Types of houses

Hello, friend!

Think about your favourite film or popstars and imagine what sort of homes they own.

For example, My favourite actor is Robert Downey Junior. I imagine he has a beautiful apartment in New York with expensive antique furniture. I also think he has a house in the country. It’s quite old-fashioned inside and it’s big so he can have his friends round for dinner and parties.

Look at the photos. Which of the houses would you like to live in? Why?

Match the types of the houses with their descriptions.

a) cottage – a small house in the country usually with a garden

b) semi-detached house – two houses joined together

c) terraced house – several houses joined together

d) bungalow – a house which only has one floor

e) detached house – a house which stands alone and is not joined to any other

f) mansion – a very large expensive house

g) a flat in a block of flats – a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building.

h) houseboat – a boat that people can live on

i) mobile home – a type of building that people live in, usually staying in one place, but able to be moved using a vehicle or sometimes its own engine

j) 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

Name the types of houses in the photos.

Study the diagram. Which type of housing is the most popular in the UK? Which is the least popular?

There are four basic types of housing in the UK: detached houses, semi-detached houses, terraced houses and flats. The most popular type of home in England is semi-detached (more than 27% of all homes), closely followed by detached then terraced.

Read the words in the box. Put them into two groups: those that are more likely to be a) part of a house and b) in a garden.

a) attic, balcony, basement, cellar, conservatory, extension, hall, landing, porch, shutters, sliding doors, stairs.

b) drive, fence, flowerbed, garage, gate, hedge, lawn, path, pond, patio, swimming pool.

How many more rooms and other parts of a house or garden can you think of?

Which is the odd one out? Explain why. Sometimes more than one answer is possible.

1.                 cellar                    basement                       attic

attic: It is at the top of the house; the cellar and basement are below the house.

2.                 detached house              bungalow                      mansion

bungalow: This has only single storey.

OR

mansion: This is larger and more impressive than bungalow and detached house

3.                 lawn                     path                               porch

porch: The lawn and path are part of the garden.

4.                 detached house              semi-detached house      terraced house

detached house: It is not joined to another house.

5.                 fence                    gate                               hedge

gate: It is not a border; it’s an entrance and it opens.

6.                 houseboat             mobile home                  villa

villa: It is not movable.

OR

houseboat: It is on the water.

7.                 pond                    swimming pool              patio

patio: It does not contain water.

8.                 cottage                           houseboat                      farmhouse

houseboat: It is a home on the water.

Listen to an estate agent showing someone round a house. Which seven parts of the house are mentioned in the dialogue?

Has an estate agent ever shown you around a house?

What character traits does an estate agent have?

EA: So, this is the house …. As I say, it’s conveniently located near to the shops. And there are lots of good restaurants and bars nearby.

Man: So it’s quite noisy, then?

EA: Lively, I’d say. We’re in a very popular area of the town.

Man: The road’s quite busy.

EA: Well, yes, it can get busy. There are lots of buses that will take you right to the town centre. Here’s one now, in fact!

Man: Oh, it’s stopping right outside the front gate. There’s a bus stop here!

EA: Yes! What can be more convenient? Shall we go in? So this is the hall. And on the right is the living room. Cosy, isn’t it?

Man: Hmm. It’s certainly small, a bit dark.

EA: And through here is the kitchen.

Man: It’s tiny.

EA: It certainly isn’t spacious, but I wouldn’t say it’s cramped. The cooker and the fridge are new. And it looks out onto the back garden.

 Man: Oh, yes. The owner isn’t keen on gardening, then.

EA: No, I suppose not!

Man: And the back fence looks like it could fall down at any moment!

EA: Yes, it might possibly need a bit of work … Moving on upstairs … This is the main bedroom. There’s a charming view from the window.

Man: I can see right into the bus station.

EA: Yes, er, I mean above that. You can see right across the town … So, what do you think of the house?

Man: Hmm. I’m not sure.

EA: It could be beautifully restored.

Let’s see … Which seven parts of the house were mentioned in the dialogue?

Front gate, hall, living room, kitchen, back garden, (back) fence, main bedroom.

What is the man’s overall impression of the house? Is he likely to buy it?

-                     The man doesn’t sound enthusiastic about the house, does he? And it seems unlikely that he will buy it.

Match nine of the words below with meanings 1-8.

1. uncomfortably small – cramped

2. very small – tiny

3. quiet – peaceful

4. far from other spaces – remote

5. modern – contemporary

6. in a good location – conveniently located

7. in very bad condition – dilapidated

8. large – spacious

Complete the sentences with the words and phrases.

1. It’s conveniently located near to the shops.

2. We’re in a very popular area of town.

3. On the right is the living room. Cosy, isn’t it?

4. “It’s tiny.” It certainly isn’t spacious, but I wouldn’t say it’s cramped.”

5. There’s a charming view from the window.

6. It could be beautifully restored.

Listen to four people describing their homes. Match sentences a-d with speakers 1-4.

1. I live in quiet an unusual home. It’s a houseboat on the river Thames. My parents are quite arty and they decided a few years ago to sell their house in Cambridge and buy a houseboat. A houseboat is cheaper than a house. They managed to get one for 20,000 pounds, which is amazingly cheap. When I tell the people that I live on a houseboat, they usually think it’s far away in the countryside. But in fact, the boat is parked in the canal in Cambridge.

2. I live in a block of flats on the outskirts of Prague. The flat is quite spacious and has got three bedrooms, a dining room, living room, bathroom and a toilet. What I like best about it is the balcony. You reach it through some glass sliding doors from the living room. We’re on the 8^th floor so we can see right across the city, which is fantastic. The block has a garden which we share with all the other residents. Unfortunately, my parents don’t earn a lot of money, so we can’t afford to move anywhere better.

3. We’ve recently moved to the country. We’ve got an old cottage. There aren’t many people living nearby. Our nearest neighbour is a five-minute walk away, and it’s a couple of kilometers to the nearest town. The countryside is lovely and the house is surrounded by trees. The house is very spacious, beautifully restored be previous owners. It’s not a bad place to live, but I miss the excitement of city life.

4. We live in a terraced house in Chicago. It’s a lovely house, quite old. My parents bought it from an old lady who lived here for 40 years. She didn’t really modernize it. It’s in good condition, but décor is very old-fashioned. My parents are going to create a much more contemporary look.

This home:

a is not as modern as the owners would like. – 4

b did not cost very much. – 1

c has got wonderful views. – 2

d is in a remote location. – 3

Here is the final task for you.

Use as many words of the lesson as you can and describe your house or flat.

It’s a flat / detached house / terraced house.

It’s in the town centre / on the outskirts / in the suburbs.

There’s a park / There are some shops nearby.

It’s got … (bedrooms).

There is … (other rooms).

There’s / There isn’t a garden / drive, etc.

It’s a bit / very (adjective).