HOUSES AND HOMES

FLATS:
 block of flats: a large building that is divided into apartments
 balcony: an area with a wall or bars around it that is joined to the outside wall of a building on an
upper level
 view: what you can see from a particular place, or the ability to see from a particular place
 lift: a device like a box that moves up and down, carrying people or goods from one floor of a
building to another or taking people up and down underground in a mine
 on the second/third/fourth… floor
 on the ground floor
 stairs: a set of steps that lead from one level of a building to another

BUYING AND RENTING:

 mortgage: an agreement that allows you to borrow money from a bank or similar organization,
especially to buy a house, or the amount of money itself
 belongs: something that you own
 rent: a fixed amount of money that you pay regularly for the use of a room, house, car, television,
etc. that someone else owns
 landlord: a person or organization that owns a building or an area of land and is paid by other
people for the use of it
 own: belonging to or done by a particular person or thing
 draughty: a draughty place, especially a room, has currents of unpleasantly cold air blowing through
it
 in good condition: it’s good, looks good, you can live in it
 central heating: a system of heating buildings by warming air or water at one place and then
sending it to different rooms in pipes
 huge/enormous: extremely large
 tiny: extremely small
 dark: with little or no light
 in bad condition: it’s not good to live in it
 heat: the quality of being hot or warm, or the temperature of something
 noisy: making a lot of noise

PLACES IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE:

 attic: the space or room at the top of a building, under the roof, often used for storing things
 barn: a large building on a farm in which animals or hay (= dried grass) and grain are kept
 basement: a part of a building consisting of rooms that are partly or completely below the level of
the ground
 cellar: a room under the ground floor of a building, usually used for storing things
 corridor: a long passage in a building or train, especially with rooms on either side
 cowshed: a building where cows are kept while they are milked (= have milk taken from them) or
where they are kept during winter or bad weather
 granary: a large building for storing grain
 hall: the area just inside the main entrance of a house, apartment, or other building that leads to
other rooms and usually to the stairs
 hayloft: a loft over a stable used for storing hay or straw
 henhouse: a small shed for keeping poultry in
 landing: a floor between two sets of stairs or at the top of a set of stairs
 library: a building, room, or organization that has a collection of books, documents, music, and
sometimes things such as tools or artwork, for people to borrow, usually without payment
 pigsty: an enclosed area where pigs are kept
 shed: a small building, usually made of wood, used for storing things
 study: a room, especially in a house, used for quiet work such as reading or writing
 toilet: a bowl-shaped device with a seat that you sit on or stand near when emptying the body of
urine or solid waste, or another device used for this purpose
 veranda: a raised, covered, sometimes partly closed area, often made of wood, on the front or side
of a building
PLACES TO LIVE IN:
 detached house: a house that is joined to the houses on either side of it by shared walls
 semi-detached house: a house that is semi-detached is one that is joined to another similar house
on only one side
 terrace(d) house: a house that is joined to the houses on either side of it by shared walls
 villa: a house, usually in the countryside or near the sea, especially in southern Europe, and often
one that people can rent for a holiday
 bungalow: a house that usually has only one storey (= level), sometimes with a smaller upper storey
set in the roof and windows that come out from the roof
 cottage: a small house, usually in the countryside
 boathouse: a small building at the side of a river or lake, in which boats are kept
 penthouse: an expensive apartment or set of rooms at the top of a hotel or tall building
 studio: a room with special equipment where television or radio programs or music recordings are
made
 mansion: a very large, expensive house
 flat: a set of rooms for living in that are part of a larger building and are usually all on one floor
 caravan: a wheeled vehicle for living or travelling in, especially for holidays, that contains beds and
cooking equipment and can be pulled by a car

OUTSIDE OF THE HOUSE:

 front garden: the portion of land between the street and the front of the house
 hedge: a line of bushes or small trees planted very close together, especially along the edge of a
garden, field, or road
 drive: a private area in front of a house or other building onto which you can drive and park your
car
 garage: a building where a car is kept, built next to or as part of a house
 gate: a part of a fence or outside wall that is fixed at one side and opens and closes like a door,
usually made of metal or wooden strips
 wall: a vertical structure, often made of stone or brick, that divides or surrounds something
 back garden: a residential garden located at the rear of a property, on the other side of the house
from the front garden
 fruit trees
 a lawn: an area of grass, especially near to a house or in a park, that is cut regularly to keep it short
 pond: an area of water smaller than a lake, often artificially made
 patio: an area outside a house with a solid floor but no roof, used in good weather for relaxing,
eating, etc.
 flower bed: a part of a garden where flowers are planted
 back door: a door at the back or side of a building, or at the back of a vehicle
 path: a route or track between one place and another, or the direction in which something is
moving
 garden shed
 greenhouse: a building with a roof and sides made of glass, used for growing plants that need
warmth and protection
 roof: the covering that forms the top of a building, vehicle, etc.
 aerial: a structure made of metal rods or wires that receives or sends out radio or television signals
  chimney: a hollow structure that allows the smoke from a fire inside a building to escape to the air
outside

THE KITCHEN: THE LIVING-ROOM:

 cooker/stove  armchair
 cupboard  bookcase
 cups  carpet
 dishwasher  ceiling
 drawer  coffee table
 forks  curtains
 freezer  cushion
 frying pan  fire
 glasses  fireplace
 knives  lamp
 oven  lampshade
 plates  mantelpiece
 saucepan  painting
 shelf  plant
 sink  sofa
 spoons  stereo
 tap  television/TV
 tea towel  wallpaper
 waste bin

Martin has an apartment in downtown New York. He can see Central Park from his windows.
The house is located in a quiet residential area.
Tony lives in a grey tower block on a run-down housing estate.
The Johnsons live in a quiet, leafy suburb where the children can play outdoors safely.
We've got a house on the outskirts of the city. The air is very clean, but the journey to the centre, where
we work, takes forever.

REAL ESTATE
An estate agent is a someone who buys and sells houses and flats
Property is a formal word for a house, flat or plot of land.
A mortgage is a bank loan against which your house or flat is the
security.
You are tenant if you're renting a flat from someone.
A house or a flat can be repossessed if the owner doesn't pay the mortgage.
You are a landlord or landlady if you're letting a flat out to someone.
Tenants can be evicted if they don't pay the rent for a long time.

We've just bought a flat. The previous owners left it in a total mess when they moved out, so first of all we
had to clean up the mess. We must have thrown out/away several tons of rubbish. The electricity had been
switched off, because they hadn't paid the bills. We had to pay everything and then it was switched on
again. The flat also needed doing up. We painted the walls and put in new bathroom fittings. Then we were
finally able to move in.

HOUSE AND HOME

My aunt and uncle keep an open house. Their friends are always dropping in for a coffee and a chat.
They were very hospitable and made me feel at home very quickly.
Dave and Ellen have set up home (to settle down) together and are thinking of getting married.
Helen keeps horse for her elderly father.
It was a wonderful, warm, cosy place, a real home from home.
Please take off your jacket and make yourself at home.

WORD BUILDING
We must measure the length (long) and width. (wide) of the living room.
We also need to know the hight (high) of the attic.
I'm a bit worried about the strength (strong) of the ceiling. Will it be able to support the weight (weigh) of
this huge water heater?
This house will need a lot of maintenance (maintain) work.
The new hotel is still under construction. (construct).

Rinse the dishes.

Hang your clothes in the wardrobe.
Lock the front door.
Peel the potatoes.
Make you bed.
Iron the clothes.
Answer the phone.
Take the dog for a walk.
Run out of sugar.
Sew on a button.
Wash the dirty dishes.
Sweep the floor.
Lay the table.
Switch on the light.
Spill the tea.
Feed the dog.
Hang out the washing.
Hoover the carpet.
Pour the drink.

PLACES IN AND AROUND THE HOUSE

Attic
Balcony
Barn
Basement
Cellar
Corridor
Cowshed
Henhouse
Landing
Library
Pantry
Pigsty
Shed
Stable
Granary
Hall
Hayloft
Study
Toilet
Veranda

Bungalow
Converted home
Mansion
Penthouse
Pre-war
Studio

swivel chair
windowsill
desk
rocking chair
radiator
chest of drawers
bunk beds
stool
fireplace
Venetian blinds
knick-knacks
roller blinds
framed photograph
glass-fronted bookcase

display cabinet
upholstered chair
Persian rug