5.4 Dream home

 VOCABULARY PRACTICE

Task 1. Match the actions to the pictures below. The pictures are in the right order to describe ways of getting a place ready to live in.

You build an extension __________ You furnish the house __________ You pull down old buildings ______

You paint and decorate __________ You put up new house __________

Task 2. In these e-mails people are describing their living accommodation. Pay attention to the words in bold. Work in pairs. Write an e-mail letter to your friends or relatives describing your new home.

¹ we can also say build an extension = build an extra room or two onto an existing house

² repair, repaint and decorate (a house)

Task 3. In Task 2 you came across a collocation dream home. Search your dictionary for other collocations with the word home. Illustrate their usage with your own examples.

Task 4. Complete these sentences using collocations with the word home.

1. Jane's been away a whole year and she’s back. We should have а _______________ party.

2. Our son lives at home right now but he'll be 21 soon. He'll finish university and then he'll probably ____________________.

3. I've lived here almost a year now and I'm really beginning to ____________________.

4. I'll leave the keys to my flat with the neighbour. Just go in and ____________________.

5. Jane thought she would miss her friends and family when she started her new job in Rome but she soon found she had no time to ____________________.

Task 5. Match the beginning of each sentence on the left with its ending on the right.

We want to turn our garage into a	house-warming party.
Jill has invited me to her	mortgage.
Next week I have to move out of	my own.
Karl makes a business out of doing up	granny flat.
Our bedroom overlooks	my flat.
Our house needs to be completely	the garden.
I hope that one day I'll have a place of	old houses.
The bank can help if you want to take out a	refurbished.

Task 6. Correct the collocation errors in these sentences.

1. We live on a busy road, but we're lucky because we have off-road park.

2. Gemma has moved off from her old flat and has now got a new place in Walville Street.

3. We're building an expansion to our house which will give us a bigger kitchen.

4. The flat is totally furnished, which is good because I have no furniture of my own.

5. She had to get out a big mortgage as the house was very expensive.

6. There is no buyable housing for young people in this area; prices are ridiculously high.

7. New people have entered into the house next door. I haven't met them yet.

8. It's a very spatial apartment with a huge living room and a big kitchen.

9. The flat is accessible to rent from the first of March onwards.

10. My brother and his wife live in a windy old cottage.

Task 7. Choose the best answer to the questions, a, b or с.

Brennan's Estate Agent's Brennan's are delighted to offer this first floor one bedroom flat. To view please call Brennan's on 020 6759 6660. PRICE £65,000 LOUNGE: 17'10 x 10'4 COMMUNAL GARDENS KITCHEN: 7'10 x 7'0 STORAGE HEATERS BEDROOM: 14'2 x 8'10 SECURITY ENTRY BATHROOM/WC LIFT TO ALL FLOORS 16 Compton Court, Preston, Lancashire The accommodation: ENTRANCE: Via security entryphone via door into: COMMUNAL HALLWAY: Stairs or lift to own front door. HALLWAY: Storage heater. Cupboard containing water tank. Power points. Door leading to: LOUNGE: 17'10 x 10'4. Double glazed window to front. Storage heater. Security entryphone system. Power point. Telephone point. KITCHEN: 7'10 X 7'0, Wall mounted heater. Wall mounted cupboards. Hob oven and extractor. Stainless steel single sink with mixer tap. Part tiled walls. Space for appliances. BEDROOM: 14'2 x 8'10. Double glazed windows to the front. Storage heater. Fitted wardrobes. Power points. BATHROOM / WC Wall mounted heater. Extractor. WC, hand basin, bath with tiled splashback on the wall. EXTERIOR: There are communal gardens and visitors parking.

Note:

In Britain, estate agents still use imperial measurements (feet and inches) to give room sizes. One foot (1') = 30.48 centimetres. One inch (1") = 2.54 centimetres. So, 14'2 is about 4 metres 30 centimetres.

1. How many people do you think would live in this flat?

a) one or two b) three or four c) more than four

2. How many floors do you go up in the lift to get to the flat?

a) one b) two c) three

3. What is the biggest room in the flat?

a) the bedroom b) the bathroom c) the lounge

4. Who are the gardens for?

1. the owner of the flat b) the owners of all the flats in the building c) the public

5. What helps to keep the flat safe?

1. the storage cupboard b) the telephone point c) the entryphone system

6. What helps keep the flat warm?

1. the storage cupboard b) the telephone point c) the double glazed windows

7. What can you cook on in the flat?

1. the integral hob b) the extractor c) the stainless steel single sink unit

8. What comes out of a mixer tap?

1. hot water only b) cold water only c) hot water, cold water or hot and cold water

9. Are there wardrobes in the bedroom now?

a) yes b) no c) we don't know

10. Where is the tiled splashback in the bathroom?

a) near the bath b) on the floor c) on the ceiling