Houses: Choosing Where to Live
Choosing where to live
Towns and cities in Britain have grown a lot in size over the last two centuries. The oldest houses are usually those closest to the town centre. Many people live in the suburbs, areas on the edge of a town. Some suburbs consist of new housing estates, while others were originally villages that have become joined to the town as it has grown. Some people prefer to live in a village and travel into the nearby town to work. Villages are considered to be pleasant places to live, as they are quieter and less polluted than towns and are closer to the countryside. They usually contain a range of houses, including old cottages and new houses and bungalows.
Many British people prefer to buy a house rather than renting one, because they can decorate or alter it to suit their own taste and because they believe they will have more privacy. Young people and those who cannot afford to buy a house live in rented accommodation. Some rent a furnished bedsit (or bed-sitting room), a combined bedroom and sitting room, and share washing and cooking facilities. Others rent a flat or house, often sharing the cost with friends.
Houses are bought and sold through estate agents. Few people can afford to buy a house outright, so they have to take out a mortgage (= loan) with a bank or building society.
Houses, bungalows and flats
Most houses are built of brick with a tiled roof, though some, especially in the country, are built of stone. The largest and most expensive type of house is a detached house, which is not joined to other houses and has a garden all round it. Detached houses have at least three bedrooms and one or two bathrooms upstairs, and one or more living rooms plus a separate dining room and kitchen downstairs. Many large Victorian houses with three or four floors or storeys have now been converted into several flats.
Semi-detached houses, or semis, are extremely common. They are built in pairs with one house joined to the other along one
Towns and cities in Britain have grown a lot in size over the last two centuries. The oldest houses are usually those closest to the town centre. Many people live in the suburbs, areas on the edge of a town. Some suburbs consist of new housing estates, while others were originally villages that have become joined to the town as it has grown. Some people prefer to live in a village and travel into the nearby town to work. Villages are considered to be pleasant places to live, as they are quieter and less polluted than towns and are closer to the countryside. They usually contain a range of houses, including old cottages and new houses and bungalows.
Many British people prefer to buy a house rather than renting one, because they can decorate or alter it to suit their own taste and because they believe they will have more privacy. Young people and those who cannot afford to buy a house live in rented accommodation. Some rent a furnished bedsit (or bed-sitting room), a combined bedroom and sitting room, and share washing and cooking facilities. Others rent a flat or house, often sharing the cost with friends.
Houses are bought and sold through estate agents. Few people can afford to buy a house outright, so they have to take out a mortgage (= loan) with a bank or building society.
Houses, bungalows and flats
Most houses are built of brick with a tiled roof, though some, especially in the country, are built of stone. The largest and most expensive type of house is a detached house, which is not joined to other houses and has a garden all round it. Detached houses have at least three bedrooms and one or two bathrooms upstairs, and one or more living rooms plus a separate dining room and kitchen downstairs. Many large Victorian houses with three or four floors or storeys have now been converted into several flats.
Semi-detached houses, or semis, are extremely common. They are built in pairs with one house joined to the other along one