proof of consent.

You can enter online:  just complete the online application form. Attach between 6-8 photos, which should include two exterior photos. The rest is up to you, but photos must not feature any people. We have some guidance on how to take the best photos and information on what the judges are looking for.

You can also write for an application form and return with photos attached to:

House of the Year Competition,
BBC Broadcasting House
Belfast BT2 8HQ

We regret that we will not be able to return photographs.  Photographs may be used in the series or accompanying publicity if required.  We cannot be held responsible for application forms or photographs going missing in the post.

Competition entries must be received by midnight on:
31st May 2010.
No applications will be considered after the closing date.

Shortlisting Process

Once all application forms are received a shortlist will be chosen by the production team.

Then an independent judging panel of three industry experts will shortlist three houses per county, 18 in total, to feature in the semi-finals.

Entrants should take care in selecting which photos to submit and filling in the entry form as only this information will be used to select the 18 entries going through to the semi-finals.

If your application is shortlisted for possible inclusion in the series you will be contacted by a member of the production team who will determine, according to the rules whether you are eligible for the next stage.

Criteria (Initial Selection)

When short listing for the series the judges will be looking at the photographs for evidence of:

1. Architectural Integrity: Is it a piece of architecture or just a building?
2. Interior Design: Are fittings appropriate, stylish and do they continue the architecture?
3. Use of Space/ Circulation/ Layout/ Natural Light / Lighting: Is it practical or just done for effect?
4. External Merit: Is the property exterior use of outdoor space appealing?
5. Overall Appeal: Has it got that certain something?

Filming

If your application is successful, you will be contacted with the exact filming dates and times.

Prior to filming a small production team will need to visit the property.  They will film and photograph the house for pre-production.

If your house is selected to appear you will need to make your house available for approximately two half days filming this September/October.

The Final

One house per county will go through to the Final. Out of the six finalists our judges will award the following titles:

• Overall winner
• Runner up
• Second runner up

Individual Merit Award

There will also be an Individual Merit Award. This is where the Judges feel an individual or individuals excelled in their personal efforts to achieve their dream home e.g. Did they make huge personal sacrifices to achieve their goal against the odds etc? Did they do most of the work themselves?

All contestants featured in the series are eligible for this award. To ascertain the judges will look at the following:

• Did they design the house themselves, or with minimal help?
• Did they do the majority of the building work themselves? (do they have photographic evidence to back up claims?)
• Did they choose the furnishings and design the interiors without expert help?
• Did they do it to a small budget and keep within it?
• Did they have to curtail their lifestyle to achieve the home? ( i.e. no eating out, no holidays, sell off their possessions, maybe live in a caravan during construction?) etc.

The production team will research this information during production and may ask for proof to back up claims. The judges will use this information to make their decision.

As all entrants featured in the series are eligible for the Individual Merit Award, entrants should be available to come to the filming of the Final next Spring — we will be in touch with the exact date. Entrantst should still be resident in the house they entered for the competition when the Final is recorded and broadcast

Judging

Criteria (series & Final)

The judges will judge houses featured in the semi-finals and the Final on the following criteria:

1. Architectural Integrity

   Is it a piece of architecture or just a building?
   Is it fit for purpose?
   Durability/Sustainability/maintenance: what will it be like in five years?
   Originality:  Is it an original solution in its genre?

2. Interior Design

   Are fittings appropriate, stylish, and do they continue the architecture?

3. Use of space/circulation/layout /natural light/lighting

   Is it practical or just done for effect?

4. External Merit

   Is it appealing?
   Appropriateness: does it fit in with its surroundings?
   Use of outdoor space/gardens/patio/suntrap/parking/ waste

5. Environmental Credentials

   Installations/Design/Energy Conservation.
   Forms of heating/insulation. 
   Is it orientated to gain energy from sun?

6. Overall Ambience & Appeal:

   Does it lift the soul and make life better?
   Has it got that certain something?

How to take your photographs

Exterior Shots

Two of the photographs should be exterior shots; one of the building itself and one of the available space around the house, if applicable.

How to take an exterior photo

For exterior shots, a sunny day with a blue sky usually gives you the best photo, providing there are no undesirable dark spots due to shaded areas. You generally want the sun behind you.
Walk around your property looking for a nice angle that shows its best side.  Try to choose an angle that minimises any less than perfect features.  Just standing in the centre of the drive isn’t always the best idea.  Try shooting side on if possible so we see the side as well as the front of the property.

• Try to get the whole building into the shot
• Crop out footpaths and streets if possible
• Remove vehicles from driveway / front of home.
• Avoid shade on the house.

Gardens & Backyards

If you have a garden choose a day when it is looking good.  Try to show what you have done with the landscaping, plants, flowers, features, decking, patio, etc.

If you don’t have a garden but have a backyard, have you done something interesting with the available space?   Have you got decking, flower-boxes, creative lighting, water features etc?  Small doesn’t mean you can't be inventive – remember it’s what you’ve done with it which matters, not how big it is.

• Mow the lawn and trim bushes
• Remove evidence of pets if possible
• Tidy away any toys
• Avoid shooting into the sun

Interior Shots

Suggested areas to photograph:

• Living room
• Kitchen
• Formal Dining (if applicable)
• Second living area or different angle of living room

If any of the above either do not exist, or can easily be captured in the same photo (i.e. often a dining area can clearly be seen in the kitchen photo), then consider:

• Master bedroom
• Foyer/Staircase/Entry hall
• Sunroom/Conservatory – if applicable
• Bathroom – see below

As each home is different the interior shots are a matter of your judgment as to what captures the essence of your home.

How to take an interior photo

The best photos of home interiors are taken with curtains and blinds open, when the photo captures the room as well as the view outside the window.

The biggest problem with shooting a room with a window is that the camera will automatically adjust for the lighting based on the brightest spot in the photo, which is normally the light coming in the window. The room is normally not as bright as the window, so the camera compensates by adjusting for the brightest spot, making the inside too dark.

To overcome this problem, the light between the outside and the inside needs to be more equal. Take the photo when the outside is not so bright, at either sundown/sunrise, or during a rain storm when it's overcast (nobody will notice the rain outside in the final photo).

Normally, you will get the best photos with the flash on the camera set to OFF, and all the inside lights on. Most cameras give you the option to have the flash on, off, or set to automatic. However, experiment and try some shots with and without flash. Sometimes a flash can overcome bright light coming in the windows, as the flash will brighten up the inside without affecting the outside. If you get camera glare by shooting into the light try taking the shot with the light behind you if possible. If you have a dark house try turning on all the lamps and lights to create artificial illumination

Cameras, rooms, lighting, and other factors vary, so it's best to experiment to see what gets you the best result.

Choosing an Angle

Look for a viewpoint to get the best features of the room in. Walk around first before you start taking photos to get a feel for this.

Avoid corners - people don't want to see the corners of your living room, kitchen or dining room.  The judges will want to see as much of the entire room as you can fit in one shot.   Try standing in door ways to get the majority of the room in your shot. If that doesn't work try opening a window, if the room is at ground level, and take the shot from outside. 

If you can’t get the whole room into one shot, and you want the judges to see it all, take two photos from different angles.

Sometimes, eye level isn’t the best vantage point to get everything you want in the shot.  Try kneeling down or stand on a low chair for the best shot, provided it’s safe to do so.

If your subject is tall and thin, such as a hallway, try turning the camera sideways.

Room Dressing

A cluttered room looks terrible in photographs – nobody wants to see last night’s take away boxes sitting on the coffee table.  Tidy away any unnecessary clutter and make the room look as spacious as possible.

Too much furniture and ornaments can also make a room look cluttered.  Experiment with different furniture formations and, if the room looks overly crowded, remove some of it.

Make sure any cushions and bedding look neat and tidy.  Set your dining table as it would look when in use — the judges will want to imagine this so help them along!

Try looking at home interior magazines and programmes for ideas on how to present your home. 

• Open drapes & blinds
• Turn on lights.
• Remove clutter
• Use floral arrangements in kitchens & dining rooms.
• Avoid shooting into mirrors because your image will reflect.

Bathrooms

Bathrooms are particularly difficult to capture well as they tend to be smaller, so you may be better to photograph other areas of the house.  If you want to capture it try putting on all the lights, so you balance the light from outside.
If your camera has an automatic flash, make sure you aren’t right in front of a mirror or other reflecting surface as it will show up in the photo.

Before you take your photo

After following all the advice above and before you take the photo, look around the viewfinder or screen to make sure you haven’t got any features cut in half, odd things in view or wonky angles.  Then ‘click’.

If you have a digital camera, look at the photo to make sure you didn’t miss anything obvious. If you did, have another go.  Try taking more than one photo in each setting and choose the best – you can always delete or bin the others.
Lastly, the quality of your photographs will obviously depend on what they are taken with.  Digital cameras are very good, but if you have a stills camera and follow the advice above, there shouldn’t be any problems.  Don't expect to get great pictures out of some mobile phones or disposable cameras.
Don’t worry - we are looking for great homes, not great photographers!
Good luck and happy snapping!