HOMES TODAY

Some people today live in houses made of natural materials like stone, wood or mud. Many others live in homes made of man-made materials like bricks, plastic, concrete or glass. In big cities, people live in flats on apartment buildings. These are homes on one floor of a big building. Rich people sometimes live in big houses, ‘mansions’. These houses have many nice rooms, expensive furniture and even swimming pools. They also have a big garden and people take care of these gardens. There are also maids. They help with chores like cooking and cleaning.

Outside the cities, there is more land for houses. People often have gardens. Some people live in ‘detached houses’. These houses have space around them. Other people live in houses, ‘cottages’. These houses are made of bricks and have a thatched roof. All the rooms in a cottage are usually on one floor. When people own bigger land, they build ‘ranches’ in the countryside. These people sometimes have farm animals, and grow crops and sell them.

Poor families often don’t have enough money to build or buy their own house. That’s why, some people share small apartments with other families. The whole family sleeps in one room and shares the facilities like bathroom and kitchen. Some families don’t have enough money and build their houses with materials like bits of wood or metal. ‘Shanty towns’ are full of these kinds of houses. Usually there is no electricity or water. People live in unhealthy conditions.