Many people renovate their houses to keep up with fashions and trends. Here are some useful English words and phrases to describe this. When a red-colored word appears it corresponds with an according picture.
Decorating
give something a lick / a coat of paint = paint walls
hang / put up wallpaper = to attach new paper to the walls
fit / put up blinds or curtains = cover the windows
either with curtains (fabric hanging across the window) or blinds (strips of
plastic or fabric that cover the window)
throw out / replace the
old light fittings = change the lights
go for a (name of fashion) effect = recreate a particular look
put the finishing touches to = complete the decoration with the final details
Renovation
have an extension = build on to the existing house to provide more rooms
put in a conservatory (*1) / a fitted kitchen / a new bathroom = to install a conservatory (room between the back of the house and
the garden), a fitted kitchen (where the units are connected, rather than being
single pieces) or a new bathroom
convert the loft (have a loft conversion) = convert the attic into a liveable room
turn the dining room into a spare bedroom = convert a room into one with a different purpose
knock down a wall = demolish a wall
knock through from the kitchen = demolish the wall from the kitchen into another room
build a patio (*2) = build a
paved area around part or the whole of the house
rewire the house = put in new electrical wiring
install central heating / solar panels = put in a new heating system
re-plaster (*3) the ceiling = take off the old plaster (covering the bricks) and replace it with
new
re-tile (*4) the bathroom = put new tiles on the floor and walls
(*1)
(*2)
(*3)
(*4)
Other useful expressions
diy = Do it
Yourself (doing maintenance and building works in your house)
be handy around the house = to be practical and able to do jobs in the house
draw up plans = to make technical plans before you do building or renovation work
get planning / building
permission = to get authorisation from the town hall to do
work on your house
Cleaning vocabulary
Everyday / weekly cleaning
Tidy up your house,
by putting away things in their right places. Use a soft, dry cloth (a duster (*1)) to remove the dust from furniture. Then use the vacuum cleaner (*2) (or hoover) to hoover the floors, rugs and carpets. Use
different hoover attachments for different types of hoovering (i.e. one for the
floors, another for the furniture, etc.)
If you have wooden or tiled floors, you can also sweep these with
a broom (*3). For smaller areas, use a dustpan (*4) and brush to sweep up dirt, dust, or broken glass, for example.
Every so often, you can clean the floors with water. For this, you can use
a long-handled mop and bucket (for the
water.) If you have wooden floors, you can also wax them (a sort
of protective liquid that will make them shine.)
If a surface is particularly dirty, you might have to scrub it with
a scrubbing brush (a wooden brush with stiff bristles) or scour (*5) it (with a
tough scouring cloth) to get rid of the marks or stains.
Disinfect the toilet with toilet
duck (*6) (a special cleaning product that contains bleach.)
Use window cleaner to clean your windows, and oven cleaner to clean your oven. Use furniture polish (a type of
wax) to clean and protect wooden furniture.
(*1)
(*2)
(*3)
(*4)
(*5)
(*6)
Spring-cleaning
Many people spring clean their houses When winter seems to be finally over.
Spring-cleaning is a thorough clean, from top to bottom! Here are some words to
describe this:
Polish your silver
(such as silver cutlery) with silver polish.
Declutter (*1) = get rid of
extra things you don’t need.
Wash soft furnishings (take down the curtains, or take off furniture covers).
Touch up the paintwork (paint the places where the paint has come off, or where there are
dirty marks.)
Get into all the corners of your house, and clean them thoroughly – i.e.
behind heavy furniture where you wouldn’t normally clean.
Get rid of any mould (*2) on the walls, or on bathroom tiles, for example.
Clean high up or difficult areas to reach. Remove cobwebs (spiders’ nests.)
(*1)
(*2)
For any audiophiles out there, you may also take a look at the following renovation - vocabulary video:
