The presented content of my seminar work is foccused on Housing in the UK.

The work is divided into paragraphs, starting with the introduction of the topic, some
general information, main body- related facts, my analysis, conclusion and list of special
terminology that I used.

Housing in the UK
What does ,,hosing,, mean in general?

It is a manifestation of human being. It expresses our lifestyle.

In the past, people used to live in caves and they used to decorate their ,,dwellings´´.
Some people also lived in shacks and on the other side some people lived in palaces. As
I already mentioned it was depending on the lifestyles and the social status of of the
concrete people.

In every country, there is a different style of housing. However, it has something in

common. People, who live in a house should feel pleasantly. For example, some people
prefer super, modern houses in the busy city, some people prefer a little cottage nearby
the forest where there are no people around, just some kinds of animals and some
people prefer village life with the big garden. Every person has its own dreamhouse.

Comparing houses in Slovakia and in the UK, I would say that in Slovakia we have more
beautiful houses than in the UK. In our country we can see many houses made up of the
different materials and different shapes. Village houses often have a huge garden. In
England we can also find all shapes houses but they are usually made up of stones and
bricks.

It is because of a big fire which became in 1666 in London. It is also called The Great Fire
of London. It began on the night of September 2, 1666 as a small fire on Puding Lane, in
the bakeshop of Thomas Farynor. At this time, most London houses were of wood and
pitch construction, dangerously flammable, and it did not take long for the fire to
expand. The fire destroyed many houses, cathedrals, streets, palaces and lot of people
lost their homes.

After this accident, the King assigned to build all the new buildings from the bricks and
stones to anticipate similar accidents. From that time, we can see almost every building
in England made up of bricks and it is also a specific sign of England.

2.1)
Most people in England live in urban areas. Towns and cities are spreading into their
surrounding environment to cope with the increase population.
In England, an average of 7000 hectares of farmland, countryside and green space were
converted to urban use every year between 1985 and 1998.
This is almost the equivalent size of 9600 international football pitches!

Who owns houses in England?

More people are buying their own homes than in the past. They usually buy brand new
houses which are more expensive than the older houses. But some people prefer older
houses or cottages which they can repair and these kinds of housing seems very
attractive.

About two thirds of the people in England and the rest of the Britain either own, or are
in the process of buying their own home. Most the others live in houses or flats that they
rent from a private landlord, the local council, or housing association.

Some people, especially young people who don´t have much money live in SHARE
HOUSES. They share one flat with another people which is the cheapest way of housing.

People buying their property almost always pay for it with a special loan called
a mortgage, which they must repay, with interest, over a long period of time, usually 25
years.

What are houses in England like?

As I already mentioned, houses come in all shapes and sizes and vary from one part of
the country to the next. Most houses in England are made up of stones or bricks from the
local area where the houses are built. The colours of the stones and bricks vary across
the country.

Types of houses in England:

Houses in Britain usually have a small garden or a paved yard. In London you can see
old VICTORIAN HOUSES.

In the past, the wealthy families lived a much more elegant and privileged life than the
poor families lived. The difference between upper class and lower class was vastly
greater than it is today. Wealthy families lived in large Victorian houses three and
sometimes four stories high with several rooms. They had more than one bathroom and
even had flushing toilets.

They usually had servants that performed all the duties including cleaning the house,
washing clothes and cooking supper. A nanny was hired to fulfill the children’s needs
and was in many cases responsible for raising the children. The servants life was not
anything to dream about but the servants quarters were still better than the poor
families homes.

Most poor families lived in small apartments. Some no bigger than one room. Sometimes
two or more families would share an apartment. These apartments could be found in the
very “ran down” part of town. They would be in buildings that were very close to or
connected to another set of apartments.

The main types of houses in England are:

1. Detached – a house not joined to another house. Also called a single-detached

dwelling, single-family residence (SFR) or separate house is a free-standing
residential building. It is defined in opposition to a multi- family residental
dwelling. Means that the building is usually occupied by just one household or
family, and consists of just one dwelling unit or suite. Most single-family homes
are built on lots larger than the structure itself, adding an area surrounding the
house, which is commonly called yard or garden.

2. Semi-detached- two houses joined together. A Semi-detached house (often

abbreviated to semi or semi-D) is a single family dwelling house built as one of a
pair that share one common wall. Often, each house's layout is a mirror image of
the other.

3. Terraced- house is part of a line of houses that are all joined together. A row of
identical or mirror-image houses share side walls. They are also known in some
areas as row houses or linked houses.

4. Block of flats- is a tall modern building that is divided into flats- apartments. It is
self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building, correctly, on a
single level without a stair.

5. Cottage- is a small house in a village or in the country. Cottages are usually old
buildings. It is often used to mean a small holiday home. However, there are
cottage-style dwellings in cities that were built primarily for the purpose of
housing slaves.

6. Bungalow- it is a house with only one floor and no upstairs. Bungalows are
usually modern buildings. Bungalows are very convenient for the homeowner in
that all living areas are on a single-storey and there are no stairs between living
areas. A bungalow is well suited to persons with impaired mobility, such as the
elderly or those in wheelchairs.

2.2)
If I should analyze housing in the UK and the concrete buildings there, In my opinion
every of the kind of house has its pros and cons.

I will start with the Detached house.

Advantages are that the entire space around the building is private to the owner and
family, and in most cases one can add onto the existing house if more room is needed,
and they typically have no property management fees, such as the ones associated with
condominia and townhomes .
Disadvantage is for example, that all maintenance and repair costs — interior, exterior,
and everything in between — are at the owner's expense.

Semi- detached house vs. Detached house- Advantages: Buying a semi-detached

house compares favourably with buying a detached house in terms of finance: you will
pay more if your house does not share any of its walls, even if the neighbour only lives a
few feet away.

- preserving a certain social aspect of urban living, and avoiding the potentially isolated
feel of a rural home.

Disadvantages: Close proximity to your neighbours can be a problem for some. Not only
will they be effectively in the next room but they will also, unless your garden fence is
particularly high, be looking into your garden on a regular basis. The importance of a
good relationship with those who occupy the other side of your semi cannot be
overestimated.

Semi- detached house vs. Terraced house- Advantages: UK semis typically have a
driveway or garage and sizeable garden, where terraced houses have to make do with
yards and on-street parking.

Noise pollution from neighbours is a lesser problem in semi-detached homes than in

terraced homes.

Block of flats- Advantages: No maintenance- maintenance is covered and taken care of

by the landlord or the body

Perfect for living alone – for those who plan on living alone
for the foreseeable future, the smaller space and simplicity of an apartment is ideal for
those who want less space and smaller bills.

Bills and fees- apartment living usually costs you less in

terms of things such as heating, cooling, and other utilities such as water and electricity .

Disadvantages: Smaller living space, Noise, Parking

Cottage- Advantage: Good place for relaxing, especially in summer when is the hot
weather. Possibility of big own garden where you can grow the vegetables, flowers,
fruits

Disadvantage: No shops and people around who could talk with.

Bungalow- Advantages: Similar than in the detached house.
Disadvantages: Similar than in the detached house as well.

CONCLUSION:
To summarise. I have already described and introduced the Housing in the UK. As
I mentioned at the beginning every person has its own dreamhouse. In my country I live
in a village house. We have a big garden, we have dog, cats, we grow the vegetables and
some trees with fruits. If I could choose house in the UK ,I would choose the detached
house or the bungalow. I think that these 2 kinds of houses are the most comfortable
when you want to have a ,,freedom,,....But everybody has its own opinion and likes
different style. But as we say- Hundred people, hundrend opinions.

LIST OF SOURCES:

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/houses/main/

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/houses.htm#info

http://www.ourproperty.co.uk/guides/buying_a_semidetached_house.html