Housing, Accommodation, and Idiomatic Expressions

Vocabulary practice cards covering housing types, rental terminology, idioms about home and house, property features, and sustainable architecture concepts.

Brought it home to

Made someone understand or realize something clearly.

Upcycle

To reuse an object for materials to create a product of higher value

A home from home

A place where you feel as comfortable as in your own home; like a second home.

Got on like a house on fire

Clicked instantly and formed a quick, close friendship.

Wasn't anything to write home about

Nothing special or noteworthy.

Home truths

Facts about yourself that you do not like or find unpleasant to hear.

Going round the houses

Avoiding getting straight to the point.

Home in on

To focus directly on something.

Make yourself at home

To make oneself feel comfortable, as if in one's own home.

Aren't home and dry

Not out of difficulty or danger yet; it is not over yet.

Homesick

Feeling sad because you are away from home.

Ground rules

Basic rules that people agree to follow in a particular situation.

Tourist trap

Places or attractions that are designed to attract tourists and are overpriced.

Mod cons

Modern conveniences; modern facilities and equipment that make life easier and more comfortable.

Dodgy

Suspicious, dishonest, unreliable, or not trustworthy.

Bitter

Feeling angry, disappointed, or resentful because of a bad experience.

Clause

A specific statement or condition in a legal document.

Furnished

Provided with furniture, such as beds.

Deposit

A sum of money paid in advance as a guarantee before moving into a rented home.

Trial and error

A method of solving a problem by trying different solutions until one works.

Homebody

Someone who likes to spend most of their time at home.

Block of (high-rise) flats

A building consisting of multiple apartments.

Bungalow

A one-floor house with no stairs leading to other floors.

Chalet

A traditional wooden house, usually found in the mountains.

Cottage

A smaller house, usually found in the countryside.

Detached house

A house that stands alone and is not connected to any other house.

Semi-detached house

A house that is joined to another house by one shared wall.

Luxury apartment

An expensive, high-quality flat with modern facilities and comfortable furniture.

Terraced house

One of several houses joined together in a row, sharing walls.

Villa

A large, comfortable, and often luxurious house.

Flat / apartment

A set of rooms for living in, usually situated on one floor.

Dorm / dormitory

A building where students live while studying at university.

Halls of residence

Buildings where university students live during their studies.

House hunt

To search for a house or flat.

Flat / house share

A living arrangement where several people live together, share common areas, and split the costs.

Flatmate

A person who shares a flat with you.

Fully furnished

A property that contains all necessary furniture, such as beds, tables, and chairs.

Tenant

A person who pays rent to live in a flat or someone else's house.

Lodger

A person who rents a room in someone else's house.

Move in

To start living in a new house or accommodation.

Homestay

A type of accommodation where a visitor stays with a local family in their home.

Host

A person who welcomes guests and provides them with accommodation.

Built-in bunk beds

Two beds fixed into the structure of a room, placed one above the other.

En-suite

A private bathroom that is directly connected to a bedroom.

Landing

A small area at the top of the stairs that connects different rooms.

Sockets

Places in the wall where electrical devices are plugged in.

Utility room

A room used for household equipment and appliances, such as a tumble dryer, washing machine, and ironing board.

Green architecture

The design of buildings that are environmentally friendly and use less energy.

Greenhouse (Eco-friendly home)

An environmentally friendly house that uses less energy and water and is built with sustainable materials to reduce its impact on the environment.

Sustainable energy

Energy derived from natural sources that can be replaced and will not run out, such as water, wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal.

Zero carbon footprint

Producing no net carbon dioxide emissions through human activities.

Sustainable mobility

Travelling in environmentally friendly ways, such as walking or cycling.

Self-built house

A house that a person constructs themselves instead of purchasing an already-built house.

Co-op

A type of housing where a group of people jointly own or manage a building, sharing costs and responsibilities.

Regulations

Official rules that people must follow.

Ordinances

Official rules enacted by local government.

Building permits

Official documents that grant permission to construct a building.

Cookprint

The enviromental impact of using energy in order to prepare meals

Food mile

The distance that a food item travels from the place where it was produced to the place where its sold

Off-grider

Someone who does not use public supplies ( electricity or water)

Locavore

A percon who only eats food provided locally

Greentailing

the business of selling environmentally friendly products

Recycle or reproduce

Adapt for use in a different purpose