, ( 3 6 01.02.2018 .) CONTENTS

Section 1. ACCOMMODATION AND HOUSING Module 1. Types of Dwellings ……………………………………………………. p.5 Module 2. Interior and Exterior………………………………………………..……p.29 Module 3. Buying and Renting Accommodation………………………………….. p.53 Vocabulary Section 1. ……………………………………………………………….p.62 Section 2. WEATHER AND CLIMATE Module 1. Whether the Weather …………………………………………………….p.68 Module 2. Climate …………………………………………………………………...p.87 Module 3. Extreme Weather Conditions …………………………………………….p.97 Vocabulary Section 2…………………………………………………………………p.108 Section 3. STUDENT’S LIFE Module 1. Daily Routine……………………………………………………………..p.112 Module 2. College Life……………………………………………………………….p.125 Module 3. Household Chores………………………………………………………...p.141 Vocabulary Section 3…………………………………………………………………p.148 References ……………………………………………………………………………p.151

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Section 1 ACCOMMODATION AND HOUSING MОDULE 1 TYPES OF DWELLINGS

Ex. 1. Lead-in. My is my Castle. a) Look at the pictures. Which of the has: five storeys and a on top, , a thatched , a , a rock on the roof, wooden up to the front , stone walls, a tiled roof? Is: built underground, built on stilts? b) Use these adjectives to describe the houses in the pictures. Give reasons: economical, impractical, cold, spacious, cramped, airy, comfortable, attractive, eccentric. c) Listen and match the houses to the countries. five- Suffolk, England terraced Zimbabwe house house on Portugal stilts rock house Headington, England Which house would/wouldn’t you like to live in? Give reasons. [5] Ex. 2. a) Look at the title of the text. What do you think it is about? What comes to your mind when you think of a perfect home? Discuss in pairs. Now, listen to the text and compare it to your ideas. b) Read the article and answer the questions after the text. In search of the perfect home? How would you like to live in a castle, a tree house or even underground? This might not be as unusual as you think. It seems that these days more and more people want to live somewhere special at out of the ordinary, and if they can’t buy what they want they are quite prepared to build it from scratch. For John Mew and his wife Josephine their home really is their castle. They have built their own English castle in the Sussex countryside. The building is brand new with all the luxuries you would expect from a house that cost more than £350,000 pounds to build. However, when you first see it from the outside it would be easy to think that you are looking at an ancient monument. The building has a lot of the features of a traditional castle, including a keep, a moat and a drawbridge. “My choice of house somewhat eccentric and building it was very hard work, but we’ve got the perfect place to live,” Mew says. Although some would

5 say that the building impractical and may be cold in harsh British winter he certainly has got a unique and spacious home. If you don’t look carefully, you might not even see the home that Jonathan Ridley- Jones and Shanon Ridd built at all! That’s because the house is converted underground water tank. The only thing that can be seen from the surface is a door leading into the hillside. “We’ve never wanted to live in an ordinary house,” Shannon says. “Living below ground means that our home is quiet and very cozy - none of the usual draughts. It doesn’t damage the local surroundings and has very low fuel bills. Some our friends find it dark and feel shut in when they first visit us, but they soon get used to it”. If an underground home doesn’t appeal to you, what about living in the tree tops? Dan Garner, a tree surgeon from Gloucestershire, certainly thinks that this is the way to go up in the world. “When our family became short of space at home, our solution was to build a luxury tree house in the garden. The tree house is built into a spruce tree six meters above the ground. It has one main , a and a running around two sides. Garner is so happy with this practical extension to his home that he thinks he can convince more people of the benefits of living in the trees. He wants to set up his own enterprise making more of the deluxe tree dwellings, saying, “Tree houses are airy, secure and comfortable and the only disadvantage is that they might not be suitable for people who suffer from hay fever or a fear of heights!” Even people who live in more ordinary settings sometimes can’t resist doing something to make them stand out from the crowd. One extreme example of this is Bill Heines’ house in Headington, Oxfordshire. Until one morning in 1986, his house looked much like all the others in his street, when suddenly overnight a 7.5 m long fibreglass shark appeared to have crashed through the roof. The shark was a sculpture by local artist John Buckley. At first some people complained that it might be dangerous or that it spoilt the look of the neighborhood, but engineers checked that the sculpture was safe and the “Headington shark” has become a well-known and popular landmark. It seems that no matter where you live, you can always do something to make sure your house says some about who you are. 1. More and more people build their own home A so that they can live underground. B so that they can have exactly the home they want. C because it is cheaper than buying a new house. D because they want all the modern luxuries you find in a new home. 2. John and Josephine Mew A know that their choice of home is unusual. B found that creating their dream home was easy. C wanted to live like people would have in traditional castles. D converted an ancient building into a modern home. 3. What do Jonathan Ridley-Jones and Shanon Ridd say about their home? A It’s just an ordinary house. B They always wanted to live underground. C It doesn’t harm the environment. D They don't pay anything for heating and . 4. Why did Dan build a tree house in his garden? A He wants to persuade people to buy one. B His family wanted to live in a tree house. C He builds them for a living. D His family needed more room. 5. The 'Headington shark'

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A was created by Bill Heines. B crashed into the roof of Bill Heines’ house one night. C was immediately popular with everyone in the town. D was built without any warning. [5] c) List the advantages and disadvantages of Mew's, Ridd's and Garner's dwellings, and then talk about them. d) Explain the words in bold, then suggest synonyms and use them in the sentences of your own.

Ex. 3. Listening and Vocabulary Practice. Go through the table and look up the words you don't know in your dictionary. Listen and underline the words that best describe Ann's house. Circle the ones which best describe John's house [5]. Style traditional, modern, /flat, (semi)detached, , , villa, l/2/3 storey building, castle Location village, city, centrally located, residential , close to the shops, in the , on the outskirts, isolated, in the country Size small, tiny, spacious, large, huge, average, family-sized, 1-2 bedroomed Cost cheap, low-priced, overpriced, expensive, economical, frugal General cosy, comfortable, secure, luxurious, well-maintained, fully furnished, airy, Description noisy, cold Use the words to describe Ann’s and John’s houses, then describe your house.

Ex. 4. Jigsaw Reading. Divide into four groups – A, B, C and D. Each group reads the description of various types of dwellings. Which of them haven’t you heard of before? Now join people from other groups and tell them about the types of dwellings you’ve read about. “HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS.” There are many types of people from all over the world sleep in every night. Some live in big, tall modern buildings. Others sleep in a home with wheels under it. Here are 31 house types from all over the World with explanation and each used in an example sentence. What kind of building do you live in? Group A 1. Apartment An apartment is an American term for a home where you live (: flat) in a separate home within a large building where others also have their own home. This style of building is often called an apartment block. Or, if it’s very large, a skyscraper. Apartment blocks are normally owned by a single company or developer and each apartment is rented by the person living there.  Young professionals like because they’re cheaper than detached houses.  The apartment looked so small now that she was all grown up. 2. Bungalow A bungalow is a low-built one storey house. It’s often small in size. Bungalows often have a (), at the front and or back, which is a covered area to sit.  I love living in my bungalow I never have to walk up or down stairs.  Center Parks is a resort where families stay in bungalows instead of hotel . 3. Caravan

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A caravan is a vehicle, which can be pulled behind a car or truck, which is made for living in. A caravan is also commonly called a trailer. Caravans are often used for short term stay, for example when going on holiday.  The circus clown is in his caravan, putting on makeup for tonight’s show.  Many retirees are selling their and living in caravans due to rising living costs. 4. Castle Castles are large and often old buildings. Hundreds of years ago, many kings and would live in castles. Castles are made with thick stone walls to protect the people living there. They’re also sometimes surrounded by a circle of water, called a moat.  Switzerland is home to some of the world’s most beautiful castles.  The Disney Castle at Disneyland is visited by over 1 million people per year. 5. /Condo A condominium is a style of an apartment which is individually owned. Normally by the person living there, although you can rent from the condo owner. Each condo owner is allowed to buy and sell their own condo and own a small percentage rights to the land and common areas, like the gym or tennis court. This is different from an apartment where the entire building is owned by one person or company.  are very popular in Bangkok where houses are too expensive to buy.  Some people love living in condos because they can live close to their work. 6. Cottage are small old-fashioned houses often found in the countryside. England style cottages are world famous for their signature look. They are often made of stone or brick with a straw or thatched roof.  Little Red Riding Hood’s grandmother lived in a little cottage near the forest.  Look! There’s smoke coming out of that cottage’s Someone’s home. 7. /dorm are similar to apartments and common on college and university campuses. Here they are used by students who want to live close to school. Dormitories are large buildings with many individual rooms called dorm rooms. People often share rooms with other people and share and with many other dorm rooms.  My brother loved living in the dormitory because of all the parties they had.  Excuse me, Professor, I forgot my calculator in my dorm May I go get it? Group B 8. A duplex is a kind of house where two homes are built under one roof. It is similar to a semi- detached house because duplexes are attached to another person’s house on one side but not on both sides. Some duplexes used to be one house but were split into two homes.  Duplexes are often cheaper than single family homes because they cost less to build.  When living in a duplex, you have to be careful not to make too much noise. 9. Farmhouse A farm house is what it sounds like. A house on a farm. Farm houses are one story low built houses.

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They are traditionally built far away from the city, on large areas of land used for farming or raising animals.  John dreamed of leaving the city to live in a farmhouse in the countryside.  Timmy, run back to the farmhouse and ask mum for a glass of water please. 10. Houseboat A houseboat is a type of floating building where people live. As the name suggests, they’re part house, part boat. There are different kinds of houseboat. Some look like a boat that has room to sleep. Whereas others are square shaped and simply look like floating houses.  Have you ever watched the Danish YouTuber who lives on a houseboat?  Wouldn’t you get seasick living on a houseboat? 11. Hut A hut is a very simple one story house, often built with cheap materials or natural materials like mud. These kinds of homes have been used for thousands of years by our ancestors. They’re still seen today in poor places and regions which have not changed their ways in many generations.  In the old days, the chief’s hut would be at the center or all the others.  There’s a great video online where a guy builds a mud hut from start to finish. 12. Igloo Igloos are buildings made out of ice and snow. They have a recognizable round like shape. Igloos keep the people inside them warm by using the people’s body heat to warm the air inside the ice building.  Pete the Penguin lived in an igloo with his parents and brother.  Some igloos can last for over 100 years in the right weather conditions. 13. Lighthouse A lighthouse is a tall building near the ocean with a huge light on its top to warn boats coming too close to the land at night.  Many captains and their crew’s lives have been saved by  The lighthouse is painted white to reflect the most light at night. 14. Lodge A small building near the of a large estate or piece of land, often used as a guard’s house. Presently, lodges are also where some groups go to meet.  Stephenson met the other Free Masons in secrecy at the local lodge.  The guard was sitting at his station in the lodge when he heard a strange noise. Group C 15. Log Cabin These buildings are small structures found in the forests or woods. They’re made almost completely out of wood, or large logs. A “log” is a round piece of wood cut right from a tree. People also use logs to keep their home warm in a .  Granddad used to have a log cabin he would stay in when he would go hunting.  I wonder how many log cabins burn down every year because of their fireplace? 16. Manor

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A big country house with a lot of land. They are an old style house, normally owned by wealthy families. Manors have very large and beautiful gardens.  Lord of Chester lived in a large manor that had been in his family for generations.  There was a murder in the old Hill State manor last night. 17. Mansion A large and impressive house. Similar to a manor. However, manors are generally old and in the country. In contrast, mansions can be anywhere. Mansions can be old, or new. Most famous actors and singers live in mansions.  Hollywood is famous around the world for its mansions and movie stars.  Robert Di Niro just sold his mansion for a huge sum of $22 million dollars. 18. Motel A hotel located close to a major road and mostly used by travelers who wish to rest while making long road trips. Motel comes from the words motor and hotel. On average motels are not as nice as most hotels and offer only basic services.  The truck driver decided to pull over into a motel to rest for the night.  I hate motels. I once found a rat in the ice machine at one of them. 19. Palace A palace is the home of a country’s king or queen. Buckingham Palace is the very famous home of the Queen of England. Palaces are generally very large and have many people working there to take care of the royal family.  The changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace is a world famous tradition.  The Queen likes to read the newspaper each morning in the Palace’s 20. Semi-detached House Semi means half or partly. Detached means that it is not touching anything else. A semi-detached house is a house that is touching another building on one of its sides but not on another.  Johnny lived in a semi-detached house on Smith Street before moving to London.  The semi-detached house on 5th avenue sold for $500k last weekend. 21. Shack A shack is a small building often put together loosely with left-over or cheap materials. A shack is similar to a hut or cabin. What makes a shack different is that it is often made with modern materials like wood and metal and generally not well built.  They stepped into the dimly lit shack where a man sat cross-legged, head in hands.  The slums in Rio are mostly shacks made from garbage and sheets of metal. Group D 22. Single family home (Detached) A single family home, often called a detached house, is an alone standing medium size house. There aren’t any other buildings touching a single family house. Single family homes are most common outside of the city in areas called “suburbs”.  The agent told me about a single family home for sale near the local school.  This single family home is perfect for me and my family. We’ll take it! 23. Skyscraper 10

A skyscraper is a very tall new style building. You will see many skyscrapers in nearly every city around the world. They are made of glass and metal. Skyscrapers are used as office buildings or apartments.  The tallest building in the world is a skyscraper called the Burj Khalifa.  Skyscrapers are made to be flexible and move in the wind. 24. Teepee Teepees are the old style of house in which Native American Indians used to live. They were made with animal skins and sticks. Whole towns of Indians would live in a small group of Teepees which could be taken apart and moved to new locations when the seasons changed.  A whole family of Indians would live in one teepee together for safety and warmth.  The chief and the soldier sat in the teepee, sharing a peace pipe. 25. Tent A temporary shelter made from fabric. Most people use tents when they go camping and need to quickly set up a place to sleep that will protect them from the rain, wind and small animals overnight.  A tent is a great way to stop bugs and spiders but it won’t stop a bear.  The old tents used to be so hard to put up. Now all you have to do it push a button. 26. Terraced House A terraced house is a tall but narrow house which is attached on both sides to another house. They are common in many European countries like England, Holland and Germany. In those countries, whole streets of houses can all be connected to each other in a row.  Sherlock Holmes famously lived in a terraced house at 221B Baker Street, London.  Terraced houses were built closely together to share heat in the harsh winter. 27. A townhouse is similar to a terraced house. are houses built for inner-city living. There are tall and narrow buildings. They don’t have a lot of land around them and often only have very small gardens at the back.  Over 100 townhouses fell into the river when London Bridge collapsed in 1703.  You can’t find a townhouse for under a million dollars in . 28. Trailer (See Caravan) A trailer is a small cabin with wheels. They can be pulled by trucks or other vehicles and often made from metal or fiberglass. Trailers are commonly used by people who need to move from one place to another for short periods of time. For example, circus performers and actors who live on set.  Amanda Lawson sat in her trailer practicing her lines for the next scene.  In America people believe that people living in trailers are low class.

Ex. 5. a) Match the pictures with words describing different types of houses and their definitions.

A palace 1. a boat which people use as their home, often kept in one place on a river

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flat/ 2. a small house, usually in the B apartment countryside

houseboat 3. a very tall modern building, C usually in a city

mansion 4. a house that stands alone D

cottage 5. a type of building which people E live in and which usually stays in one place, but which can be moved using a vehicle or sometimes its own engine

caravan 6. a large house that is the official F home of a king, queen or other person of high social rank

skyscraper 7. a very large expensive house G (usually with 10 )

detached 8. a shelter made of cloth, which H house you can fold up and carry with you and which is supported by poles and ropes

terraced 9. a house that is joined to the I house houses on either side of it by shared walls

tent 10. a tower built next to the ocean that has a powerful flashing J light at the top to show ships where to go or to warn them of danger

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semi- 11. a set of rooms for living in, K detached especially on one of a house building

Block of 12. a fairly large house, especially L flats/ one that is used for holidays apartment building

lighthouse 13. a house that is attached to M something on only one side

villa 14. a tall building which contains N different apartments on different

b) Which would you find in a suburban, urban or rural area? Give arguments for and against living in different types of houses from the previous exercise: Advantages Disadvantages Flat secure lack of privacy Semi-detached house homely, low security risk no individuality Detached house spacious high security risk Terraced house economical no individuality Villa spacious, luxurious interior overpriced Castle luxurious interior isolated Mansion spacious overpriced

Ex. 6. Housing in Britain. Read the descriptions of houses below and decide which of them is for the English: a) the most desirable; b) second best; c) less desirable; d) the least desirable. Translate the texts. 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 (e. g., Georgian, Victorian, 1930s, or post-war) and whether they are terraced, semi-detached 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. a. Terraced houses are usually found in inner cities. They can be anything up to 150 years old and were often built by industries to house their workers near the factories. They are built in long rows where each house is attached to the ones on either side. The back of

13 this type of house faces the back of another identical row of houses, so they are often-known as ‘back to backs’. In recent years many terraced houses have been renovated; central heating has been added and other improvements made to what was originally a simple and sometimes primitive home with an outside and no bathroom. b. Semi-detached houses have been built in large numbers since the 1930s, when Britain’s towns and cities expanded into suburbs. Each house is part of a pair and is joined on one side to its partner. The semi usually has a small back and front garden, three bedrooms and a small bathroom. It is the most popular type of house in Britain and could be called the home of ‘Mr. and Mrs. Average’. Towns in Britain have areas which contain streets and streets of semis, often with well-kept gardens. c. The detached house stands by itself, usually with a garden all around it. These houses are much more expensive than semis and are often owned by professional people. Most detached houses are to be found in affluent suburbs or in the ‘green belt’ – a strip of protected open countryside around a city, where no industrial development or major building schemes are allowed. Some large cities (particularly London) also have a ‘commuter belt’ – so-called because the professionals who live there travel (commute) every day to work into the city by train or car. London is surrounded by miles and miles of ‘commuter belt’. Some commuters travel up to three or four hours a day to get from their homes to the inner city. d. Britain is famous for its country cottages which were often built on the country estates of wealthy landowners. The workers on the estate rented the cottages from the landowner and worked on the land. Cottages were also frequently built around a village green. Cottages have low , wooden beams and sometimes a thatched roof. In recent years some cottages have become second homes, bought by professionals during the economic boom of the 1980s. e. In the 1950s and 1960s local councils cleared a lot of the slums in the inner city areas and knocked down terraced houses in very poor areas. The people were re-housed in tower blocks on the outskirts of the city or in the centre of the city. Tower blocks can vary from 3-5 storeys high up to 10-20 storeys high. Each storey contains 5 or 6 flats for families. In recent years local councils have tried to improve the areas around tower blocks by creating ‘green space’, children’s playgrounds and facilities for the community to use. Some tower blocks in large cities like London can be very dangerous at night and they have been criticised for their long dark corridors, which encourage crime and vandalism. f. A bungalow is a small house in which all the rooms are on the ground level. Many old people live in bungalows because there are no stairs to climb. In Britain, large groups of bungalows are often built together on the edges of towns, or in places where people go to live when they have retired from work, such as the south coast. Many people find these groups of bungalows boring to look at. g. The town house, which can be found in the inner areas of most cities, is an exception to the general pattern. There is great variety regarding both design and use. They often have three or more floors, perhaps including a or semi-basement. Although they are usually terraced, those that are well-preserved and in a ‘good’ area may be thought highly desirable. Many have been broken up into flats or rooms for rent. Most of the comparatively small number of people who rent from private owners live in flats of this kind.

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Using the information you have read above try to guess which type of house is meant in the following sentences. 1) A …...... … house not only ensures privacy, but is also a status symbol. 2) Most people would be happy to live in a …...... …….., reminiscent of pre- industrial age. 3) The dislike of living in ……...... …..… is very strong in Britain. 4) In other countries millions of people live reasonably happily in ...... 5) ....…...... at the end of the row are a bit more desirable – they are the most like a semi-detached. 6) A ……...... house usually has no way through to the back except through the house itself. 7) Many older people dream of going to live in a …...... when they retire.

Ex. 7. Skim the 2 articles. What ideas do they have in common? Can you find the answer to the question raised in the first headline? Why are houses in Britain so small? We build the tiniest new dwellings in , and yet more storage and living space is what people desperately want. One left their bin in the middle of the kitchen, because there was nowhere else for it. Another said their cupboards were so small they stored shopping in the boot of the car, while Miriam and Matt from were so short of space they kept their vacuum cleaner at their mother's house, a good 20-minute drive away. A report this week by Riba and Ipsos Mori found "long- and short-term storage space" – for everyday functional items such as ironing boards and bed linen, as well as seasonal or nostalgic possessions such as Christmas trees or a wedding dress – was one of the features people most wanted in their home. The common theme could be summed up in two words: more space. That, though, is what many British homes – especially modern ones – lack. We build the smallest new homes in Europe, significantly smaller than 100 years ago. This is not because of pressure on land: a 2007 Riba survey found the average floor space of a new dwelling in England and Wales was 76 sq m, against 81.5 sq m in Italy, 92 sq m in Japan and 115 sq m in Holland, all as densely populated. It's because builders make more money that way – and, perhaps, because we are the only EU country not to have minimum-space standards for the homes we live in. We did, once: in 1961, a government committee looked at what was needed in which room, the space needed to use it and move around it, and the space needed for other normal household activities. The Parker Morris standards (named after the committee's chair) required, for example, that a two-bed flat for four people should have a net floor area of 71 sq m, and that one for three or more people should have enclosed storage space for the kitchen of 2.3 cubic metres. Parker Morris defined these standards as a minimum; builders, on the whole, interpreted them as a maximum. Also, he never dreamed of dishwashers and fridge freezers, so his standards are inadequate today. Most of all, though, while they became mandatory for all council housing, and for a while influenced the private sector too, in 1980 they were abandoned on cost grounds (Boris Johnson, to his credit, has stipulated that publicly funded London housing must now be built to "Parker Morris +10%"). All of which helps explain why so many of us now live with insufficient space. As Ben Page, the chief executive of Ipsos Mori, says: "The research graphically shows just how cramped and poorly planned much of our housing is today – and the extraordinary lengths people go to, to cope with it."

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• According to a 2009 survey by CABE, 58% of the occupants of fully occupied new homes said there was not enough space for their furniture, and 69% said there was no room for all their possessions either. Another 37% said they or their children couldn't entertain guests away from others. • The UK Self-Storage Association says more than 350 specialist companies now operate and there are now more than 800 self-storage facilities across Britain serving some 250,000 customers; renting 20-50sq ft of lock-up storage (the size of a garden shed) can cost well over £100 a month in central London, half that or less elsewhere. • There are currently 40 books on how to declutter your home currently in print. The Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers will put you in touch with any of several dozen firms around the country that you can pay to do the job for you – at a rate of about £25 an hour. [Jon Henley, 16 May 2012. The Guardian] THE BRITISH HAVE THE SMALLEST HOMES IN EUROPE! In fact they are downright pokey, with only an average usable floor space of 76m sq according to a new report by Bradford & Bingley. The Italians lead the rest of Europe with the most space - an average of 92m sq per dwelling, over a fifth larger than us Brits enjoy. The report undertaken by the Centre for Economics & Business Research for Bradford & Bingley compares the UK property market to Germany, France, Italy and Spain. It reveals British living space per home is 12 percent smaller than the average Spanish home, 14 percent smaller than in Germany and 16 percent smaller than in France. Moreover, the gap between the UK and the continent is widening with new homes in France, Germany and Spain getting bigger. On average, newly built homes in France and Germany have over 100m2 of usable floor space, while in Spain modern homes have 95m2. In Britain, new homes remain the same size as existing properties at 76m2. These figures are more surprising when the types of properties are taken into account as over four-fifths of British households prefer to live in a house. The report reveals that 82 percent of British families live in a house and only 15 percent live in a flat. This is in stark contrast to families on continental Europe where flats are more popular. In Spain, Italy and Germany more than 50 percent of families live in a flat and France is not far behind with 41 percent. Yet almost bizarrely the average British family home has the least usable living space of the countries surveyed. Nickie Aiken of Bradford & Bingley Estate Agents commented on the findings: "It is interesting that the UK is trailing the continent in terms of living space, particularly when you take the fact that we tend to live in houses rather than flats into account. Quality of life is not only about income and spending, comfort is a core component. Hopefully the Government is aware of these figures as it tackles the increasing demand for new housing in the UK." Owning your own property is popular to differing degrees and despite the widely held perception to the contrary, Britons aren't Europe's most prolific homeowners. The Spanish (80%) own more of their homes than the Brits and Italians (69%). The French (54%) and Germans (43%) own less. Despite the right to buy initiatives of the Thatcher governments, Britain still has the highest number of 'social housing', namely council or housing association dwellings (22%). France has the second highest provision of social housing with 18% living in social owned homes. Whilst Spain barely has a social sector at all with only 1%. Compared to our counterparts on the continent, the UK has the least developed rental sector with less than 1 in 10 (9%) British homes being rented privately. This contrasts sharply with the staggering 46% in Germany - over five times the UK level. This news is surprising given the recent surge in popularity of buy to let mortgages in the UK. There are marked differences between the residential property prices in the five countries and the types of homes

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