Exercise 1
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence about homes, housing and living.
Example: We pay our _____ at the end of every month. (rent / mortgage / deposit)
Answer: We pay our rent at the end of every month.
Homes, Housing and Living
Where you live says a lot about your life. Whether you rent a flat in a busy city, own a house in the suburbs, or share accommodation with friends, talking about homes and housing is an essential part of everyday English. In this lesson, you will learn key vocabulary about homes, housing and living — including the types of places people live, the rooms and features inside a home, and the language used to describe renting, buying, and daily life at home.
Mini Situation
Read this short conversation between two friends, Laura and Ben:
"I've just moved into a new flat," said Laura. "It's on the third floor of a modern apartment block. The rent is quite affordable, and the landlord seems friendly. There's a spacious living room and a small balcony. The only problem is that the neighbourhood is a bit noisy at night."
"That sounds great though!" said Ben. "My house is semi-detached and has a garden, but I'm thinking of moving. The mortgage payments are quite high and the heating bills in winter are expensive."
Notice how many useful words about homes, housing and living appear naturally in this short dialogue. Let's explore them all below.
Key Vocabulary & Meaning Breakdown
1. Types of Home & Housing
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| flat | noun — a set of rooms on one floor of a building, used as a home (British English) | She rents a one-bedroom flat in the city centre. | rent a flat, studio flat, ground-floor flat; American English: apartment |
| apartment | noun — a set of rooms used as a home, usually in a larger building (common in American English and formal British English) | They bought a luxury apartment near the river. | apartment block, furnished apartment, apartment building |
| detached house | noun phrase — a house that stands completely alone, not joined to any other building | My parents live in a large detached house with a garden. | Compare with semi-detached and terraced house |
| semi-detached house | noun phrase — a house joined to one other house on one side only | We live in a semi-detached house — our neighbours share our wall. | Often shortened to semi in informal speech |
| terraced house | noun phrase — a house in a row of similar houses, joined to neighbours on both sides | Terraced houses are very common in older British cities. | Also called a terrace; very typical of Victorian-era British housing |
| cottage | noun — a small, often old and charming house, usually in the countryside | We rented a cosy cottage in the countryside for the weekend. | country cottage, thatched cottage, holiday cottage |
| bungalow | noun — a house with only one floor; no stairs | My grandparents moved into a bungalow when they got older. | Often chosen by elderly people or those with mobility needs |
| accommodation | noun (uncountable) — a place to live or stay, used in a general sense | The company provides accommodation for new employees. | find accommodation, temporary accommodation, student accommodation |
| neighbourhood | noun — the area around the place where you live; the local community | It's a friendly neighbourhood — everyone knows each other. | quiet / safe / lively neighbourhood; live in a neighbourhood |
| suburbs | noun (plural) — the residential areas on the outer edges of a city, away from the centre | Many families move to the suburbs for more space and quieter streets. | live in the suburbs, move to the suburbs; adjective: suburban |
2. Renting, Buying & Living Arrangements
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| rent | verb / noun — to pay money regularly to use a property that belongs to someone else; the money paid for this | They rent their flat for £900 a month. / The rent is due on the first of every month. | pay rent, monthly rent, rent a room / flat / house |
| landlord / landlady | noun — the person who owns a property and rents it to others | Our landlord fixed the broken boiler within a day. | private landlord; a landlady is a female landlord |
| tenant | noun — a person who rents and lives in a property owned by someone else | The landlord has three tenants living in the building. | long-term tenant, private tenant; opposite of landlord |
| lease / tenancy agreement | noun — a legal contract between a landlord and tenant about renting a property | Please read the tenancy agreement carefully before you sign it. | sign a lease, break a lease, six-month lease |
| deposit | noun — a sum of money paid in advance as security when renting a home | We paid a deposit of one month's rent when we moved in. | pay a deposit, security deposit, get your deposit back |
| mortgage | noun — a loan from a bank to buy a property, paid back over many years | They took out a mortgage to buy their first home. | take out / pay off a mortgage, monthly mortgage payments |
| estate agent | noun — a person or company that helps people buy, sell, or rent properties | We contacted an estate agent to find a new flat to rent. | American English: real estate agent; go to / use an estate agent |
| utilities | noun (plural) — essential services for a home, such as electricity, gas, water, and internet | The rent is £800 per month, and utilities are not included. | pay utilities, utilities included, utility bills |
| furnished | adjective — a property that already contains furniture for the tenant to use | The flat is fully furnished, so we didn't need to buy any furniture. | fully furnished, part-furnished; opposite: unfurnished |
| share / flatmate | verb / noun — to live in a home with other people who are not family; a person you share a flat with | I share a flat with two flatmates to keep the costs down. | share a flat / house, find a flatmate; American English: roommate |
3. Inside the Home — Rooms, Features & Household Life
| Word / Phrase | Part of Speech & Meaning | Example Sentence | Collocations / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| living room | noun — the main room in a home used for relaxing, watching TV, and socialising | We spend most of our evenings in the living room. | Also called a lounge or sitting room in British English |
| kitchen | noun — the room where food is prepared and cooked | The kitchen has a modern oven and a large fridge. | fitted kitchen, open-plan kitchen, kitchen appliances |
| bathroom | noun — the room containing a bath and/or shower, sink, and toilet | The flat has one bathroom and a separate toilet. | en-suite bathroom (attached to a bedroom), shared bathroom |
| balcony | noun — a small outdoor platform attached to the outside of a building, above ground level | She has breakfast on her balcony every morning in summer. | a flat with a balcony, sit on the balcony |
| central heating | noun phrase — a system that heats all rooms in a building from one source, usually a boiler | The flat has central heating, so it's warm in winter. | turn on / turn up the central heating, heating bills |
| storage | noun (uncountable) — space used for keeping things that are not in regular use | The flat doesn't have much storage, so I bought extra shelves. | storage space, storage cupboard, extra storage |
| appliance | noun — a machine or device used in the home, especially in the kitchen | The flat comes with all kitchen appliances, including a dishwasher. | household appliance, kitchen appliance, electrical appliance |
| do up | phrasal verb — to repair or redecorate a property to improve its condition | They bought an old house and plan to do it up over the next year. | do up a house / flat / room; informal; similar to renovate |
| move in / move out | phrasal verb — to start living in a new home / to leave and stop living in a home | We moved into our new flat last Saturday. Our old tenants moved out at the end of the month. | move in with someone, move out of somewhere |
| settle in | phrasal verb — to begin to feel comfortable and at home in a new place | It took a few weeks to settle in, but now I love living here. | settle in well, take time to settle in |
Collocations & Useful Expressions
Learning collocations — words that naturally go together — will help you sound more fluent when talking about homes, housing and living.
pay + rent
We pay rent on the first of every month.
sign + a lease / tenancy agreement
Before moving in, you need to sign the tenancy agreement.
take out + a mortgage
They took out a mortgage to buy their first home.
move + into / out of
She moved into a new flat last week. He moved out of the shared house in June.
settle + into / in
It's always exciting to settle into a new home.
do up + a property / house / flat
They bought a rundown cottage and spent six months doing it up.
afford + rent / a mortgage / a house
House prices are so high — I can't afford to buy a flat on my salary.
run + a household
Running a household takes time, money, and organisation.
be close to + shops / transport / schools
One of the advantages is that the flat is close to public transport.
overlook + a garden / the sea / the street
Our bedroom window overlooks a small park. It's a lovely view.
in good / poor condition
The flat was in poor condition when we moved in, but we've improved it a lot.
spacious / bright / cosy / noisy / convenient (common adjectives to describe a home)
The living room is very spacious and bright. The kitchen is small but cosy.
Important Differences & Confusing Words
Flat vs Apartment
Both words refer to a set of rooms in a building used as a home, but there is a difference in usage:
- Flat is standard British English and is the most common word in the UK.
- Apartment is standard American English but is also used in British English, often to suggest a more modern or prestigious property.
She rents a small flat near the university. (everyday British English)
The development offers luxury apartments with river views. (more formal or upmarket British English)
Rent vs Hire
Both mean to pay to use something that belongs to someone else, but they are used in different contexts:
- Rent is used for properties (houses, flats) and sometimes cars for longer periods. In British English, the landlord also "rents out" the property to the tenant.
- Hire (British English) is used for short-term use of equipment, vehicles, or services (e.g. hire a car, hire a bike).
We rent our flat from a private landlord. ✅
We hired a car for the weekend. ✅
We hire our flat. ❌ (Not natural in this context)
House vs Home
These words are often confused but have an important difference in meaning:
- House refers to the physical building — the structure itself.
- Home refers to where you live and feel you belong — it has an emotional meaning and can be any type of accommodation (a flat, a cottage, a room).
They bought a three-bedroom house in the suburbs. (the building)
After years abroad, she was happy to be back home. (the place she belongs)
Make yourself at home! (feel comfortable — "home" not "house")
Landlord vs Estate Agent
- Landlord — the person who owns the property and rents it to a tenant. You pay rent to your landlord.
- Estate agent — the person or company that helps you find a property to buy or rent. They work as a middleman. You do not pay rent to an estate agent.
We contacted an estate agent to help us find a flat.
Once we found the flat, we signed a contract with the landlord.
Detached, Semi-Detached, and Terraced
These three terms describe how a house is connected to other buildings:
- Detached — stands completely alone. No shared walls.
- Semi-detached — joined to one other house on one side. One shared wall.
- Terraced — part of a long row of houses. Shared walls on both sides (except the end houses).
Detached houses are generally the largest and most expensive. Terraced houses are often smaller and more affordable.
Common Mistakes
❌ I live in a house of three bedrooms.
✅ I live in a three-bedroom house. — In English, we use a hyphenated adjective before the noun: a two-bedroom flat, a five-room apartment.
❌ She pays the rent to the estate agent every month.
✅ She pays the rent to the landlord every month. — You pay rent to the landlord, not the estate agent. The estate agent simply helps you find the property.
❌ They moved in the flat last week.
✅ They moved into the flat last week. — The phrasal verb is move into (a place). Don't forget the preposition into.
❌ The rent is 900 pounds in a month.
✅ The rent is £900 a month / per month. — Use a month or per month, not in a month.
❌ I live in a very comfortable home — it has four rooms. (when referring to the physical building)
✅ I live in a comfortable house — it has four rooms. — Use house when describing the physical structure. Use home for the emotional or personal concept of where you live.
❌ Can I hire this flat for six months?
✅ Can I rent this flat for six months? — Use rent for properties. Hire is used for short-term equipment or vehicles in British English.
❌ My flat is very spacious. It has a big living room and a big kitchen and a big bathroom.
✅ My flat is very spacious. It has a large living room, a bright kitchen, and a modern bathroom. — Avoid repeating the same adjective. Use a variety: large, bright, modern, comfortable, airy, cosy.
Homes, Housing and Living: Quick Summary & Review
In this lesson, you have explored a wide range of vocabulary connected to homes, housing and living. Here is a quick summary of the key areas covered:
- Types of home: flat, apartment, detached house, semi-detached house, terraced house, cottage, bungalow
- Renting and buying: rent, landlord, tenant, lease, deposit, mortgage, estate agent, utilities, furnished
- Inside the home: living room, kitchen, bathroom, balcony, central heating, storage, appliances
- Useful phrasal verbs: move in, move out, settle in, do up
- Key collocations: pay rent, sign a lease, take out a mortgage, run a household, be close to transport
- Important differences: flat vs apartment, house vs home, landlord vs estate agent, rent vs hire
Remember that in English, the way words combine with each other is just as important as knowing the individual word. Try to learn collocations like pay rent, sign a lease, and move into a flat as complete phrases rather than single words.
Now practise homes, housing and living vocabulary in the exercises below.
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