Somewhere to Live

There are many different types of housing in Britain, ranging from the tradi­tional thatched country cottage to flats in the centre of towns. Houses are often described by the period in which they were built (for example, Geor­gian, Victorian, 1930s, or post-war) and whether they are terraced^ semide­tached or detached. As well as preferring houses to flats, for many' people a garden is also an important consideration. Although Britain is relatively small the areas where people live vary considerably: there are new towns and inner cities, suburbs, commuter belts and the open countryside.

Paying for the home you live in is the biggest single item in the budget of most families and getting on the housing 'ladder' сап be dif­ficult. First-time house buyers on an average salary may have to borrow 90 or even 100 per cent of the value of the property they want to buy. It is possible for people to borrow up to three times their annual income or sometimes even more. As prices vary, the cost of a six-bedroom farm­house in a remote part of Scotland is about the same as a small! flat in an expensive area of west London. People moving from the north to the south of Britain have to pay a lot more for the same type of house.

The average family moves once every seven years and the process of moving involves an estate agent (responsible for advertising houses for sale), a building society, bank or insurance company for the finance, and a solicitor to handle the legal aspects of the buying and sealing. The size of a house or flat in Britain still tends to be measured by the number of bedrooms rather than the area in square metres. In keeping with a nation of home owners, gardening is a popular spare time activity.

Questions.

1. What are the main types of houses in Britain? 2. How much do some people borrow to buy a house? 3. What does the text say about the differences in house prices in Britain? 4. How often do people move house? What other people are involved if you want to move house? 5. How is the size of a house still measured in Britain? 6. What type of house would you prefer to live in? Give your reasons.

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Date: 2015-02-03; view: 928