Do you know how to describe your house? What collocations and idioms should be used in order to describe our home?
Inevitably we tend to talk about our house or others’ houses in our daily conversations with our friends and relatives. It becomes even more serious when we intend to buy or sell a home or an apartment. So, it makes sense to learn some collocations and idioms related to houses. In this lesson, you are going to learn the most practical collocations and idioms related to describe your house.
Describe your house: Different kinds of accommodation
Let’s listen to Jack who is describing his house:
Jack: I live in a rented accommodation with my family. It’s a two-bedroom apartment on the 4th floor of a high-rise residential building. Until 5 years ago we used to live in a detached house in the suburb of the city. We plan to buy a spacious house next year. So, we will be living in a bought accommodation in the northern area of the city.
A detached house:
Meaning: A house that is not joined to any other house
Example: The detached house is the common type of accommodation in the suburb.
Semi-detached house:
Meaning: A semi-detached house is a house that is joined to another house on one side
Example: I used to live in a semi-detached house in central area of the city.
A townhouse – a duplex:
Meaning: A house with rooms on two floors and a private inner staircase.
Example: It is so comfortable to live in a townhouse.
A terraced house:
Meaning: One house connected to many others in the same row/street.
Example: The terraced house is so common in the central area of the city.
Describe your house using: A bungalow
Meaning: A house with only one level.
Example: My grandparents are living in a picturesque bungalow in the suburb.
Studio flat:
Meaning: Is a small flat with one room for living and sleeping in, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
Example: When I was a student at university I used to live in a studio flat.
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Describe your house: Different parts of a house
A house has different sections that can be seen in Jenny’s description:
Jenny: My family and I are living in a two-house in the suburb. The house contains spacious living rooms including one master bedroom with a king-size bed and a fully-fitted kitchen. It has a wonderful view of the jungle. I also feel comfortable working in my cozy study. We have a droughty hall with big windows in which we host hour guests.
Fully-fitted kitchen:
Meaning: A kitchen fitted with units and appliances such as an oven, and dishwasher.
Example: Our house has a fully-fitted kitchen in which we have all sorts of equipment.
Spacious living room:
Meaning: A big room in which family members gather together.
Example: My family and I usually watch TV programs in our spacious living rooms.
Have a wonderful view of:
Meaning: It means you can see an attractive view of a place like a park or a jungle.
Describe your house using: A cozy study
Meaning: A calm and private room in which you can work.
Example: I usually work on my research projects in my cozy study.
A draughty hall:
Meaning: A hall through which wind enters and makes it cool.
Example: our draughty hall is a pleasant place for gathering.
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Describe your house: Furniture and design
Terry is describing his house’s furniture and interior design:
Terry: Our apartment is a newly built one. It is richly decorated and elegantly furnished. We have plants, paintings on the walls, table and floor lamps, and desk calendars. The living room is well-lit, light, and tidy. We have a flat-screen state-of-the-art TV with a wooden table in front of it and artificial plants around it. The sofa in the house is so comfortable with fluffy cushions.
Newly/poorly/badly built:
We use these collocations to talk about the quality of the structure of a house.
Richly/lavishly/tastefully decorated:
We use these collocations to talk about the decoration of a house.
Example: this home is lavishly decorated. All of its equipment is so expensive.
Elegantly/comfortably/simply furnished:
We use these collocations to talk about house furniture.
Example: this house is elegantly furnished. All you see in it is beauty.
Well-lit/tidy/light living room:
These collocations are for describing a living room.
Example: we need more lamps if we want to make our living room well-lit.
Describe your house using: comfortable sofa
A place you can comfortably sit on.
Example: I usually watch TV sitting on a comfortable sofa.
Fluffy cushions:
A light bag made of cloth, plastic, or leather that is filled with soft material.
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Describe your house: Location and surrounding areas
Finally, the surrounding environment of our home matters to all of us. Let’s lesson to Mason who is talking about his house’s surrounding environment.
Mason: My house is conveniently located in the central area of my living city. We have great accessibility to public transportation and other public facilities such as parks and green spaces. We can deal with our daily shopping easily because different kinds of stores including groceries, supermarkets, and department stores of various brands are located within our walking distance.
Ideally/conveniently/pleasantly located:
Meaning: Located in a very great place.
Great accessibility to public transportation:
Meaning: You can get to bus stops and subways soon and easily.
Describe your house using: Green spaces
Meaning: Spaces in which you can find a lot of plants and trees such as parks.
Example: We have a great accessibility to green spaces of the area.
Grocery:
Meaning: A store that sells food and small things for the home
Example: I usually go to the grocery and buy what my family needs.
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Describe your house using: Supermarket
Meaning: A large shop that sells most types of food and other goods needed in the home
Department stores:
Meaning: A large shop divided into several different parts, each of which sells different things.
Example: goods in department stores are cheaper than in other places.
Walking distance:
Meaning: A distance you can take on your feet in less than 5 minutes.
Example: My school is located within walking distance of my home.
In this article, you learned how to describe your house in English. As you already know, it’s really important to expand our vocabulary and learn about practical idioms in English. If you learn how to improve English vocabulary and other skills like speaking, listening, and writing, You will be able to speak more fluently with native speakers.
Don’t forget to practice! It’s the only key to success!
