Buying a house

When a ____ has chosen the house he wants, he has a ____ draw up a contract. This ____ states the ____ definition of the ____, gives the purchase ____, and demands ____ from the present owner. It also includes other important ____, such as the ____ that are to remain in the house and the ____ when the ____ will take ____.

The buyer pays a ____ when he ____ the ____. The deposit binds the ___ to the ____ of the contract.

Exercise 5

Rewrite the following advertisement in its full form.

Mod. det. hse., immac. cond. 3 gars. 5 beds., 3 receps., 2 fully tiled baths.+sep. wcs; lge. fit. kit.189 ft., dble sink; lux. lnge. Gas CH/ chw; dble. glaz. Curts., fit. cpts. included. Landscd. gdn., swim. pool. Few mins., stn., bus, $150,000.

Exercise 6

Choose the correct answer.

1. The best person to approach if you are house-hunting is an estate ….. .

a) agent b) clerk c) official d) representative

2. The only ….. of the flat is that it’s a bit too small.

a) complaint b) disadvantage c) mistake d) sorry

3. The … for the flat is $70 a week.

a) due b) fee c) hire d) rent

4. ….. a flat with someone is cheaper than living on your own.

a) Dividing b) Halving c) Parting d) Sharing

5. There are several landladies approved by the university who take in …. .

a) inhabitants b) lodgers c) residents d) settlers

6. The landlord requires a $50 …. from tenants to cover possible damage.

a) bail b) deposit c) security d) tip

Listening

Listen to the recording and decide which of the following statements are true and which are false.

A new house

1. At first Guy’s family thought to rent a house in the outlying district.

2. Guy will be doing nothing but working hard while his family is in Scotland.

3. Guy needs a house without any gardens because he doesn’t like gardening.

4. Children left at 8 p.m. and they will be back at 9 a.m.

5. They don’t want to have a modern house.

6. While Mr Hunt has been shaving, Mrs Hunt has been making a list of things inside the house.

7. Simon thinks that the best way is to buy a farm because he likes animals and their family is rich enough.

8. Jane has been sleeping in her room as she feels bad.

9. They are not able to have an old house built.

10. While children are enjoying their stay in Scotland, Mrs Hunt will be looking after Mr Hunt.

 Reading

Just what we’re looking for!

I left the hotel today at eight o’clock for an early appointment with the agent, who yesterday assured me he has found me just the house we’re looking for. When I arrived he looked less convinced than I did. Even at that time of the morning, I was already irritable and despondent as I arrived at the first address. At first I walked past the house. Where it should have been a garden was a wilderness of trees and overgrown grass. Then out of the green darkness stepped the agent. “Ah, there you are! It’s here,” he said. I stepped in through the broken-down gate, and walked up the dusty garden path. It immediately felt cooler and calmer. The agent rattled a large bunch of keys, and tried several in the door, talking to himself all the time, before he exclaimed, “Ah!”

We let ourselves in and walked into a deliciously cool, but dusty house. I went into a gloomy living room downstairs and switched on the light, but nothing happened. The agent heard me clicking the switch and said, “Ah! No good. The switch needs mending. I’ll have an electrician repair it immediately.” I peered into the darkness and made out the shape of a window on the far side. The agent walked over to the window and threw open the peeling shutters, and the sunlight streamed in. A rather faded sofa and two battered armchairs sat around an open fireplace which hinted at log fires in winter. The curtains were stripy but more or less in shreds. Outside there was a terrace and beyond the trees, the dense undergrowth, the tall grass and wild plants that were once the garden, were the mountains in the distance. I walked through into what must have been a kitchen, but only recognisable because of the antiquated equipment which I last saw during a visit to local museum. I turned on the tap, and once again, nothing happened. “ The water needs to be reconnected. We’ll get the plumber to do it. It’s no problem,” the agent said. Upstairs there were two bedrooms and a bathroom with low ceilings and which were, despite being hidden in the roof, still quite cool. The bathroom had no bath and not much room, but a beautiful view over the garden. The basin was filthy with dirt of the years during which the place had been unoccupied. I sat on the brass bed in the dusty bedroom, and looked round, thinking, not bad, not bad at all. In my mind, I could see the house with new curtains and carpets, our own furniture, which had been in store for several months, books on the shelves, beds made up, lengthy lunches on the terrace, endless summers and warm winters. I could do most of the work myself.

I went downstairs and the agent looked at me hopefully. It was worth the lengthy search, the dusty visits to endless houses, the depressing inspections of grim flats, to see his smile when I said to him, “ It’s just what we’re looking for.”

 Writing

Imagine that you have bought a house. Write a letter to your friend and describe it. Tell him/her about the house, the place it is situated in, the conveniences, etc. Invite him/her to visit your place.

Exercise 7

Some people went to a real-estate agent to find a new home. Read the descriptions from the estate agent’s brochure. Which of these homes were they interested in? Match the estate agent’s descriptions with the right person or family.

This is an attractive terraced house with two floors, close to shops and underground station. Children – welcome.	A detached house with plenty of garage space and a garden – this is an opportunity not to be missed.
b) A beautifully-situated bungalow which has a garden attached	This small flat has its own balcony and is situated on the fourth floor of a residential block

1. Mr and Mrs Dawson are both retired. Their children are married and have left home. Mr Dawson wants to move to a house that has a garden and Mrs Dawson wants a house without any stairs.

2. Tina has been sharing a house with some friends. She would like to be more independent, but she can’t afford a house.

3. Stephanie and Nigel got married in March. They’re expecting their first baby at the end of the year. They can’t afford a big house, but they don’t want a flat.

4.The Clifford family have been living in a semi-detached house, but now they need something bigger. They have four children as well as a dog and a cat.

Exercise 8

Read the housing ads and the notices for roommates. Then choose one of the places and write a notice advertising for a roommate to share it with you.

WEST SIDE. Lrg sunny 1 BR apt. Kitchen, bath. 2 flr walkup. $400+1 mo sec dep. Immediate occ.

DOWNTOWN. Furn 2 BR apt w/kitchen, din rm, 1 bath. W/w crpt, frplc, balc. Elevator bldg. Avail Febr. $700+util. 679-9842 eves.

BEDFORD. 3 BR, 1 bath apt. Nr transp+shops. Avail immediately. $300 including util. 481-8769.

NEAR UNIVERSITY: Small 2-rm apt w/bath. No pets or children. Laun in basement. Quiet. $ 250. 323-1465 anytime.

SUNNYSIDE. 2-story, 3 BR house avail for Feb occ. 2 baths, liv rm, din rm, kitchen. Indoor pkng avail. 40 min to centre of town. $900/mo. 524-1773.

ABBREVIATION KEY

Apt – apartment sec dep – security deposit

Avail – available lrg - large

Bath – bathroom transp - transportation

Bldg – building mo - month

BR – bedroom nr - near

Util – utilities occ - occupancy

Eves – evenings pkng - parking

Flr – floor w/ - with

Frplc – fireplace w/w – wall to wall

Furn – furnished laun – laundry

ROOMMATE WANTED

Responsible professional woman seeks woman to share rent and utilities of

2 bath apt., Fisher St. Area. No pets. Rent $350.

Phone Gloria

(after 5 pm) 784-6321

HOUSE TO SHARE

Male grad student, non-smoker, is looking for 2 rommates to share old East Side house. Modern kitchen and bath. Quiet, residential neighborhood, near bus. $230/mo+util.

Glenn 576-9856 (keep trying)

 Now write your own notice. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________