Home

1. House vs. flat

• House (BrE) / detached house: stands alone, garden around it.
• Semi-detached house: shares one wall with a neighbour.
• Terraced house (BrE) / row house (AmE): in a row, walls shared on both sides.
• Bungalow: single-storey house, popular for the elderly.
• Cottage / chata / chalupa: weekend or holiday home, very Czech.
• Block of flats (BrE) / apartment building (AmE): flats on multiple floors.
• Studio / bedsit: one main room + kitchenette + bathroom.

2. My home

• I live in a… (flat / family house / panelák) in… (Liberec / a village).
• Our flat is on the … floor of a block of flats.
• Our house has two storeys / floors.
• We have a small / large garden, a garage, a terrace, a balcony.

3. Rooms

• Living room / lounge – sofa, armchair, coffee table, TV, bookshelf.
• Kitchen – fridge, freezer, cooker / stove, oven, microwave, dishwasher, sink, cupboards, kitchen island.
• Bedroom – bed, wardrobe, chest of drawers, bedside table, desk.
• Bathroom – bathtub, shower, washbasin, toilet, mirror, washing machine.
• Toilet (separate WC, common in CZ).
• Hall / corridor – shoe rack, coat hanger.
• Other: study, dining room, attic, basement / cellar, garage, utility room.

4. Furniture & equipment

• Bedroom: bed, mattress, pillow, duvet, blanket, wardrobe, mirror.
• Living room: sofa, armchair, coffee table, TV, speakers, rug.
• Kitchen: as above + kettle, toaster, coffee machine, blender.
• Bathroom: towels, shampoo, toothbrush, mirror.

5. Smart home

• Smart lights (Philips Hue), smart thermostat (Netatmo, Tado, Nest).
• Voice assistants – Alexa, Google Assistant, Siri.
• Robot vacuum cleaner (Roomba).
• Security: smart doorbell, cameras, alarm.
• Energy: solar panels, heat pumps, electric car chargers.

6. Housework / chores

• Cleaning: sweep / mop / hoover (BrE) / vacuum the floor, dust the furniture, clean the windows.
• Kitchen: wash up / do the dishes, load the dishwasher, take out the rubbish, wipe surfaces.
• Laundry: do the laundry, hang clothes up, fold, iron.
• Cooking: prepare meals, bake.
• Outside: mow the lawn, water plants, shovel snow.

7. Living arrangements

• With parents – common in CZ even after 18, cheaper, family support.
• Student dorms – social, near university.
• Shared flat (flatmates, roommates) – cheaper, social, possible conflicts.
• Own rented flat – more privacy, more expensive.
• Own house / flat (mortgage) – long-term investment.

8. Housing in CZ vs. UK / US

• CZ: lots of panel blocks of flats (panelák) from communism; many people own their flat; cottages (chata) very popular.
• UK: mainly terraced or semi-detached houses with small gardens; "an Englishman’s home is his castle".
• USA: larger houses, suburbs, big gardens, often built of wood; common to move often.

9. My dream house

• My dream house would be a modern villa near the mountains / by the sea.
• It would have… (big windows, smart features, a pool, a home cinema, a workshop).
• I’d like to live in a quiet area but not too far from the city.

10. Housing problems

• High prices, mortgages, rent.
• Lack of affordable housing in big cities (Prague, London).
• Old panel blocks need renovation.
• Energy efficiency – insulation, heating costs.
• Loneliness in apartment blocks vs. noise from neighbours.

11. Useful phrases

• I live in… on the… floor.
• Our flat consists of… rooms.
• My favourite room is… because…
• We moved here when I was…
• I share a room with… / I have my own room.

12. Speaking strategy

Start with your current home (type, location, size). Describe your favourite room and your daily routine in it. Mention housework and who does what. Compare housing in CZ vs. UK / US. Finish with your dream home and where you’d like to live in the future.