Places to live

1. What should be considered when choosing a home?

- a wide selection of homes
- fit your present and future needs
- depend on the different stages of people’s lives

2. What characterises living in the countryside? Who

would recommend living in the country?
- prefer peace and a slower pace of llife
- everyday connection with nature
- walk in the forest and breath fresh air
- enjoy silence
- downside: no shopping, health, educational or
entertainment facilities
- transport also cause some problems
- for most people country life can mean an ideal
vacation but they cannot immagine their whole life
there

3. How could you describe city life?

- it is extremely convenient to find everything they
need in everyday life very quickly
- fast and hectic life
- sometimes dirt and noise with crowds of people
- have easy access to all modern facilities
- can choose from wide range of educational and health
service
4. How is village life different from city life?
- more difficult to find a job
- less possibilities for spending your free time
- speacialized health services are less accessible
- smaller variaty of goods
- the number of services is smaller
- there is less crime than in the city
- life is not too hectic
- life is peaceful
- people have time for a chat and they are willing to
help each other
- the infrastructure is not developed
- people have to commute to make your living
- if you need to contact the authorities, you have to
travel to the nearest city

5. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in

a house?
- have more privacy
- for pet owners it is good to have a garden
- the maintenance of a house can be expensive
- there might be transport problems as well since
houses are usually built on the outskirts

6. What are the benefits and drawbacks of living in a flat?

- living in a block of flats is more convenient for people
who have very little spare time
 - in panel blocks, people might miss privacy since
sounds are easily transmitted through the walls and
pipes
- flats are generally cheaper
- shopping and entertainment facilities are closer
- public transport is within easy reach

7. What characterises single-family homes?

- detached homes stand separately surrounded by a
yard or a garden
- privacy is an attractive characteristic of these homes
- it is possible to modify or extend the building after
acquiring the necessary permits
- the maintenance and repair costs can be relatively
high

8. What are condominiums? (olyan lakóépület, amelyben a

lakások saját tulajdonban vannak, a közös helységek
pedig közös tulajdonban)
- condos are individually owned homes
- they have amenities (recreation areas like fitness
rooms, swimming pools, etc), these amenities are
owned by everybody
- the flat owners pay a monthly fee, which covers
general repairs and maintenance of the common
areas
- in Britain this types of buildings are called
commonholds
9. Why are frame-homes getting increasingly popular?
(könnyűszerkezetes ház)
- the frame can be erected within only a few weeks
- the building of such a home takes a lot less time than
building a brick house
- the walls of frame-homes are relatively thin so they
need a very good insulation

10. What are underground houses?

- earth-sheltered houses
- they are dug in the ground and have soil built up
against the walls of the house
- ecologically adventageous as the temperature just
below the ground level is usually warmer than above
ground
- its temperature does not fluctuate so much
- there is less external noise

11. What is life like on a houseboat?

- a boat is converted to a flat
- it stays at a fix point because it should be connected
tol and to provide utilities, such as electricity and
water supply
- life is peaceful here
- you can enjoy waterfront views
- the rocking of the boat is enjoyable or even relaxing
12. Is it better to rent or own a flat?
- owning a flat is much better because it is considered
as a good investment
- if you live in a flat of your own, life is more secure
- if you live in a rented flat, the owners can ask you to
leave when they decide not tol et the flat any longer
- buying a flat usually means applying for a loan and
paying interest

13. How can building a house or buying a flat be

financed?
- most people apply for loans at banks which lend
money for housing purposes
- you can apply for a state grant (if you meet certain
requirements, for example you have children or have
just started your career)
- employers may even support their employees by
granting loans

14. In what ways can a home be improved? How can

you make your home more energy efficient?
- you can do it yourself
- employ skilled workers if you want to have more
complex work done
- sometimes you need permits from authorities for
example for extension
- nowadays many people want to make their homes
more energy efficient, so they replace doors and
windows to block drafts and keep warmth in
 - walls and roofs should be insulated well to achieve an
optimal result
- to save on water bills it is possible to collect rainwater
- or you can install a grey water system, which cleans
water that has been used for washing and sends it
through the toilet system

15. What are green homes?

- they use healthy, efficient and sustainable resources
- take advantage of nature’s processes in order to use
less energy
- they consume less water and produce less waste
- energy efficient appliances are taken into
consideration
- often have big windows to use the most of sunlight
- instead of traditional light bulbs they use LED lights to
minimise energy consumption
- heating is partly provided through the use of solar
panels

16. What are the typical forms of housing in Hungary?

- family houses
- blocks of flats and apartment houses
- panel blocks
- big housing estates with prefabricated buildings
- detached, semi-detached, terraced houses
- residential parks
17. What are gated communities?
- a form of housing estate with strictly controlled
entrance
- the controlled access can be simply a gate to which
residents possess a key
- or a high security access with armed guards
- they often have communal playgrounds, barbeque
areas and swimming pools, etc

18. What are some modern trends in housing in the

UK?
- loft apartments are getting increasingly popular
- industrial buildings, warehouses , etc are converted to
apartment buildings in downtown areas
- they usually have high ceilings and many original
features, like wooden floorboards
- another trend is building low-energy apartment
blocks, they use natural ventilation to lower heating
or air-conditioning costs and glass roofs to make
lighting more effective

19. What are some modern ways of heating?

- geothermal systems use less energy, run quieter, and
require less maintenance than most traditional ways
of heating
- use underground piping system to transfer heat from
the earth below to the house
- in summer when it is cooler underground, this process
can serve to cool the building