B2 · Upper-Intermediate🎧 1 min read

🏚 The Old Farmhouse

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When Mira and Josh bought an old farmhouse in the countryside, their friends thought they had lost their minds. The roof was leaking, the windows were broken and the garden hadn't been looked after for years.

They couldn't afford to have everything done by professionals, so they decided to do as much as possible themselves. They painted the walls, sanded the floors and cleared the garden. However, some jobs were simply too dangerous: they had the roof repaired by a local builder and got the electrics checked by a qualified electrician.

The renovation took almost two years, and at times they wondered whether it would ever be finished. Their savings ran out twice, and Josh fell off a ladder, breaking his wrist. Now, though, the house is warm, bright and full of guests. "Had we known how hard it would be, we might never have started," Mira laughs. "Thank goodness we didn't know!"

Key words

farmhousea house on a farm
leakingletting water in
affordhave enough money for
sandedmade smooth with sandpaper
electriciana person who fixes electrical systems
wristthe joint between your hand and arm

Questions about the story

  1. What was wrong with the roof?
  2. Why did they do a lot of the work themselves?
  3. Which jobs did they have done by professionals?
  4. What happened to Josh?
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