B. Finding somewhere to live

If you want to buy a house, it is very rare to deal directly with the person selling. Instead, you go to an estate agent. These companies exist solely to act as ‘go-betweens’ for people buying and selling houses. They help with the various procedures – and take a fat commission! If you are interested in one of the houses ‘on their books’, they will arrange a ‘viewing’. You can also spot houses for sale by the ‘For sale’ signs which are put up on wooden posts outside the houses concerned.

If you want to rent somewhere from a private landlord (not a council), the usual place to look is in the local newspaper. Estate agents do not often deal with places for rent, although there are special lettings agencies.

Another possible way of finding somewhere to live is to ‘squat’. Squatters are people who occupy empty houses without paying rent. If you do not cause any damage when moving in to an empty house, you have not broken the law. If the owner wants to get you out, he or she has to get an order from the court to have you evicted.

Alternatively, you could become a ‘New Age Traveller’ and live in a bus, coach or van, moving from place to place.

G Explain in English the following.

1) a marker of class; 2) skilled (unskilled) manual workers; 3) private tenants; council tenants; 4) an estate agent; 5) ‘go-betweens’; 6) to take a fat commission; 7) to spot houses for sale; 8) to have you evicted; 9) letting agencies

H Discuss with your partners what facts the texts above add to the ideas developed in Text I.

Text II

Pre-Reading

A Ask your partners if they have an idea about what accommodation Britain can offer to foreign visitors and tourists.

B Find out if anyone knows what the letters ‘B and B’ stand for and what the word ‘crown’ means in relation to hotels.

Reading

Read the text ‘Accommodation’ and do the tasks that follow.

Accommodation

The range of accommodation in Britain is vast, from first class hotels to camping and caravan sites. You can book accommodation in advance from your own country through your travel agent or directly with the establishment you want to stay in. You can also book in advance when you’ve arrived in Britain through certain Tourist Information Centres (TICs). If you are travelling to the more popular places in Britain during the peak holiday season, May-October, it is advisable to book accommodation in advance.

The national tourist boards for England, Scotland and Wales publish accommodation guides called Where to Stay. They are available from bookshops and TICs.

Hotels

Hotels in Britain are not cheap, by comparison with some countries. The prices they quote are normally per person, not per room. It is usual for breakfast to be included in the price of a night’s accommodation. Some hotels offer ‘half board’, accommodation, breakfast and one other meal; or ‘full board’, accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Hotels, in general, like guests to check in before 18: 00. If you are likely to arrive late in the evening it is advisable to let the hotel know. Check-out time is usually 11: 00 or 12: 00 on the day of departure, although arrangements can be made to check out later.

Guest houses

Guest houses are smaller and cheaper than hotels. They will probably have fewer facilities than most hotels: there may not be a bar, nor private bathrooms. In addition to the bedrooms there will be a living room for the use of guests and a dining room. Some guest houses offer bed and breakfast only, others offer lunch and dinner.

The tourist boards inspect hotels and guest houses throughout Britain every year and classify them according to the facilities and services they provide. There are six classifications: ‘listed’ (included in a list, catalog, or directory) and one to five crowns. The more crowns a hotel or guest house has, the wider its range of facilities and services is. ‘Approved’, ‘commended’ or ‘highly commended’ alongside the crowns means that the standards are particularly high. A leaflet explaining the classifications is available free from TICs.