Phrasal Verbs about House and Home

For my part, the kind of house I would like to spend my life in is very clear. It would be a house, not a flat. It would be close to both the countryside and the city, if not in both places at once. It would have an enormous garden with a tent for ___ ___ on summer evenings. While the front would have a view of a street, with at least one shop nearby, my ideal home would ___ ___ the countryside with views of either some mountains, a valley or some kind of water feature such as a lake or river.

Having a shop close at hand would allow me to ___ ___ for a few minutes to buy some essentials when I run out rather than driving all the way to some soulless shopping centre. Nonetheless, having a major road nearby would allow me to visit said shopping centre whenever necessary, to ___ ___ on the month’s groceries. Being able to get onto a major road to drive to holiday spots for the weekend would also be pretty important for one’s quality of life.

A large, fully equipped, state-of-the-art kitchen would be vital to me. I love to ___ ___ and I regard cooking as one of my favourite hobbies. Obviously, a roomy dining area would also be essential for when I have people over to dine but although those imaginary dinner parties in my luxury home would be fun to do, ___ ___ the pots and pans afterwards would not be so enjoyable. The latest dishwasher would be fundamental.

On the subject of cleaning, there are a number of gadgets and apps to help a person to ___ ___ the home nowadays. I am not a very tidy person and have an annoying habit, according to my wife, of ___ ___ the house without even trying. Robot cleaners do really irritate me, I have to say, but looking on the bright side, these devices are programmable and can come out and do their work when I am not around.

Besides, I would rather ___ ___ in the garden looking for odd jobs than clean the house. The fresh air is always preferable, no matter how wonderful the home is. But a really efficient, eco- friendly and futuristic home, for me, would have to have some kind of device that can recycle all the house hold waste that we ___ ___. I would happily pay top-dollar for something like that.

Automatic Persian blinds would be indispensable for me. I’m not an early-riser and blocking out the early-morning daylight would be necessary if I were to ___ ___ for a while longer rather than getting up with the lark, as my wife is wont to do. These kinds of blinds are also an advantage in terms of security and when closed completely are very effective in keeping out intruders so that when ___ ___, pulling these down too will make for a more secure home, especially if they are alarmed.

My ideal home would absolutely have a small guest house at the end of the garden for ___ ___ friends and relatives. It would have its own bathroom and toilet facilities as well as a small utility room equipped with a washing machine and tumble dryer. Perhaps it could be ___ ___ to students during term time to make a little ready cash on the side. Either way, for me it would be preferable to have it a short distance away from the main house for privacy. And if the imaginary residents had their own key, they could stay out late without myself or my wife having to ___ ___ for them so that we can let them into the house.

Talking of privacy, a nice little office for both my wife and myself would be a basic requirement, as would a den for any children, should we chose to start a family. A gym would also be nice although I don’t think it would be necessary for us to have a separate his-and-hers version. And, just in case, perhaps a little workshop of some kind, next to the garage. If we ever wanted to ___ ___ the house on our own, you know, a lick of paint here and there, build a small shed, repair a door or two, sorting out some shelves or furniture, a small but functional workshop would be vital.

However, there is one drawback to owning the ideal, dream home; if I had all of this, I would probably never go out. Mind you, if I did live in such a house, I don’t think that ___ ___ would be a problem for me personally, to be fair.