Describe your ideal home or place to live.: IELTS Speaking Cue Card

You should say

  • Where would it be?
  • How big it would be?
  • What would it include?
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57 unique answers with expert feedback

Band 7

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My ideal home would be near the countryside or a hill station where there are flocks of birds, cows, animals, nature, trees and I don't want a house that's too big. I want a home that is just enough for all my loved ones to live in. Moreover, the house is going to be all white, it's going to be filled with flowers, with a big backyard and a very cute swimming pool where all my friends and I can hang out, have some hot chocolate, have some ice latte and gossip about all the people who have done us wrong. I would love to have all my children around the house dressed in white as well. My parents, my sister, her family, just a whole big joint family together, eating lunch, breakfast, dinner and just enjoying nature. I would love for this dream to come true one day.

Follow up questions


What specific features would you include in your ideal backyard?
In my ideal backyard, I would include a beautiful garden with a variety of flowers, a small vegetable patch, and a cozy seating area with a fire pit. I would also love to have a treehouse for the kids and perhaps a small pond with some fish to create a serene environment.

How important is the location of your ideal home to you?
The location is extremely important to me. Living near the countryside or a hill station allows me to connect with nature, enjoy fresh air, and have a peaceful environment. It also provides opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and bird watching, which I cherish.

What activities would you enjoy doing with your family in your ideal home?
In my ideal home, I would enjoy having family game nights, cooking together, and hosting barbecues in the backyard. We would also have movie nights by the pool and spend time gardening or exploring nature trails nearby, creating lasting memories together.

Band 7

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00:00

An ideal home is a place where I can feel comfortable, relaxed and truly myself. For me it doesn't have to be extravagant but it should reflect my personality and meet my needs. A ideal home would be spacious yet cozy, located in a quiet and peaceful area, preferably close to nature. I imagine a modern design with large windows to let in plenty of natural light and a beautiful garden where I can grow flowers and vegetables. The living room would have comfortable furniture, a large bookshelf, a corner dedicated to art and hobbies. The kitchen would be well equipped and open as I enjoy cooking and entertaining guests. Upstairs there would be a bedroom with a balcony, offering a scenic view, a home office for work and learning and a small gym to stay active. What makes this home ideal is a balance between functionality and relaxation. It would provide space for both productivity and leisure. Being close to nature would help me stay calm, focused while modern interiors would make a daily life convenient.

Follow up questions


What specific features would you include in your garden?
In my garden, I would include a variety of flowers for color and fragrance, as well as a vegetable patch for fresh produce. I would also like a small seating area to relax and enjoy the surroundings, perhaps with a water feature to enhance the tranquil atmosphere.

How important is location when choosing a home?
Location is extremely important to me. I prefer a quiet area close to nature, as it contributes to my overall well-being. Being near parks or hiking trails allows me to enjoy outdoor activities and helps me maintain a peaceful lifestyle away from the hustle and bustle of the city.

What role does interior design play in your ideal home?
Interior design plays a significant role in my ideal home. I envision modern aesthetics with a warm color palette that reflects my personality. The layout should be open and inviting, with spaces that encourage creativity and relaxation, making it a perfect blend of style and comfort.

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IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

location icon

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

location icon

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

location icon

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

Band 6-7

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00:00

My ideal home? My ideal home would be situated away from the city, away from all the noise of the city, busyness. It would like be a big home, definitely, with a lot of space for movement and a big, big garden space. And the house would have ideally five rooms, three bedrooms, one drawing room and a kitchen. Every room will be having an attached bathroom. And why I want a drawing room is, today we, in today's scenario, everyone preferred remote work and having a drawing room will be very much useful for doing our work in a very conducive manner. And, and I would like to include indoor plants in each room and to keep the place very refreshing. And I would like to have a big garden, like I said, with a swing set, where we can, you know, explore, you know, relax a bit after the day's work. And definitely, I will have a, why three bedrooms, I will have a bedroom for my grandparents, I will stay with my grandparents, seek their knowledge and experience in everything I do. So I would like to have a room for my grandparents. And it and as I said, it should be something which is very sustainable, a building which is very sustainable and thinks about the environmental impacts too. So a building which is low, which does not impact the environment in a bad way, that is what I prefer. And, of course, there will be another bedroom for the children, kids, and they will be having a good time, play a playroom kind of thing with a lot of paintings and colors.

Follow up questions


What features make a home sustainable in your opinion?
A sustainable home should utilize eco-friendly materials, have energy-efficient appliances, and incorporate renewable energy sources like solar panels. It should also have good insulation to reduce energy consumption and promote water conservation through rainwater harvesting systems.

How important is outdoor space for you?
Outdoor space is very important to me as it provides a place for relaxation and recreation. A big garden allows for gardening, outdoor activities, and a peaceful environment. It can also serve as a gathering space for family and friends, enhancing our quality of life.

Why do you think having a drawing room is essential for remote work?
A drawing room provides a dedicated space for work, which helps in maintaining focus and productivity. It separates work from personal life, creating a conducive environment for meetings and creative tasks. This separation is crucial for mental well-being while working from home.

Band 6-7

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/

00:00

I would like to, in my opinion, an ideal home belongs to a countryside. I don't want a big, enormous house. I want a tiny house that I and my family can live. It should include a two-bedroom and a kitchen and a sit-out. In my home, I want a pond and I want to plant trees. I want to create flowers. I want to plant a garden. I want to live with so many fishes and cats, dogs and like that.

Follow up questions


What specific features would you include in your garden?
In my garden, I would include a variety of flowers, some fruit trees, and a small vegetable patch. I believe having a diverse garden not only beautifies the space but also provides fresh produce. I would also like to have a small seating area where I can relax and enjoy nature.

How do you think living in the countryside affects your lifestyle?
Living in the countryside would allow me to enjoy a slower pace of life, surrounded by nature. It would provide opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking and gardening, and I believe it would contribute to a healthier lifestyle, both physically and mentally, compared to city living.

What animals would you like to have in your ideal home?
I would love to have a few cats and dogs as pets, as they bring joy and companionship. Additionally, having fish in a pond would create a peaceful atmosphere. I think having these animals would enhance my living experience and create a lively environment at home.

Band 6-7

00:00

/

00:00

For me, the ideal place or home is where my parents are. In my future, I have dreamt of building a home near the beaches, mostly I feel in Langkawi. Recently I went there for a holiday and I really loved the environment there, however I would take some time because I am not having that much of money. I really love doing yoga and the environment is so beautiful that you can do yoga all day long. So I would love to build a house in Langkawi Islands and with amenities like yoga facilities, I will teach yoga there. Then we can do some outdoor activities like going out and then diving.

Follow up questions


What specific features would your ideal home have?
My ideal home would have large windows to let in natural light, a spacious yoga studio, and an outdoor area for activities. I envision a cozy living space with a kitchen that opens up to a garden, where I can grow my own herbs and vegetables. Sustainability is important, so I would incorporate eco-friendly materials.

How do you think living near the beach would affect your lifestyle?
Living near the beach would greatly enhance my lifestyle by providing a serene environment for relaxation and outdoor activities. I would have easy access to swimming, yoga on the beach, and exploring marine life. The calming sound of the waves would also contribute to my mental well-being and creativity.

What outdoor activities do you enjoy besides yoga?
Besides yoga, I enjoy activities like hiking, snorkeling, and cycling. Exploring nature trails and discovering new places is exhilarating. I also love water sports, such as kayaking and paddleboarding, which are perfect for a beachside lifestyle. These activities keep me active and connected to nature.
Show all 57 answers

Cue 1:Where would it be?

  • Begin by specifying the location, such as a city or a countryside area.
  • Mention why this location appeals to you, considering factors like climate, culture, and accessibility.

Example

My ideal home would be located in the serene hills of Uttarakhand. I love the peaceful environment and the beautiful views of nature that this region offers, away from the hustle and bustle of city life.


Cue 2:How big it would be?

  • Describe the size of your home, including the number of rooms and overall space.
  • Explain why you chose this size, considering your lifestyle and needs.

Example

I envision a spacious three-bedroom house with a large living area and a garden. This size is perfect for my family, providing enough room for everyone while still feeling cozy.


Cue 3:What would it include?

  • List specific features or amenities you would like in your home, such as a garden, balcony, or modern kitchen.
  • Discuss how these features would enhance your living experience.

Example

My ideal home would include a modern kitchen with all the latest appliances, a cozy reading nook by the window, and a beautiful garden where I can relax and grow my own vegetables. These features would make my home not just a place to live, but a sanctuary.


Conclusion

  • Summarize your ideal home by reiterating its location, size, and key features.
  • Express how this home would fulfill your personal and emotional needs.

Example

In conclusion, my ideal home in the hills of Uttarakhand, with its spacious design and beautiful features, would provide me with the perfect blend of comfort and tranquility, making it a true haven for my family.


Following this structure will ensure you cover all the essential points while providing a clear and engaging response to the cue card topic.


Tips to answer this Cue Card

1: Being Vague About Location

Candidates often give unclear or general answers about where their ideal home would be. This can make the response less engaging and informative.

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Tip

Be specific about the location. Mention a city, country, or type of environment (like beach or mountains) to create a clearer picture.


2: Neglecting Size Details

Many candidates fail to describe the size of their ideal home, which can lead to a lack of depth in their answer. Size is an important aspect of a home.

bulb icon

Tip

Include specific dimensions or comparisons, such as 'a spacious three-bedroom house' or 'a cozy apartment with a large living room' to enhance your description.


Listing Without Explanation

Some candidates simply list features of their ideal home without explaining why these features are important to them. This can make the response feel flat.

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Tip

For each feature you mention, explain why it matters to you. For example, say 'I want a garden because I love gardening and spending time outdoors.'


calendar icon

IELTS Cue Cards asked last week

Reported by Leap students who gave IELTS

Describe your favourite food at a traditional festival or a special event in your country
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

Pitampura Test Centre, New Delhi

Answer

I like to taste different types of cuisine. Here I would like to talk about my favorite dish at my traditional festival of Onam which is Sadya. Sadya is popular in my city. We are experimenting these cuisines on Onam festival day. Onam is a famous festival in my city. All family members get together in my home and we make a delicious Sadya. There are many ingredients includes that Sadya. Moreover, we make a big feast that day as well as we create a lot of memories together and we wear that day the traditional dress called Sari and men wear the Dhotis. That festival is really important to us because the whole day we are conducting different kinds of games at our homes and all the family members came together. It's a memorable day in my life. This is the festival. We are making the Sambar and Aviyal. These all the kinds of foods are making with the vegetables.

Talk about a toy you liked in your childhood
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 8

location icon

Sector 34 Test Centre, Chandigarh

Answer

The toy which I liked in my childhood was a panda doll, which makes me pleasant and makes me more blush. The pandas are the most beautiful creatures of the world, which looks gigantic and has pooshy cheeks and they are like stars in the clouds and they dream in me. Furthermore, these have been given by my father. My father is a very very beautiful artistic person, who makes me think of that. Every day you will face every difficulties and make you suffer and move forward. Pandas are always seen in Japanese countries. It is my lifelong dream to visit a Japanese country and click a photo with the original pandas, which makes sounds better.

Describe a time you were in a place where you didn't know the local language
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 6.5

location icon

Whitefield Test Center, Bengaluru

Answer

As India is a very large country full of diversity, so there are many places which have their own language and speak their native language. The place which I visited and I didn't know about their language was Leladakh, which is about 300 km away from my hometown and it is a very good place as it consists of different kind of trees, animals and have many scenic views and I visited over there last year in summers as it was the best time to visit because it has many, it was cold over there and we had summers in our area so it was the best time to visit over there and I went over there with my whole family.

Describe a time when your friend damaged something you owned
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7

location icon

Begumpet Test Centre, Hyderabad

Answer

When I was a kid, I had a little pencil box which had these four buttons which gave the pencil box an operative use. When you press the button, the box would open up. When you press the second button, a little part of it would slide out. Basically it was just a little electronical and a fun thing to have and I owned it when I was in 6th. One day after break, I was standing and talking there with one of my friends and another friend of mine was running through the hallway and accidentally she pushed my shoulder and my pencil box hit the ground and it broke into multiple pieces to the point that it was not functional anymore.

Describe a book you recently read
anonymous person icon

Reported by

Anonymous student Band 7.5

location icon

CBD Belapur Test Centre, Navi Mumbai

Answer

It Ends With Us is a book I read recently. It's by the author Colleen Hoare. It's mainly a story about two teenagers, Atlas and Lily, and how they just handle their life going through high school, adolescence, and just domestic violence at home. Both of them come from very, very different families. However, they have one common determining factor between them, which is domestic violence. The abuse that they've seen their moms go through is just insane, and they connect through that on a different level. They're actually in the same high school, but they never speak to each other until Atlas actually crashes into an empty house next to Lily's villa. When Atlas is homeless and he doesn't have anywhere to go, he just comes and breaks into the house next to Lily's, and Lily helps him with all the daily necessities like clothes and food, medicines and stuff. Furthermore, their friendship blossoms into love, but it doesn't really fructify as Atlas has to leave. This book really gave me a lot of knowledge about domestic abuse and how to deal with it.

All Answers

Here are all the answers by real-users practicing speaking for IELTS Cue Cards on our IELTS Prep App.

Band 7

An ideal home is a place where I can feel comfortable, relaxed and truly myself. For me it doesn't have to be extravagant but it should reflect my personality and meet my needs. A ideal home would be spacious yet cozy, located in a quiet and peaceful area, preferably close to nature. I imagine a modern design with large windows to let in plenty of natural light and a beautiful garden where I can grow flowers and vegetables. The living room would have comfortable furniture, a large bookshelf, a corner dedicated to art and hobbies. The kitchen would be well equipped and open as I enjoy cooking and entertaining guests. Upstairs there would be a bedroom with a balcony, offering a scenic view, a home office for work and learning and a small gym to stay active. What makes this home ideal is a balance between functionality and relaxation. It would provide space for both productivity and leisure. Being close to nature would help me stay calm, focused while modern interiors would make a daily life convenient.

Band 7

My ideal home would be near the countryside or a hill station where there are flocks of birds, cows, animals, nature, trees and I don't want a house that's too big. I want a home that is just enough for all my loved ones to live in. Moreover, the house is going to be all white, it's going to be filled with flowers, with a big backyard and a very cute swimming pool where all my friends and I can hang out, have some hot chocolate, have some ice latte and gossip about all the people who have done us wrong. I would love to have all my children around the house dressed in white as well. My parents, my sister, her family, just a whole big joint family together, eating lunch, breakfast, dinner and just enjoying nature. I would love for this dream to come true one day.

Band 6-7

Ideal home is a sense of comfort. When I think about my ideal home, I always think of a place where I can get peace, a sense of humanity, a sense of connectiveness, and where everyone cares about the second person. Ideal place for me is my home. It's in Indore, my hometown. I have my mother there, my dad there, my grandma and my siblings. Whenever I visit my home, it feels a comfort. Having my mother's food made by my mother, having your grandma, having your father. My father is busy in his business, but when he comes at night, and when we have a family meeting and greeting session, we share everything, our thoughts, our opinion, and what are we doing in our lives. We share that in front of everyone. And that is the most precious part of missing the home. I miss conversation with my parents. And there we do, actually. And I get, whenever we talk, we get opinions. And we actually know the factor that someone is there to care about you. Ideal home is a place where you have your parents care for you. Sometimes it feels like their hand on your forehead can heal everything. A kiss on forehead can heal everything. You know there is someone who cares about you, who is always behind you and is always supporting you against the world. And ideal home is a place where everyone is happy and everyone is growing. Everyone is happy for everyone.

Band 6-7

I would always want to reside in an independent house which is called as private villa it should consist of a four-bedroom private villa where I can stay with my family members including my mom dad and younger brother and luckily out of those four rooms I should have one bedroom for myself which will also be a favorite part of the house and for me it should be large enough so that me and my younger brother can spend most of the time and can spend some beautiful moments living in that house also it should consist of four bedroom one living room and a living room for usually catching up of my family members while we have dinner we watch TV together and we also we should make sure that one of our one hour of the day we all spend at the living room discussing a day talking to each other and of course agreeing and disagreeing to various things so according to me my home should consist a large ample space for garden and parking because me and my family members all of us love and adore gardening so that is what we want to add also secondly a ample amount of parking space because me and my dad are really good drivers and we adore cars so we would have a lot we would love to buy various cars when it comes out so me and my dad would always have a good collection of cars next span of 5 to 10 years once I'm settled in so that is our plan for the house and my house should be contemporary in style with the modern furniture and the modern features I would love to stay in that house

Band 6-7

Each and every person in the world dreams of their ideal house. But according to me, I also have some of my opinions regarding my ideal house. So first of all, it should be away from the daily chaos of the city. It should be somewhere in the hill station areas such as Mahabaleshwar, Materan. It should be surrounded by many trees, flowering trees, herbs, plants. And it will be the area for rich of oxygen. So there should be temple where we can worship God and the room will be a kind of positive energy. The place should be very spacious and nice. The colors given to the house should be very fresh and after seeing to the color, one should feel very lively to feel. There should be a big balcony for the every room from where the sun will pour his sunlight. Also there additionally to that I hope I could have one swimming pool to there for relaxation of my mind.

Band 6-7

So, the ideal place where I can build my home could be in between mountains, so the perfect place that I thought my house to be in would be Kasol. So, Kasol is a place which is situated in Himachal mountains, so that is a perfect place to live because there is least amount of traffic, even there are less amount of people which are living in that particular city, so the peace of living is very decent, apart from it the food and the living is very decent, moreover the reason why I want to settle over there is due to couple of reasons because I feel like that is a particular place which is suitable for me to spend my entire life, apart from it the house that I will build would have approx 1-2 rooms because that would be sufficient for my living, apart from it my house will contain various things, listing from cardboard games to snooker table and with a swimming pool, also I am thinking to place a jacuzzi in the bathroom because the jacuzzi bath is really helpful for our body to help to relax and even helps in loosening our muscles when coming from a adventure trip or coming from a trekking, moreover I have imagined a perfect design for my living room that will contain a soft leather couch with a giant 55 inch TV, so that during my children's play time, I can play with my children, so

Band 6-7

Our home reflects our personality. For me, an ideal home should be like a temple. I want my home to be either near a beach or near a farmland. It should be around 2000 to 2500 square feet with double floor house. I want my home to have a lot of plants, lot of greenery and I want to have a traditional South Indian style home. It should be very traditional and it should have enough space for me to host guests, move around. I should be able to have a peaceful and calm atmosphere in my house. I should include not subtle colors and many things. And it should have...

Band 6-7

Nowadays, everybody dreams of having an ideal home. For me, ideal home is my house in Mumbai. Having said that, it's a 3BHK apartment with a front foyer and a terrace, including a small swimming pool or a jacuzzi area. And it is one of the most precious homes that I have lived in, in the last 17 years. Besides this, it is resided in Kanjurmarg, one of the prime locations in Mumbai, where not much of the traffic, as well as a lot of vehicles and easy transportation is available. In addition, there are railway stations, buses and means of transport, which is very easily accessible in my locality. My house consists of 3 rooms, one room for myself, one is the master bedroom and the other is my brother's and my grandmother's room. We have a common hall, which is around twice the size of 2 rooms and we have an overlooking balcony with a good grass feel like touch. We reside on the second last floor of the building and we have an exceptional view of the apartment, exceptional view of the skyscrapers of Mumbai, along with a lot of people and friendly neighbours in and around the house. Furthermore, I would like to give an example where my house is the most ideal one, as a

Band 6-7

I would like to, in my opinion, an ideal home belongs to a countryside. I don't want a big, enormous house. I want a tiny house that I and my family can live. It should include a two-bedroom and a kitchen and a sit-out. In my home, I want a pond and I want to plant trees. I want to create flowers. I want to plant a garden. I want to live with so many fishes and cats, dogs and like that.

Band 6-7

I would like to live in a house that is located near a beach. I would expect it to be around at least 4 BHKs and with an area of around 1500 square feet. I don't want it to be much bigger either. I hope that this house will include a bathtub in it which will help me relax whenever I'm stressed and will let me enjoy a good bath. Also, a gaming chair with a gaming room is required because it will help me pursue my hobbies in various gaming sectors such as playing online video games, competitive games and other kind of stuff like streaming. I would also love if the house will include a swimming pool as I love swimming and I have learned it since my childhood. I also want a turf in this house as I play cricket and I really love practicing it and watching it as well. So, I will also want a big 34-inch TV in my hall. A big lawn is mandatory among all these things as I would like to chill at this lawn on a sunny day. And for my parents, I would want this house to include a gazebo as they like sitting outside for dinner within the open air along with various BBQ sites and BBQ area. And I would also like to have
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