Benefits of Renting Your Home Rather Than Buying

THE HOUSE OF MY DREAMS

Read the following description and put the paragraphs in the correct order. Fill in the gaps with the missing prepositions.

A My house would have a large, bright kitchen where I could sit quietly __ a wooden table admiring the view ___ the garden _____ the window. My living room would be simple, with basic furniture like a long soft sofa and two large armchairs. It would also have a fireplace so I could keep warm ___ cold windy nights. There would also be several wooden bookcases full of books to keep me company. My bedroom would have a four-poster bed ___a white linen bed cover and the walls would be painted a soothing pale blue.

B It would be a small wooden cottage surrounded ____ a neat green lawn stretching all the way _____ to a river. There would be colourful flowers gently swaying ___ the cool breeze and an orchard ___ the back of the house with trees full of sweet and juicy oranges, apples and pears.

C If I could choose I would live in a house just like this with its beautiful natural surroundings and peaceful atmosphere.

D Imagine waking up ___ the sound of birds singing ___the trees and warm sunlight shining ________your bedroom window. This is what I dream ___ when I imagine my ideal house.

3. Read the following article. Comment on the advantages of renting your home singled out in the article. Do they sound persuasive? Are they likely to outweigh the potential discomforts associated with renting apartments/houses?

Benefits of Renting Your Home Rather Than Buying

I moved down to Florida a little over two years ago. I was fresh out of college and I had enough money to buy some peanut butter and that was about it. At the time, I would have loved to find a house I could call my own, but it was simply not an option. I had little money saved and had no income, so it was inevitable that I would move into an apartment and become a renter. I really had to grit my teeth and bear it, because I had always told people that if they rented, they were throwing their money away. I didn’t see the point in it when after years of renting, the apartment is still not yours.

After having been in the situation of making those monthly payments, I have to admit that there are a few great benefits in being a renter.

1) No Yard Work – I think my wife and I would dread the idea of waking up on Saturday, knowing full well that the yard needed our attention.

2) No Home Insurance or Taxes – I understand that the rent price most likely includes these items, but there are times when landlords rent out the property to have someone who will be taking care of the house, even if it means that the rent isn’t quite high enough to cover all the expenses.

3) Flexibility –A lot of house owners feel trapped. It’s next to impossible to relocate. With a rental property, most often you just need to give a notice and move onto that bigger and better job and to a house in a more desirable location. It gives you such an amazing feeling of freedom!

4) Fewer Unexpected Expenses – If the apartment gets mold, or a leaky roof, or a water pipe bursts, you will not suffer financially at all! This is the responsibility of your landlord. These issues will be taken care of by the landlord, at no expense to you.

5) Extra Time For Life and Generating Income – Somewhat tying into point one, if my wife and I had yard work and home repair on our plate, I’m not sure we would be able to generate the income that we do today. Imagine the amount of free time to enjoy life, further your education, play sports. The time spent on the maintenance and unexpected repairs when owning a home is almost immeasurable.

6) Less Junk – When you live in a rental apartment or house, the option of moving is always more enticing (and simpler). For this reason, it often causes renters to keep an eye on the items they accumulate. When my wife and I are at the store and we see the new in-season decorations, we know it would look nice in our place, but if we ever move we really don’t want to move those thousands of decoration pieces with us. For this reason, our ‘junk’ closet will never overflow with items of rare use.

If you feel pressure about purchasing a home from friends and family and decide to buy the best house you could afford, you might be happy for a while, but believe me, that feeling will wear off once you start reviewing the bills. With only an extra $100 at the end of every month, financial disaster will constantly be knocking at your door. You and your spouse will find yourselves “discussing” money scenarios far too often. You risk becoming house poor.

4. Read the following classified ads for rentals, translate the words/phrases in bold type. Work out a prospective tenant/tenants and comment on your assumption.

1. A spacious, light and airy, four-bedroom Victorian terraced house on a quiet, pleasant road in north London. Being over 100 years old the house has a lot of character and retains many original Victorian features including fireplaces and wooden flooring. The house has been modernised throughout and is maintained to a very high standard. There are 4 bedrooms upstairs and a good size, fully tiled modern bathroom. Downstairs there are two good-size connecting rooms (via large original doors). One of them is the Garden View Room, which is a tastefully decorated, lovely and spacious double room with a very large and comfortable sofa bed. The room has a French door leading to the back, secluded and well-maintained south facing garden. There is a pine chest of drawers, a bookshelf, a pine bureau, a chair, a coffee table and a night lamp. A new WC is right outside the room. The adjoining room is set out as a sitting room with two leather sofas and a TV. It sleeps one person on a folding bed.

2. A bright and airy newly decorated single room, close to bus stops. Located within easy commute to Central London. Liverpool Street is within walking distance, local amenities include an off-licence, a bank, a take-away, and news agents. You will have access to communal space such as the kitchen, and the living room. A private parking lot on a first-come-first-serve basis.

3. A spare double bedroom in a luxury apartment with its brand new private bathroom with a glass walk-in shower located in a very trendy part of London. The neighborhood is diverse and vibrant with a strong history. The room is fully furnished with a desk and chair, a double bed, built-in wardrobes, a chest of drawers. There are excellent connections by both bus and Underground. The kitchen is fully equipped with Cookware & Kitchen Utensils, Crockery & Cutlery, a washing machine, an oven, a cooker, an electric kettle, plates, pans, a fridge/freezer, a coffee maker, a kitchen table and cupboards.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-29