Many people in the UK like renovating or
"doing up" their houses to keep up with
fashions and trends. Here are some useful
English words and phrases to describe this.
Decorating
give something a lick / a coat of paint =
paint walls
hang / put up wallpaper = to attach new
paper to the walls
fit / put up blinds or curtains = cover the
windows either with curtains (fabric hanging
across the window) or blinds (strips of plastic
or fabric that cover the window)
throw out / replace the old light fittings =
change the lights
go for a (name of fashion) effect = recreate a
particular look
put the finishing touches to = complete the
decoration with the final details
Renovation
have an extension = build on to the existing
house to provide more rooms
put in a conservatory / a fitted kitchen / a
new bathroom = to install a conservatory
(room between the back of the house and the
garden), a fitted kitchen (where the units are
connected, rather than being single pieces) or
a new bathroom
convert the loft (have a loft conversion) =
convert the attic into a liveable room
turn the dining room into a spare
bedroom = convert a room into one with a
different purpose
knock down a wall = demolish a wall
knock through from the kitchen = demolish
the wall from the kitchen into another room
build a patio = build a paved area around part
or the whole of the house
rewire the house = put in new electrical wiring
install central heating / solar panels = put in
a new heating system
re-plaster the ceiling = take off the old plaster
(covering the bricks) and replace it with new
re-tile the bathroom = put new tiles on the
floor and walls
Other useful expressions
diy = Do it Yourself (doing maintenance and
building works in your house)
be handy around the house = to be practical
and able to do jobs in the house
draw up plans = to make technical plans
before you do building or renovation work
get planning / building permission = to get
authorisation from the town hall to do work on
your house
Cleaning vocabulary
Here are some useful words and phrases to
talk about cleaning your house.
Everyday / weekly cleaning
Tidy up your house, by putting away things in
their right places. Use a soft, dry cloth (a
duster) to remove the dust from furniture.
Then use the vacuum cleaner (or hoover) to
hoover the floors, rugs and carpets. Use
different hoover attachments for different types
of hoovering (i.e. one for the floors, another for
the furniture, etc.)
If you have wooden or tiled floors, you can
also sweep these with a broom. For smaller
areas, use a dustpan and brush to sweep up
dirt, dust, or broken glass, for example.
Every so often, you can clean the floors with
water. For this, you can use a long-
handled mopand bucket (for the water.) If you
have wooden floors, you can also wax them (a
sort of protective liquid that will make them
shine.)
If a surface is particularly dirty, you might have
to scrub it with a scrubbing brush (a wooden
brush with stiff bristles) or scour it (with a
tough scouring cloth) to get rid of the marks or
stains.
Disinfect the toilet with toilet duck (a special
cleaning product that contains bleach.)
Use window cleaner to clean your windows,
and oven cleaner to clean your oven. Use
furniture polish (a type of wax) to clean and
protect wooden furniture.
Spring-cleaning
Many people spring clean their houses When
winter seems to be finally over. Spring-
cleaning is a thorough clean, from top to
bottom! Here are some words to describe this:
Polish your silver (such as silver cutlery) with
silver polish.
Declutter = get rid of extra things you don't
need.
Wash soft furnishings (take down the
curtains, or take off furniture covers).
Touch up the paintwork (paint the places throw money down the drain = waste money:
where the paint has come off, or where there "If you ask me, by giving your son all that
are dirty marks.) money, you're really throwing money down the
Get into all the corners of your house, and drain."
clean them thoroughly – i.e. behind heavy have a skeleton in the cupboard / in the
furniturewhere you wouldn't normally clean. closet = have an unpleasant secret: "There
Get rid of any mould on the walls, or on are a lot of skeletons in their cupboard."
bathroom tiles, for example. housework = chores you do in the house:
Clean high up or difficult areas to reach. "She does all the housework."
Remove cobwebs (spiders' nests.) house wine = the restaurant's own unlabelled
House wine: "Would you like the house red or the
house white?"
safe as houses = very safe: "This plan is as
house music = a type of dance music: "They
safe as houses. It can't fail!"
played house all night at the club."
get on like a house on fire = get on very well
house speciality = a speciality of the
with someone: "Those two get on like a house
restaurant: "Garlic oysters are one of their
on fire."
house specialities."
give house room to = give space in your
full house = a full theatre: "It's full house
house to something: "I wouldn't give house
tonight."
room to that lamp. It's horrible!"
home in on = become closer to your target:
eat someone out of house and home = eat a
"Police are homing in on the suspects."
lot of food: "When they stayed with me, they
there's no place like home = an expression to
ate me out of house and home!"
mean that your home is a special place: "What
get a foot on the housing ladder = manage
a great holiday! Still, there's no place like
to buy your first house so that you can buy a
home."
bigger second one later: "It's becoming more
home from home = a place that is as
difficult for young people to get a foot on the
comfortable as your home: "The hotel was
housing ladder."
home from home."
get your own house in order = tidy up your
be home and dry = succeed at something and
own affairs before criticising other people's:
not expect any further problems: "I'm glad
"You should get your own house in order
we've got that new client. We're home and dry
before telling me what to do!"
now."
be on the house = be free (in a restaurant):
make yourself at home = make yourself
"Can I get you a drink on the house?"
comfortable: "Make yourself at home! Can I get
have a roof over your head = have
you a drink?"
somewhere to live: "Unless we find another flat
ram something home = make a point
to rent, we won't have a roof over our heads in
forcefully: "They rammed home the idea that
two months' time!"
she had to get a good job."
build castles in the air = have impossible
home truth = an uncomfortable fact: "She's
dreams or plans: "She has this unrealistic idea
going to have to sit down and hear some home
of sailing around the world. She's building
truths."
castles in the air again."
home comforts = the things that make you
lead someone up the garden path = deceive
feel comfortable: "Our hotel room has all the
someone: "He really led her up the garden
home comforts, such as a coffee maker,
path with his promises of promotion and career
reading lamp, nice soaps in the bathroom…"
advancement."
homework = school exercises that you do at
everything but the kitchen sink = take a lot
home: "Our teachers give us a ton of
of things when you go somewhere: "They took
homework!"
everything but the kitchen sink when they went
homesick = when you miss your home: "He
on holiday."
went away for two weeks, but was terribly
homesick."