Housing
Industrial estate – An area designated for factories and businesses, typically located outside residential zones.
In the / this country – Refers to being within a specific nation or region.
In the suburbs / on the outskirts – Areas located on the edge of a city or town, usually residential.
Intermediary – A person or organization that acts as a link between two parties to facilitate an agreement.
Iron – A household appliance used to press and remove wrinkles from clothes.
Ladder – A structure with steps or rungs used for climbing to higher areas.
Landing, staircase – The flat area at the top or between flights of stairs.
Landlord(lady) – A person who owns property and rents it to others.
Lane – A narrow road or path, often in a rural area.
Lavatory – A room with a toilet and sometimes a sink; a bathroom.
Lawn – An area of grass, typically in a garden or park, maintained for aesthetic purposes.
Letter-box – A box where mail is delivered; a mailbox.
Lino – Short for linoleum, a type of floor covering made from natural materials.
Living/lounge/sitting room – The main room in a house used for relaxing and socializing.
Lodger – A person who rents a room in someone else's house.
Loft – A space directly under the roof of a building, often used for storage or converted into living space.
Washing machine – A household appliance used to clean clothes automatically.
Well-proportioned – Having balanced and harmonious dimensions or shape.
Window pane – A single sheet of glass within a window frame.
Abandoned – Left empty or unused; deserted.
Accommodation – A place where someone lives or stays temporarily.
Amenities – Useful or desirable features or services in a property (e.g., a gym, pool).
Apartment hunter/seeker – A person looking for a place to rent or buy.
A rent of $50 a month – The cost of leasing a property for $50 monthly.
A suite of furniture – A matching set of furniture, often for a specific room.
At a reasonable rent – Paying an affordable or fair rental price.
Attic – A space or room located directly under the roof of a building.
Basement – The lowest floor of a building, often below ground level.
Bay/Bow window – A large window projecting outward from the main walls.
Bedside table – A small table placed beside a bed.
Bedspread – A decorative covering placed on a bed.
Blanket – A large piece of fabric used to cover and keep warm.
Maisonettes – Small, self-contained apartments within a larger building, usually with a separate entrance.
Manor (house) – A large country house with historical significance.
Mansion – A large, luxurious house.
Metropolis – A large, busy city.
Mixed tap – A faucet that provides both hot and cold water.
Monastery – A religious residence for monks.
Old-people’s home – A residential facility for elderly individuals.
Open-plan – A type of building design where rooms are open with few dividing walls.
Palace – A grand residence, especially for royalty.
Patio yard – An outdoor area next to a house, often paved for leisure.
Penthouse – A luxurious apartment on the top floor of a building.
Pillow (case/slip) – A cloth cover used to protect a pillow.
Porch – A covered shelter at the entrance of a building.
To be home and dry – To have successfully completed something.
To be laid with asphalt – To cover a surface with asphalt (a black, tar-like substance used for paving).
To be lined (up) with trees – To have rows of trees along a path or road.
To be on the house – Free of charge, paid for by the establishment.
To be poorly/well furnished – To have minimal or high-quality furniture.
To brighten sth up – To make a place more cheerful or attractive.
To bring home the bacon – To earn money to support a household.
To bring home to sb – To make someone fully aware of something.
To bring the house down – To receive loud and enthusiastic applause.
To carry out structural alterations – To make major physical changes to a building.
To come across sth – To find or encounter something by chance.
To drop in/on sb – To visit someone unexpectedly or casually.
To dwell – To live or reside in a particular place.
Blinds – Window coverings that can be adjusted to control light.
Block of flats – A multi-story building containing separate apartments.
Boarding house – A house where tenants pay for lodging and meals.
(Built-in) furniture – Furniture fixed into a space, like shelves or cabinets.
Bulletin board – A board where notices or information are displayed.
Bungalow – A single-story house.
Bunk beds – A pair of beds stacked on top of each other.
Burglar alarm – A security system to detect unauthorized entry.
Capital city – The city where a nation’s government is located.
Caravan – A vehicle designed for living or traveling in.
Posh – Elegant, luxurious, or sophisticated.
Power point – An electrical socket for connecting devices.
Premises – The land and buildings of a property.
Purpose-built – Designed and constructed for a specific purpose.
Quarter – A section or district of a city.
Radiator chute – A system for heating through radiators (context-specific).
Ranch – A large farm focused on raising livestock.
Real estate agent – A person who sells or rents properties.
Registration – The process of recording information officially.
Remote control – A device for controlling appliances from a distance.
To eat sb out of house and home – To consume a lot of someone’s food.
To equip with sth – To supply with necessary items.
To evict from – To legally force someone to leave a property.
To fit the (double/triple) glazing – To install insulated glass for better temperature control.
To furnish with – To provide furniture or equipment.
To get on like a house on fire – To quickly form a friendly relationship.
To give/have a housewarming party – A celebration when moving into a new home.
To inhabit – To live in a place.
To knock down – To demolish or destroy a structure.
To knock out the wall – To remove a wall to create an open space.
Carpet / Mat / Rug – Floor coverings made from fabric or woven material.
Castle – A large fortified building, often historical, used for defense.
Ceiling – The overhead interior surface of a room.
Cellar – A room below ground level in a house, typically used for storage.
Chalet – A wooden house common in mountain regions, especially in Switzerland.
Chest of Drawers – A piece of furniture with several stacked drawers for storing items.
Chimney – A vertical structure that allows smoke from a fireplace to exit a building.
Coffee Table – A low table typically placed in a living room in front of a sofa.
Condominium – A private apartment in a building where units are individually owned.
Conveniences – Modern facilities that make life easier (e.g., running water, heating).
Convent – A building where a community of nuns live.
Cottage – A small house, typically in the countryside.
Curtains – Fabric panels that cover windows for privacy or decoration.
Doorway – The entrance or opening that leads to another room or outside.
Dormitory – A large bedroom where several people, often students, sleep.
Double Bed – A bed designed for two people.
Downtown/Uptown – Central part of a city (downtown) vs. residential/wealthier areas (uptown).
Drawing Room – A formal living room used for entertaining guests.
Dressing Table – A table with a mirror used for grooming and applying makeup.
Drive – A private road leading to a house or garage.
Duster – A cloth or tool used for cleaning dust from surfaces.
Duvet – A soft quilt filled with feathers or synthetic fibers used on beds.
Dweller – A person who lives in a specific place.
Entrance – The point where one enters a building or space.
Fan – A device used to circulate air and cool a space.
Farmhouse – The main house on a farm.
Fast-paced Urban Lifestyle – A busy, fast-moving way of living in a city.
(Flowery-patterned) Wallpaper – Wall covering with floral designs.
French Windows – A pair of glass doors that open outward, often to a garden or balcony.
Front/Back Door – The main entrance (front) and secondary entrance (back) of a building.
Guest House – A separate accommodation for visitors.
Hamlet – A small rural settlement or village.
Handy for sth – Conveniently located or useful for something.
Hi-Fi System / Stereo – Equipment for high-quality audio playback.
Homeless Beggars – Individuals without homes who rely on begging for survival.
Home-Town – The town or city where someone was born or grew up.
Hostel – A low-cost lodging, often used by travelers or students.
Hut – A small, simple shelter or dwelling.
Igloo – A dome-shaped house made from blocks of snow, traditionally used by Inuit people.
Remote Village – A small settlement located far from cities and towns.
Removal Men – Workers who help transport furniture and belongings during a move.
Resident – A person who lives in a particular place.
Residential Area/District – A section of a city where people live.
Roommate – A person who shares a living space with someone else.
Rural – Related to the countryside rather than urban areas.
Rustic – Simple and old-fashioned, often related to rural living.
Screen Doors – Doors with mesh panels to keep insects out while allowing air flow.
Secluded – Quiet and private, away from other people.
Self-contained Flat – An apartment with its own kitchen and bathroom facilities.
(Semi-) Detached House – A house joined to another on one side (semi-detached) or not joined (detached).
Shed – A small building used for storage or as a workshop.
Sheet – A large piece of fabric used to cover a bed.
Shutters – Wooden or metal coverings for windows.
Sill – The horizontal ledge at the base of a window.
Single Bed – A bed designed for one person.
Skyscraper – A very tall building with many floors.
Slated Roof – A roof covered with slate tiles.
Sliding Door – A door that opens by sliding horizontally.
Slum – A densely populated urban area with poor living conditions.
Spacious – Large and having plenty of room.
Stairs – A series of steps allowing access to different levels of a building.
Steps – Individual flat surfaces on a staircase.
Storey – A level or floor in a building.
Study – A room used for reading or working.
Switch – A device used to turn electrical appliances on or off.
Tablecloth – A fabric covering placed over a table.
Tapestry – A decorative woven fabric, usually hung on walls.
Tenant – A person who rents property from a landlord.
Tent – A portable shelter made from fabric, supported by poles.
Tepee – A cone-shaped tent traditionally used by Native Americans.
Terrace – A level outdoor area, often with seating.
Terraced House – One of a row of houses joined together on both sides.
Twin Bed – One of a pair of single beds.
Upholstery – The soft, padded covering on furniture like sofas or chairs.
Utility Room – A room where household chores are done, like laundry.
Villa – A large, luxurious country or vacation house.
Walkman – A portable cassette or music player.
Want Ad Section – A part of a newspaper or website where people list items or services for sale.
Washbasin – A sink used for washing hands and face.
Warehouse – A large building where goods are stored before distribution.
To Let – To offer a property for rent.
To Look Out Onto sth / To Face sth – To have a view of something.
To Look Through the Ads – To search advertisements, usually for property or services.
To Lower/Raise Rent – To decrease/increase the payment for a rental property.
To Move (In/Out of) – To begin living in or vacate a property.
To Occupy – To live in or take possession of a place.
To Paper/Stucco the Walls – To cover walls with wallpaper or textured plaster.
To Put Up With sth/sb – To tolerate something or someone.
To (Re-)Decorate the Interior – To design or renovate the inside of a building.
To Rent – To pay for the use of property owned by someone else.
To Reside – To live in a particular place.
To Rip Out Installations – To remove built-in fixtures from a building.
To Settle – To establish a home in a place.
To Share a Room with sb – To live in the same room as someone else.
To Squat – To live illegally in an unoccupied building.
To Stay in a Private House – To live temporarily in someone’s personal home.
To Take sth Out – To remove something from a place.
Until the Cows Come Home – For a very long time or indefinitely.