Organizing a home exchange
Before doing a home exchange it’s important to ask the right questions…
Louise: Hello, I’m calling about the home exchange.
Peter: Hi, yes, as I said in my email I’d like to exchange my London house for a house or flat in Paris in April. Do you live in central Paris?
Louise: Yes, I have a 3-bedroomed apartment overlooking the Luxembourg Gardens. The flat was fully redecorated last year, and there’s a metro station just across the road. Where exactly is your house?
Peter: The house, well 1850’s cottage to be precise, is on the outskirts of North West London. It has been fully renovated, but we haven’t quite finished the bathroom yet.
Louise: That doesn’t worry me too much, but is there an Underground station nearby?
Peter: The nearest Underground is ten minutes away by car, which we’d include as part of the swap. Are you interested?
Peter: I’ll check the exact dates and get back in touch.
Louise: Fine. And perhaps we could discuss driving the car. I’ve never actually driven in Britain...
Peter: I’ll give you a brier on that... and let you know if I get round to painting the bathroom in the meantime...
Pronunciation practice
the flat was fully redecorated = l’appartement a été complètement refait à neuf
on the outskirts of = à la périphérie de
How many people can your house sleep?= On peut coucher à combien chez vous ?
Are there good local amenities?= Y-a-t-il des commerces intéressants à proximité ?
Do you have a pool?= Avez-vous une piscine ?
Is the public transport system reliable? = Peut-on compter sur les transports en communs ?
Can we smoke in the house/apartment?= Peut-on fumer chez vous ?