Part 1
1) What kind of property do you live in?
My home is a semi-detached bungalow.
2) How long have you lived there?
I moved in on my 21st birthday and I'm nearly 25 now so I've
been there for almost four years.
3) Do you plan to live there for a long time?
Buying and selling a house is very stressful and I said that I
would never do it again after last time. Besides, I love
my home so think I will stay there forever.
4) Is there anything about your house you would like to
change?
Not really. I have thought about doing a loft conversion to give
me another bedroom for when friends come to stay but that’s all.
5) What's the difference between where you live now and
your last home?
I used to live in an apartment by the sea. It had a
wonderful view but no garden. Now I have a
large lawn surrounded by a high hedge, and a patio where I like
to sit in the sun. I’m very happy to have a garden again.
Part 2
Describe a home you have visited that you really liked.
You should say:
where it was
whose house or apartment it was
what it was like
and explain why you liked it.
A few years ago I saw a photo in the window of an estate
agent of a fabulous property in a village quite near to where I
live. It was my idea of a dream home so I just had to have a look
around it. I felt a bit bad about doing this as I knew I couldn’t
afford the house. I’ve never done anything like it before, or since.
The house itself was quite modern. It had three bedrooms,
separate kitchen and dining rooms and a spacious lounge. It
was mostly carpeted and the large windows let in plenty
of natural light. There was also a utility room and a
double garage. It was actually a fairly ordinary house but would
have made a lovely home and it certainly felt cosy.
All the windows had wonderful views over the surrounding
countryside which is something I would make a priority if I
was house-hunting for real. The owners said that they often saw
deer out on the hillsides.
All this was very nice, but I haven’t told you about the best part of
the property yet, the garden. That’s what had attracted me in the
photo. It was amazing and exactly what I would love to own. For
a start, it was huge. There was a large area of lawn, several
pretty flower beds and a terrace sheltered by a fence. Even
better than that was the stream running through the garden into a
big pond with ducks on it. I wish I had that in my garden. You
crossed the stream via a little wooden bridge that led to a small
field that was also part of the property. It was perfect.
The location of the house was also ideal. It was down a small
lane on the outskirts of the village. I know the village well and it’s
a close-knit community, something else that would be important
to me if I was thinking of moving house. While the area is
beautiful countryside, the beach is only 15 minutes away so it has
the best of both worlds.
I’m glad I visited the property. One day I’ll buy a home like it but
for now, I’ll just keep dreaming.
Part 3
1) What are the advantages of living in a house compared to
an apartment?
I’d say that the biggest advantage is that you don’t have people
living above and below you as you do in a flat. Noisy neighbours
can be a real problem if you live in an apartment block.
Secondly, most apartments don’t have a garden, although some
do have a communal outdoor that all the residents share. That
was what I missed most when I lived in a block of flats. It was
the main reason I decided to move to a house.
Finally, a house feels more like a home of your own, even if
you rent it, as you aren’t sharing any part of the building with
other people.
2) Do you think that everyone would like to live in a larger
home?
Certainly not. In my opinion, it’s mainly people with young families
who want a more spacious home. As their family grows, they
like to have a separate bedroom for each child and more than
one bathroom. Because it’s so expensive to buy and sell
a property, many people add an extension rather than buying a
larger house.
Once the children have left home, many parents downsize as
they no longer need so many rooms. They often use the money
they make from buying a smaller property to help their children
get a mortgage and buy a home of their own.
Also, many retired people move from a two-storey house to
a bungalow so they don’t have any stairs to climb as they get
older. Modern bungalows are cosy and cheap to heat so there’s
a saving on utility bills as well. This is important when you’re
living on a pension.
In conclusion, although many of us would like a nicer home, I
don’t think size is the most important thing for a lot of people.
3) What do you think living spaces will be like in the future?
That’s not something I’ve ever thought about but I would guess
that more people will live in high-rises because some places in
the world are running out of space for building new houses.
I saw a programme on TV recently where someone had designed
a small apartment where the furniture folded away so you could
quickly change the same space from a living room to a dining
room and then into a bedroom. The kitchen appliances were
hidden in cupboards so were shut away until you needed to use
them. It was amazing and I think this sort
of accommodation could become common in the future.
However, in places with more land available I don’t think there will
be much change in the near future. Perhaps in fifty years, people
will be living in space but I can’t imagine what
their accommodation would look like.
