Topical vocabulary

General: a dwelling, a house, lodgings, home, at home, to go home, to feel at home, homeless, a residential area, property, to buy property, residence, a storey, a two-storied building, to move into, to move out, a house-warming party, an inhabitant, a tenant, a host (a hostess), a boarding house, to decorate, an interior designer, to furnish smth., to be well furnished, to arrange the furniture, to set smth., to let a room (Have you a room to let?), to take in lodgers, rent, to rent, full board, half board, a real estate agency, an estate agent, freehold.

Types of dwellings: a flat/apartment, a block of flats, a bungalow, a castle, a detached house, a semi-detached house, a duplex house, a terraced house, a country house, a cottage, a log-cabin, a hut, a palace, a skyscraper, barracks, a penthouse, a studio, a condominium, a houseboat, a tent, a villa, a igloo, a chalet, a hotel suite.

Buildings: a house, a hotel, a motel, a church, a cinema, a department store, a garage, a hospital, a kiosk, a mosque, an office block, a police station, a railway station, a shop, a factory, a tower, a warehouse.

Parts of a building or house: a wall, a ceiling, a floor, a carpet, a window, a door, a room, a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen , a living room, a dining room, a pantry, a study, a utility room, a basement, a balcony, a closet, a foyer, a lobby, a hallway, an elevator, stairs, a loft, a chimney, a roof, a garage, a porch, steps, a deck, brick(s), wood.

Outside a house: a lawn, a garden, a patio, a veranda, an orchard, a kitchen garden, a flower-bed, a sward, a parterre, a park, a fence, a gate, a sidewalk, a path, a fountain, a pond, a summer house, a court, a greenhouse, a kennel, a cowshed, a pigsty, a stable, a poultry house, a barn, a shed, a driveway, a backyard, a mailbox.

Interior: an armchair, a bedside cabinet, a bedside table, a bench, a book-car, built-in furniture, a cabinet, a chair, a cupboard, a drink cupboard, an easy chair, a dining-room suite, a divan-bed, a dressing stool, a dressing-table, a fireplace, a kitchen unit, a mantelpiece, a settee, a sideboard, a suite, wall-unit, wall-furniture, a wardrobe, a writing table, a mirror, a chest of drawers, a bookshelf, a mantle clock, curtains, blinds, a carpet, a door-mat, a mat, a coffee table, an ashtray, a double bed, a sheet, a blanket, a blanket-cover, a cushion, a pillow, a pillow-case, a towel, a rough towel, a drawer, a dining set, a dining table, a china cabinet, a tablecloth, a ladder.

Modern conveniences: central heating, a chute, a rubbish chute, electricity, cold/hot water-tap, gas, radiator, running water.

Electric and other domestic appliances: a cooker, equipment, an electric stove, a gas ring, a gas stove, an iron, a mixer, a music centre, a floor-lamp, a rug-lamp, a standard-lamp, a sewing-machine, a chandelier, a vacuum-cleaner, a wall-bracket, a ventilator, a washing-machine, an electric shaver, a shower cubicle, a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a freezer, a stereo system.

Household chores: to keep house, to put smth. straight, to tidy up.

In the kitchen: to sweep the floor, to vacuum the floor, to mop the floor, to scrub the floor, to set the table, to clear the table, to wipe off the table, to put the food away, to wash the dishes, to rinse the dishes, to dry/wipe the dishes, to clean the sink, to take out the garbage/trash, to empty the garbage pail.

Other rooms: to answer the phone/door, to get the phone/door, to open the door/window, to close/shut the door, to wash the windows, to pick up the toys, to clean up one’s room, to clean up this mess, to make the bed, to move the furniture, to dust the shelves, to clean the tub, to do the laundry, to polish, to air smth.

Outside: to check the mailbox, to hang out the clothes, to sweep the porch, to cut the grass, to mow the lawn, to water the flowers, to turn on the sprinklers, to trim the hedges, to weed the garden, to fix the roof, to shovel the snow, to scrape the windshield, to wax the car.

Verbs and verbal collocations: to be covered with, to be decorated with, to be equipped with, to be painted, to be situated, to paint walls, to change curtains, to replace tiles, to change colour, to fit new cupboards, to change floor/lighting, to hang wallpaper, to clean the flat, to do the flat (room, bed), to draw the curtains, to dust the furniture, to furnish, to have a house-warming party, to carry on construction work, to look out on (the street, the yard), to overlook smth., to lock (unlock), to move to a new flat, to receive a flat/guests, to rent a room, to sew, to sweep, to rake a bath/shower.