Vocabulary and Collocations for Moving House

Vocabulary and Collocations for Moving House

Hello English learners, and welcome to a new lesson. Moving house is one of those life events we all experience sooner or later — sometimes with excitement, sometimes with a mild headache and far too many cardboard boxes. People move house for all sorts of reasons. You might be accepted into a university, land a new job in another city (or another country), or simply realise that your current place no longer fits your life. Some people move to get more space, while others leave busy cities behind to start afresh in the countryside. Whatever the reason, knowing the right vocabulary and collocations for moving house will help you speak and write about this topic naturally and confidently — especially at B2–C1 level.

Let’s look at the most common and useful expressions.

Key Vocabulary & Collocations

To move in / move out

• They moved in at the beginning of September.
• We’re moving out at the end of the month.

Rent a flat / house

• We can’t afford to rent a beach house, but we can rent a small studio.
• Sandra rented a cottage in the countryside, which turned out to be cheaper and far more peaceful than city life.
• The best time to rent a summer house is often in January or February, when prices are lower.

Find/get a flatmate or housemate

• Brian found a flatmate last month, so they now share the rent and bills.
• It’s easier to get a housemate through university noticeboards or online platforms.

Vocabulary and Collocations for Moving House

Share a flat / house

• When my parents were students, they shared a large house with eight other housemates.
• She shared a flat during her first year abroad to save money.

Sign/break a rental agreement

• Once both sides agree to the terms, they sign the rental agreement.
• Tenants shouldn’t break the rental agreement without giving proper notice.
• He broke the rental agreement early because he had to relocate for work.

Give/receive notice

• We had to give two weeks’ notice before moving out.
• The landlord received notice from the tenants, who are moving to the Netherlands.

Buy/acquire a property

• After receiving Cypriot citizenship, Ben bought a property on the island.
• Unable to settle in the city, the family acquired a house in a nearby village.

Contact a real estate agent

• Mary’s father contacted a real estate agent to sell their family home.
• It’s often quicker to find a flat if you go through an agent.

Put down a deposit

• Sara has finally saved enough to put down a deposit on her dream house.
• Most landlords ask for a deposit before handing over the keys.

Put up a property for sale

• Have you heard? Mike’s house has been put up for sale — they’re moving to Australia.
• The owner put the flat up for sale after renovating it.

Apply for a mortgage/home loan

• They applied for a mortgage after finding a suitable house.
• Tim applied for a home loan with a local bank following his divorce.

To pack up / unpack belongings

To put all your personal items, furniture, and possessions into boxes or bags, usually because you are preparing to move house.

• It took us days to pack up our belongings.
• She’s still unpacking boxes after the move.

To hand over / collect the keys

To give the keys of a flat, house, or property to someone else, usually when they are allowed to move in or when responsibility for the property officially changes.

• The landlord handed over the keys on moving-in day.
• We collected the keys from the agency in the morning.

To pay the rent / cover the bills

To give money regularly (usually monthly) to a landlord in order to live in a flat or house.

• He pays the rent on the first of every month.
• We share the rent and split the bills evenly.

Final tip for learners

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