Accommodation - places we can live and stay 

When was the last you HAD/GOT your hair CUT? As you can see in that question there is the construction HAVE/GET DONE – verb3 this construction is called the causative and basically means ‘I didn’t do it, someone else did’ It’s a construction we often use when we talk about our home and the things we HAVE/GET DONE in our house. Let’s imagine there is a problem with your toilet and you can’t fix it yourself, you have to HAVE/GET your toilet FIXED by someone who can, again you’re not going to do it, but you’re going to find someone who can fix it. It is the same if you decide to change the windows in your house, you’re probably not going to do it yourself, but you’re going to GET someone TO change them for you. This is a very useful construction as it lets the person who we are speaking to know we didn’t do the work, but someone else did.

Talking of accommodation, do you live in a house or a flat? If you live in a house, what kind of house do you live in, is it a detached, semi-detached, or a terraced. Most people dream of owning their own property, but most people need a mortgage to buy one instead of buying one outright. If you don’t own your property, you have to find a landlord/landlady who is looking for a tenant or you’ll need an estate agent who can help you find a place to live. But, if you’re really lucky, you might inherit a property and you won’t need to use any blood-sucking estate agents.

Moving out can be both exciting and sad. Leaving a house or flat that has so many memories in it and moving into a place which is a blank canvass which then again you will need to create a new home and more memories. Moving also carries its annoyances. Finding a removal company to help move your furniture and stuff. Finding enough money for your first month’s rent and last month’s rent and then also a deposit can be a struggle. Not to mention trying to sort out all your things once they arrive.

Investment in bricks and mortar is the best. People will always need somewhere to live. Developers look for land, build, and sell or rent. They usually make a good return on their investment, especially if the investment is in an up-and-coming area or city. But not just developers, if you have enough money and the will, then investment in a rundown property usually at auction that you are prepared to do up can also make you a pretty penny.

Questions
What was the last thing you had done in your place?
Do you know what the going rate is for a 2 bedroom flat in your area?
Would you prefer to rent a fully-finished, partly-furnished, or empty place?
Have you ever had a house-warming party?
Does your house or flat have good transport links?


Word list
Have something Verb3 – I didn’t do it someone else did
Have someone Verb1 – I didn’t do it someone else did
Get S/O TO DO something I didn’t do it someone else did
Accommodation – places where someone can stay or live like a house,flat,tent,hotel etc
Detected/Semi/terraced house – on its own/connected to 1 other house/connected to many houses in a row
Mortgage – a special loan from the bank to buy property
Outright – completely buy something without owing any money
Landlord/landlady – the owner of a property who rents it out
Tenant – the person who rents a flat
Estate agent – a person who helps people buy, sell, and rent properties
Inherit – when someone dies and something is left to another person
Move out – to leave your place of living. Also used for the first time you move out of your parents house. What age were you when you moved out?
Move in – to officially move in to somewhere new
Home – a place where you feel most comfortable
Moving - the process of moving your furniture from your old place to your new one
Removal company – a company that helps you move things from one property to another
Furniture – Things you fill your place of living up with (tables, chairs sofa, etc) Note it is an uncountable noun
Deposit – a sum of money you give to your landlord in case you break or damage something
Struggle – something not easy
Sort out – to arrange
Bricks and mortar – the material what houses are made of
Land – a piece of ‘earth’ you own
Return on investment – when you make more money than you invest
Up-and-coming – a place that is getting more popular
Will – a desire to do something
Rundown – a building that hasn’t been looked after
Auction – a place where you bid with other people on different items or properties
Do up – do improve a house or room (renovate)
Pretty penny – a nice financial reward
Going rate – the price of something at the current time
Fully/partly-furnished – accommodation that is complete with furniture or only with some
House-warming party – a celebration at a new place of living
Transport links – how well a property is connected to transport in a town or city