IELTS Vocabs - Accommodation

Accommodation
Part 1-style questions
Examiner: Do you live in a house or an apartment?
Callum: Actually I live on campus  in a single room in halls of residence  all first year students are encouraged to do that as they’re close to the university  next year I plan to move into student digs in town 
to live on campus: to live on the university or college grounds
hall of residence: a college or university building where students live
single room: a room for one person
student digs: student accommodation
Examiner: Tell me about where you live.
Julia: I live with my parents in the suburbs of Madrid  we only moved in recently  in fact we had a house-warming party just a few weeks ago 
the suburbs: a residential area on the edge of towns or cities
to move into: to begin to live in a property
house-warming party: a party to celebrate moving into a new home
Examiner: What kind of accommodation do most people live in in your city?
Maria: In the city itself the majority of people live in apartment blocks  that’s what surprised me about England  most people seem to live in terraced houses with lovely back gardens 
terraced house: a house connected on both sides by other properties
apartment block: a large building made up of smaller units of apartments
back garden: a garden at the rear of the house
Part 2-style task
Describe a house or an apartment you would like to live in. You should say
what kind of accommodation it would be
where it would be
who would live there with you
and say why you would enjoy living in this place.
Paolo:  I think most people when answering this question would say they’d like to live in a big detached house with spacious rooms  views of the countryside and so on  but actually my ideal home would be a lot different  I’ve always loved the idea of having a mobile home  a really expensive one with all the mod cons  so I could live wherever I wanted or at least have lots of holidays and be able to take all my home comforts with me whenever I travelled  I realise this would have to be a second home as I’d need a base  a permanent address  but the mobile home would be the accommodation I’d find it exciting to live in  I suppose once I settle down and have children I’ll want to get on the property ladder  I’ll be like everyone else  saving up to put down a deposit on a house or an apartment  I don’t think my family would want to live in a mobile home  but I like to think I’ll still keep that dream home in mind 
ideal home: a perfect home
spacious room: a large room
dream home: a home you regard as perfect
mobile home: a home that can be moved by a vehicle or one that has its own engine
permanent address: a fixed address
to get on the property ladder: to buy a property with the aim of buying another bigger or more expensive one later in life
home comforts: things that make a home feel comfortable to live in
to put down a deposit: to pay an amount of money as the first in a series of future payments
(all the) mod cons: technology at home that makes jobs easier such as a washing machine, dishwasher etc.
detached house: a house that is not physically connected to another property
Part 3-style questions
Examiner: Is it better to own your own home or to rent?
Ana: I think both have their advantages  living in rented accommodation isn’t necessarily a bad thing  you don’t have a huge debt like you do when you take out a mortgage but I suppose the property market offers you an investment for the future  I’m sure that’s why most people prefer to own their own home 
to take out a mortgage: to borrow a large amount of money, paid back over several years, in order to buy a house
property market: the buying and selling of land or buildings
to own your own home: to have bought the property you live in
rented accommodation: property owned by someone else and for which a person pays a fixed amount to live in
Examiner: What options are available to young couples looking for accommodation in your country?
Toni: If they want to buy their own home it isn’t easy for first-time buyers  mortgages are hard to get so most people live with their parents or in rented accommodation  but that can also be very expensive  you often have to pay rent in advance  and if the accommodation isn’t fully furnished you have the expense of buying furniture 
to pay rent in advance: weekly or monthly rent paid at the beginning of the week or month
fully-furnished: a rented property with all furniture included
first-time buyer: someone buying a property for the first time, especially when taking out a loan (mortgage)
rented accommodation: property owned by someone else and for which a person pays a fixed amount to live in
Examiner: What are some of the pleasures involved in making a home for ourselves?
Suki: I suppose it starts with house-hunting  finding your ideal home  some people enjoydoing up an old property  giving a property that’s old and tired a new lease of life  others like making wherever they live feel like home with some home comforts 
to do up a property: to repair an old building
house-hunting: looking for a property to live in