Housing

Housing is a manifestation of human being, it expresses our lifestyle. In the past, people lived in caves and they decorated their dwellings. However it has something in common – people, who live in a house, should feel pleasantly. We know a lot of kinds of housing. Terraced houses are built in a row and are joined one to another to form a street. Two houses joined together by one common wall are called semi-detached house. A detached house stands by itself and is not joined to another house. Bungalow is one-storey house, which you can find in housing estates. It’s popular with older and disabled people because everything is on one level.

A cottage is a small village house. Council flat is owned by the council and the people, who live there, pay a rent. Condominium is a house, where the flats are owned by the people, who live there. A farm is usually big house with large garden and hug space for keeping animals or growing fruits and vegetables. A villa is large modern house with large garden, swimming pool and sauna. Block of flats: a flat is part of a bigger building where all the flats share a front door. Only cities and very big towns have flats like the one you can see below. In northern countries are igloos. People that live in igloos are communities of Eskimos. They are made of ice blocks and snow. In present is very rare a teepee or a tent. A tent is moveable shelter made of cloth and supported by poles. And teepee is Indian tent. In these times is not usual a castle but in some countries are Queen with royal family. It was built this way to keep enemies out, to guard important places and protect their family. Some people in U.S.A. live in houseboats. In China and Japan the people who live in houseboats are usually extended families. The houseboats in China are called sampans.

Houseboats are made out of straw, wood, steel, aluminum or a combination of wood and fiberglass and can be in length from 18 to 65 feet. Stilt house are often built out of straw, rope, wood or wire.
They are built on water because there might not be enough room on land, and it's cooler on water than land. People live in stilt houses all over the world. The community could be a big family and often house boats are found in South East Asia. Housing is still different in cities and villages.

In villages and small towns you can see a lot of semi-detached houses and detached houses as well as cottages. In the country side you can find something which isn’t in cities. That’s stables because people in villages keep livestock. A house or a flat is for everybody not just a place where you sleep, eat or relax, but it is a place, which we all call „ home“. Well, as the saying goes, „ As a good roof shelters us from winter’s storms, a good home shelters us from life’s storms“, home is a place where you can find, on the one hand, help, understanding and embrace of your family through the though times in your life and on the other hand, joy, love and happiness while experiencing all the family most memorable days and events A flat usually consists of one to four rooms, whereas a house is designed to be more comfortable and is arranged with large space for every member of a family. Lately, there’s a wide variety of houses and we just have to decide which one fits to our needs, wishes and financial situation best. If you wish to live in country, for example, you can get a farm house or even a cottage, which is, yet, nowadays usually used as a weekend house. A standard house, whether it is a detached, a semi-detached or a terraced house, consists of a kitchen, a dining room, a master bedroom, one or two bedrooms for children, a living room, a laundry, not necessarily a study, a garage, a hall and an attic. A house has usually also a garden either for growing vegetables and breeding animals or for having a lawn with flowerbeds, possibly a small pond. Apartment is a set of rooms that are usually all on the same level and are a part of larger building.

Houses, however, look different in different countries. In cold countries, there is often a fireplace in the living room or a woodstove in the kitchen with a comfortable chair placed next to it for warmth. In southern countries people prefer cool stone floors and no carpets. Homes are different because people’s attitudes and needs differ so much. Larger families prefer big houses and some people like the idea of several generations living together.

Every country has some typical features of its homes. In Britain, they have always a garden and sometimes a cellar. They have separate bedrooms and living rooms. On the other hand, they don’t have balconies or terraces which are more typical for countries where the weather is warmer. In mountainous countries like Austria and Switzerland, there are balconies full of geraniums and other flowers which attract visitors in summer.

Town or country?
In a town you have a lot of sport, cultural, education opportunities etc. When young people want to start their career, they have more opportunities to get more education and knowledge as in a village. The city offers more vacancies and the unemployment rate is higher than in the country. I don’t want to say that everybody will find there his dream job, but if somebody wants to work, he will find a job. Ever more rural people move to a town to find a job or if young people finish their education in a town they very often stay there and they are looking for a job there. The inhabitants and people from suburbs and near villages can fill up their spare time with going to theatres, cinemas, night clubs, pubs, restaurants, sport centres, galleries, museums or another cultural centres.

In the city we have various sport facilities: winter stadium, outdoor and indoor swimming pools, playgrounds, tennis courts, gyms. A big advantage of a town is a higher standard of health service, including hospitals and first aid stations. The other advantages are more shops and large shopping centers, which offer a lot of kinds goods and everything is under one roof, so the buyers can spare a lot of time. The negative aspects of living in a city are pollution, traffic jams, noise etc. There are so many buildings that there are no pieces of greenery. In the cities there are factories, whose high chimneys uninterruptedly churn out sulphur dioxide and other noxious fumes that pollute the environment, and not just locally. There are many cars, which pollute the air too. The land and water are polluted too. Next disadvantage are prices. Whereby the city is bigger thereby the prices are higher. In a city is everything more expensive than in a village. For example the prices of goods, services, rent etc. The most serious problem of a town is a high level of criminality. A big town is a home for every kind of a criminal element, beginning with pickpockets and ending with murderers and drug dealers particularly. Of course, you can also find criminality in a village.
It isn’t town as town. We can choose the type of a town or a part of it, in which we want to live.

Living in the country offers a lot of advantages, but I would say more disadvantages. Living in a village is more difficult than in a city. The biggest disadvantage of a village is lack of job opportunities, whose result is a necessity of everyday traveling to work to towns, what can be sometimes very frustrating and expensive. If you have a job in a village you surely don’t become so much money as in a city for the same work. Very big problem is that there are any hospitals and if people are sick, they have always to travel to a town. In the country there are no secondary schools so the children have to travel to a town too. Less traffic, less stress and fewer people altogether make a good result in the form of fresh air. In the country you can take long walks in a forest, you can pick up mushrooms; you can grow your own vegetables or keeping farm animals. A big advantage of a country is keeping traditions. Traditional costumes, ceremonies and feasts belong to their customs as well as night clubs and restaurants belong to a city life.

We build our own houses and that’s the main difference between us and British and Americans. They buy their houses from commercial builders or from the people who are already living there. The buying and selling of houses is a big business there. A typical British house is set in a small garden and has two storeys. British people are fond of gardening. A beautiful well kept lawn is a pride of every British family. The British like to spend their free time in their houses. Everyone in the family helps around the house to make it comfortable and nice. Living conditions of American people depend much on the amount of money they have. Many wealthy people have very large houses with many rooms, tennis courts and swimming pools. On the other hand, there are also people who are homeless.

There are several types of houses in Britain: terraced, back-to-back, town houses, semi-detached, detached, bungalows and cottages.

Some people line in flats instead of houses. A flat is situated in the same building as other flats, often forming part of a block of flats or town house.

A typical British house is set in a small garden and has two storeys. A garage is normally attached to the house. Most British houses have carpets throughout, although wooden floors are also quite popular.
The front room is a sitting room with a fireplace, settee and armchairs, a wall unit with the hi-fi system, television and video, bookcase and a coffee table. The back room is dining room containing a table, four chairs, and a sideboard. They are usually all build in. The big room upstairs is the parent’s bedroom with a double bed.
Many people in England live in buildings which were once built for something else other than a home. Oast Houses were not originally a building where people lived. They were part of farm buildings and were where hops (a plant from which beer is made) were layed out and dried.

Many wealthy American people have very large houses with many rooms, tennis courts and swimming pools
American family can live comfortably and well. In the centre of big cities many people live in apartments situated in large apartment buildings. They usually rent apartments which are owned by big companies or private owners. The Americans do not stay in the same house for their whole lives because some of them like to move to another part of the country.

There is an incredible variety of gadgets in the American home. In the kitchen you can find a garbage compactor that squeezes garbage into small cubes and neatly packs it into bags; a refrigerator that dispenses iced water and ice cubes without having to open the door; and a sink with a three faucets - a normal one, a water hose with a spray nozzle for washing dishes, and one with its own small heater that gives boiling water. Some houses have a small computer system that controls all the different electronic gadgets. It will turn the heating on, switch the light and the radio on, and make the coffee.

THE LIVING ROOM - is usually used for more formal occasions such as entertaining guests.

THE KITCHEN - this room with all its appliances and gadgets also has an informal eating area where the family usually takes its meals.

THE LAUNDRY ROOM - this is where the washer and dryer are kept and used.

THE DINING ROOM - is also used for formal occasions when there is company for dinner. The best china and silver are used in this room.

THE FAMILY ROOM - is large rooms for the whole family where they watch television, play games, listen to music, do crafts and exercise. It is the most important room in an American house. It is the hub of activity.

THE BEDROOM - It is not uncommon for each member of the family to have their own bedroom. People like to have their own space. Many bedrooms have a television and a telephone as well as exercise equipment and a study area with a desk. Americans like to have things neat and tidy, or at least out of sight.

THE BATHROOM - Newer homes have two and a half bathrooms. The main bathroom is for everyone’s use. The second bathroom is usually off the master bedroom and is reserved for the adults using this room. Half a bedroom is a toilet and a sink, usually used by guests. Showers and tubes are becoming quite sophisticated. Americans do like showers - with lots of water pressure - because they are quick. Showers often have Jacuzzi heads which give a massage while washing. A family with an average income can usually afford to live in a nice house with all the necessary amenities that are expected in any civilized nation. The utility bills, such as electricity, telephone and gas are very affordable and do not cause a significant financial burden to the home owner.

Almost half of all Slovak families live in the houses not in the flat.

A flat is situated on one floor and is designed for one family. A flat forms a part of blocks of flats. It may be very large with nearly as much space as the house, or it may also be one or many rooms with kitchen and bathroom.
In the centre of big Slovakia cities many people live in apartments situated in large apartment buildings. They usually rent apartments which are owned by big companies or private owners. These houses are well furnished and equipped with modern house-hold appliances. There are usually one or more phones and TV sets, stereo and video systems, a microwave and the fridge-freezer in these apartments. The Slovak home is a busy and lively place.

I have been living for 4 years in new family house in a village. It’s two-storied house with attic. House has living room where sofa, television and some indoor flowers is. Dining room is linked with living room where a big table with chairs and cupboard are. The wardrobes are placed along the wall.

There is a kitchen with a larder. In the kitchen is everything what my mum needs for cooking, there are cupboards with dinner set and utensils, a sink for washing dishes and the plate rack. There is also a gas and electric cooker with oven, refrigerator with freezer.

Parents have in their bedroom big inbuilt wardrobe, bad and old sewing machine.
My bedroom is my favorite room because I spent there the most of time. I have there bed, writing desk, one big wardrobe, and some shelves for books, CD´s, cosmetics and some complements. On the wall are some posters of my favorite music groups. My room is in an attic so there are two skylights Sister’s bedroom is similar my room. But I have complements in yellow colour and she in green.

We have one bathroom on the ground-floor, where is ................(sprchovací kút), washing machine basin and toilet. And upstairs are wash-basin, bath, toilet and big mirror.
Study is very important room because there is a computer.
The floor is of wooden parquets. In every room is a small carpet in the middle of room. We have a large garden but we don’t have nothing only a small flower-bad in front of house.

DREAM HOUSE:
I would like to have house near sea or ocean. I dream about living in Ireland because there is beautiful nature. I would like to have cottage house or two-storey house. It should have basement, ground floor and attic. In the basement there should be a laundry, a larder and a limbo. In the ground floor there should be a living room with terrace, a dining room, a work room and a kitchen. In the attic there should be a bedroom, children’s rooms and bathroom. By house should be a garage for car. And behind house should be a big garden.