Reading (II term)

There isn’t enough space to build all of the houses we need in many cities. This means that the price of houses in London and the rest of the UK is getting more and more expensive. The average house price in London is now over £500,000, but most workers are still getting low salaries. ¹___ But it costs a lot of money to buy train tickets too.

²___ Perhaps there is, as people are finding creative ways to live near their workplace. More and more people are following the example of the Netherlands. They are choosing to live on water – on the rivers that flow through our cities. Houseboats are a popular new form of accommodation for professionals working in towns and cities. The Netherlands has the most houseboats in Europe. ³___ There are around 6,000 houseboats in the whole of the UK at the moment. Some companies are even building offices on the water.

What are the advantages of living on the water? First, they are beautiful spaces for people to live and work in. You can work in the city, but you can also enjoy living close to the countryside. ⁴___ You can buy a houseboat for as little as £60,000.

You have to be careful if you want to buy a houseboat, because there are some disadvantages. They are cheaper, but the cost of living on a boat can be more expensive. For example, you have to pay for your ‘parking’ space on a river. ⁵___ In Amsterdam, you have to paint your boat every three years. And people complain that when it gets cold, it’s very expensive to keep the boat warm.

²___ Perhaps there is, as people are finding creative ways to live near their workplace. More and more people are following the example of the Netherlands. They are choosing to live on water – on the rivers that flow through our cities. Houseboats are a popular new form of accommodation for professionals working in towns and cities.

The Netherlands has the most houseboats in Europe. ³___ There are around 6,000 houseboats in the whole of the UK at the moment. Some companies are even building offices on the water.