Taking Care of a Home
Read this opening conversation:
Dad: Donna, we're going to move to another house.
Kid: Why daddy? I like it here.
Dad: Well, we found a better place. It's closer to your school and less expensive.
Transfer is another word for move but it might not be your choice. It could be the government or a company is making you move. You could say:
"We're going to move to another house"
or
"We are being transferred to Japan."
There are many reasons why people move, but in Hawaii, one major factor is the cost. You can tell people:
"Our new place is less expensive"
or
"Our new place is more affordable"
When you are moving, you have to pack up all of your belongings. Afterwards you will have to unpack. For example:
"You have to pack up all of the things you don't use every day"
When you move, you might ask friends to help. If you want someone to help you, you should ask them first.
There are several ways you can ask. For example:
"Can I ask you a favor?"
"Do you mind if I ask you a favor?"
or
"Would you mind doing me a favor?"
A lot of people have their friends help them because hiring a moving company can be expensive. If you want to check on prices over the phone, your conversation could sound like this:
Michael: Hello, could you quote some prices for moving from a house to another part of the island?
Michiko: It's $74.49 an hour for two men and a truck.
Michael: Do they do packing too?
Michiko: Yes, they'll do furniture.
To check on prices, you can use one of these sentences:
"Could you quote some prices for moving to the mainland?"
or
"How much does it cost to move from Honolulu to Arizona?"
Usually, the moving men will pack your things but you might not want them to touch valuable things because they might be a little rough sometimes. So you can say:
"That's very valuable"
"That's priceless"
or
"That's worth a lot of money."
"Renovating" just means improving something, usually some kind of building. You can also use the word "remodeling." For example, you could say:
"I started renovating my house"
or
"I started remodeling my house."
Usually, houses just need to be repainted in order to look nice and new. Read this conversation involving paint:
Michiko: Well, here I am! I'm all ready to paint!
Michael: All right, first you can use this roller. It's easier than using the brush.
Michiko: Did you stir the paint?
Michael: Yes, it's ready to use.
Michiko: Whew, I'm getting dizzy from all the paint fumes.
Michael: Oh, you'd better take a break.
When you paint a large wall, you will probably only use brushes for the corners. For the wide places, you can use a roller. You also have to be careful when painting because you could breathe in paint fumes.
When people feel dizzy or feel sick from paint fumes, they might sound like this:
"I'm getting dizzy from the paint fumes"
and
"The paint smells so strong, it makes me sick."
Renovation could mean adding or taking away something from your house. When you want to take something down, you can use several different verbs. For example:
"We're knocking down the old garage"
or
"We're tearing down the addition."
"Decorating means making something more attractive by adding something. You can decorate anything. "To Decorate" is a verb. The noun is the word "decor". For example:
"I'm decorating my living room"
or
"I love the decor of your living room!"
When you buy furniture or wallpaper, you want the colors to match. Read this conversation.
Michiko: I think we need to buy a new covering for this sofa.
Michael: Yeah, it's a little worn.
Michiko: Do you think a pastel pink will go with the room?
Michael: Ugh, no, It'll look too feminine.
In this conversation, someone said the room was too feminine. That means it looks like a girl's room. If your room has dark colors, you can say it looks like a masculine room.
One important part of decorating a house or apartment is hanging up pictures. So you can say:
"Let's hang this painting up"
or
"Let's take this painting down."
When we put up paintings, we usually use nails.
For example, you could say:
"Let's use a nail to put up this painting"
or
"We hung this painting up with a nail"
When you are trying to put up a picture, you may have to give instructions. For example:
"It's not straight. Move it to the left."
"It's crooked. Tilt it a little to the left."
or
"It's too high. Bring it down a little."
When you find the right spot to hang the picture, you can say:
"Hold it right there"
or
"That's perfect"
When you enter someone's house, you can ask:
"Should I take off my shoes?"
