Do you live in a house or a flat?
I live in a flat on the fifth floor of a fairly modern block of flats. It's got two bedrooms, a small balcony and an open-plan kitchen and living room, so it's not huge, but it's bright and it doesn't feel cramped.
IELTS Speaking Part 1: Home and accommodation questions and answers
Some examiners ask about your home instead of your hometown in the opening frame. They want a clear picture of where you live now and how you feel about it, and they'll usually slip in a question about the past or the future.
All Part 1 topics
The questions
Answer each one aloud before you read the model — two to four sentences, then stop.
- Do you live in a house or a flat?
- Who do you live with?
- How long have you lived there?
- Which room do you spend the most time in?
- Is there anything you'd like to change about your home?
- Did you live somewhere different when you were a child?
- What kind of home would you like to have in the future?
Model answers
Written to be spoken, at about band 8. Useful phrases are in bold. Borrow the structure and the phrases — never the whole answer.
Who do you live with?
I share it with a friend I met through work. We split the rent and the bills, which makes it much more affordable, and we get on really well. The only thing we occasionally argue about is whose turn it is to do the washing-up.
How long have you lived there?
Just over two years. Before that, I was renting a tiny studio flat on the other side of the city, which was fine at first, but the commute was exhausting. Moving here cut my journey to work roughly in half.
Which room do you spend the most time in?
Probably the living room, because it opens onto the balcony and gets the most natural light. I work from home a couple of days a week, so I've set up a little desk in the corner by the window.
Is there anything you'd like to change about your home?
I'd love a bit more storage space. The bedrooms are a decent size, but there are hardly any cupboards, so things tend to pile up. If it were my own place, I'd probably put in built-in wardrobes and get rid of some of the clutter.
Did you live somewhere different when you were a child?
Yes, I grew up in a house with a big garden in a much smaller town. My brother and I used to play football out there for hours. I don't think I appreciated how much space we had until I moved into a flat.
What kind of home would you like to have in the future?
Ideally, a house of my own, somewhere a bit further out where there's more greenery. It wouldn't need to be big, but I'd want a garden and a proper home office. Whether I'll be able to afford it is another question, though.
Useful vocabulary for home and accommodation
- block of flats
- British English for a building divided into separate apartments.
- feel cramped
- To seem uncomfortably small, with too little space.
- split the rent
- To share the cost of renting between two or more people.
- studio flat
- A small flat where the bedroom and living area are one room.
- natural light
- Daylight from windows, as opposed to lamps; a common collocation when describing rooms.
- storage space
- Room for keeping things, such as cupboards and shelves.
- a house of my own
- A home you own rather than rent or share.
Now answer them with the clock running.
Timed Part 1 practice with an AI band for each criterion.