Renting a Flat - What to Look Out For

 Dialog:

Melanie: Lucky you! Only this morning I visited an apartment in this area. The advert read: 'spacious apartment, in a historical building, good condition'.

Lee: And of course, you were very disappointed.

Melanie: Yes, utterly disappointed! When I got there, all I found was a tiny room, in an ugly old block of flats, which needed urgent redecorating!

Lee: I see, not at all how the advert read then.

Melanie: No, the opposite! It also said 'attractive price', and it was so expensive, I couldn’t believe it! Oh, and what’s more, it was on the ground floor, and so it would not have been safe to open the windows at night!

Lee: Well, don’t worry, it takes time, but I’m sure you’ll find something nice.

Exercise: Select the correct answer.

1. What is Melanie telling Lee about?
• How lucky she was to find such a beautiful flat.
• Her plan to find a place to live
• A visit to a place she has recently seen.
2. How does Lee react?
• He is worried
• He is pessimistic too
• He reassures Melanie
3. The flat Melanie visited this morning ...
• is near a historic site
• is in a spacious building
• is in the neighborhood
4. During the visit of the flat, Melanie ...
• was disappointed
• left urgently
• didn't feel safe
5. In Melanie opinion, ... needed redecorating, and the room was ...
• the ground floor, the area, the building
• too small, too spacious, historical
6. Another disadvantage of the flat is ...
• the windows don/t close well
• it's located on the ground floor
• she is afraid of the night.
7. Lee is certain that Melanie will ...
• find a flat she likes
• stop worrying
• be happy in the flat

Vocabulary:

1. Attractive (adj.):Agreeable, affordable, attracting attention and interest. 
• They said the price was attractive, but it's the most expensive place I've visited!
2. Stairs (n.):A set of steps connecting two or more floors in a building; a staircase or stairway. 
• Go up the stairs, and it's the first door on your left.
3. house (n.): A building, typically at ground level, containing bedroom(s), living room, kitchen and bathroom(s), that people live in. 
• They have left their flat in town and they now live in a large house in the countryside.
4. tiny (adj.): Very small. 
• The kitchen is so tiny that a table will not fit in it.
5. ground floor (n.): The floor of a building closest to ground level. 
• She has a broken leg, but as she lives on the ground floor, she does not have to climb stairs.
6. block (n.): A residential building consisting of flats. 
• My grandmother lives in an ugly old block of flats, but she likes it and does not want to move out.
7. advert (n.): A printed notice that markets a particular product or service to the public. 
• When looking for a house, do not trust the adverts/ads/advertisements, you'll always be disappointed when you see the house.
8. spacious (adj.): Having much space; roomy. 
• The bedroom is so spacious that even this very big double bed will look small in it.
9. flat (n.): An apartment. 
• They live in a spacious five-room flat, in the middle of London.
10. apartment (n.): A flat.
• Tony and Cherie have left their house, and they now live in that large apartment block.
11. home (n.): The place where one lives as a member of a family or household. 
• This house was far too big, it never felt like home.
12. building (n.): A closed structure with walls and a roof. 
• They live in a historic building which was created by a famous architect in the nineteenth century.
13. large (adj.): Big; or great size. 
• This house is so large that two families could live in it.
14. floor (n.): A storey/level of a building. 
• He lives on the top floor in a building with no lift!
15. area (n.): A particular geographic region. 
• Their house is large and beautiful, but it is not in a very nice area, so they got it for a good price.

Complete the sentences with the missing words, which you learnt in the lesson. The first letter is given to you.

1. Emily has three children. She is looking for a spacious  (s...) house with many rooms.
2. She wants a house in the same  area  (a...) as her children's school.
3. The apartment  building  (b...) has four floors.
4. She saw an  advert  (a...) in the local newspaper about a house for rent.
5. The old man wants a flat on the  ground  (g...) floor, because he cannot walk up the stairs very well.
6. This flat is  tiny  (t...) ! There isn't enough space for a family with four children.

Select the right answer.

Your brother has been looking for a house to rent for almost a year, but he can't find anything good. He's getting discouraged and disappointed. What do you say to make him feel better?

• Don't worry. It's normal that it takes time. I'm sure you'll find the perfect place soon.
• I found my flat after seeing just one advert.
• I know what you mean. It's really not easy. Apartments are so expensive to rent these days!

Write the right answer.

1. This house is so large that two families could live in it. Hint: Big; or great size.
2. Their house is large and beautiful, but it is not in a very nice area, so they got it for a good price. Hint: A particular geographic region.
3. The kitchen is so tiny that a table will not fit in it. Hint: Very small. 
4. They live in a historic building which was created by a famous architect in the nineteenth century. Hint: A closed structure with walls and a roof.
5. The bedroom is so spacious that even this very big double bed will look small in it. Hint: Having much space; roomy.
6. Tony and Cherie have left their house, and they now live in that large apartment block. Hint: A flat
7. They have left their flat in town and they now live in a large house in the countryside. Hint: A building, typically at ground level, containing bedroom(s), living room, kitchen and bathroom(s), that people live in.
8. They live in a spacious five-room flat, in the middle of London. Hint: An apartment.
9. My grandmother lives in an ugly old block of flats, but she likes it and does not want to move out. Hint: A residential building consisting of flats.
10. They said the price was attractive, but it's the most expensive place I've visited! Hint: Agreeable, affordable, attracting attention and interest.
11. Go up the stairs, and it's the first door on your left. Hint: A set of steps connecting two or more floors in a building; a staircase or stairway.
12. When looking for a house, do not trust the adverts, you'll always be disappointed when you see the house. Hint: A printed notice that markets a particular product or service to the public.
13. She has a broken leg, but as she lives on the ground floor, she does not have to climb stairs. Hint: The floor of a building closest to ground level.
14. This house was far too big, it never felt like home. Hint: The place where one lives as a member of a family or household.
15. He lives on the top floor in a building with no lift! Hint: A storey/level of a building.