5 Common Types of Homes In Canada, Part I
– B2-C2 (intermediate to advanced) –
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It is common for people to live differently from one country to another. These differences in culture and society affect the everyday language that is used in a particular place. This is no exception for Canada. If you are travelling or moving to Canada, and you are looking for a place to stay or live, then it is important to know the vocabulary that is frequently used in Canadian English to refer to the different types of residences in the country. Here are five terms that are used in reference to common Canadian residences:
HOUSE
“House” photo courtesy of Phil Hearing on Unsplash.
One of the most common types of homes in Canada is a house. In Canadian English, the word “house” typically means:
a private residence, generally for one family to live in
In the recent past, most Canadians across the country lived in their own house, but nowadays more Canadians are renting. This means that it is becoming more popular for Canadians to rent a house than to buy one.
LANEWAY HOUSE
“Laneway House In Vancouver” photo courtesy of Mike, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons.
Since owning a house in large Canadian cities is becoming more difficult to do, many people are choosing to rent out a laneway house in order to pay for their house’s mortgage.
In Canadian English, “laneway house” typically means:
a small house that used to be the garage of the primary house on the property
a small apartment that is above the garage of the primary house on the property
Laneway houses are typically located in the backyard of a house, which in this case is known as the primary house. Laneway houses are generally accessible from the back alley, or laneway, of a primary house, but some can also be accessed from the side of the street–if it is a corner property–or from the gate that leads to the primary house’s backyard.
Laneway houses are particularly popular places to rent in Vancouver, British Columbia, but they can also be found in smaller quantities in other large centres across the country, including Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
GARDEN-LEVEL SUITE
“Garden-Level Suite” and thumbnail photo courtesy of Photo Alisa Orlova on Unsplash
In Canadian English, a “garden-level suite” is typically:
a small, private residence that has a main-floor entrance and exists on the same property as a house; a garden-level suite may be attached to a house or located in a house’s backyard; laneway houses are not considered garden-level suites, however, because they are specifically built in or on top of a garage
Other expressions that might refer to a garden-level suite include “mother-in-law suite,” “guest house,” or “pool house,” though the latter is specifically located near a backyard pool and doubles as a storage space for pool supplies.
BASEMENT SUITE
“Basement Room” photo courtesy of Point3D Commercial Imaging Ltd. on Unsplash.
In Canadian English, the term “basement suite” typically means:
a private residence in the basement of a house
Though basement suites can be rented by anybody, it is common to see single individuals (of all ages), university students, and couples with no kids living in them. As such, landlords might indicate that they are looking for these specific types of renters to fill their vacancy.
Some basement suites have a shared entrance with the main floor, while others have a private one. If the basement is a walk-out, then it might also be considered a garden-level suite. Laundry service in basement suites can additionally be shared with the residence upstairs, or it can be privately provided for both upstairs and the basement, separately.
DUPLEX
“Duplex” photo courtesy of U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kevin L. Burleson - This image was released by the United States Navy with the ID 061106-N-1023B-014 (next).This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing. Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons.
Also more formally known as a semi-detached house, “duplex” typically means:
a house that is divided equally into two private residences
Duplexes generally look like two houses that are attached to each other, where there are two front doors and two separate yards. Since the one building has been divided into two residences, duplexes usually have two separate families living in them, one on each side.
Some duplexes might have two basement suites, one on each side, making them something that is called a quadriplex.
As Canadian towns and cities get larger and denser, duplexes and quadriplexes are becoming more and more popular to build.
What kind of home do you live in? Are there homes like these in the country you live in? Practice your English in the comments below by describing the type of home that you have or the types of homes that you see in your area.
