AGENT:
Good afternoon and welcome to Habitat Hunters. You must be Joseph.
RENTER:
Yes, that’s right. You said on the phone that I could come by at 2:00. Sorry, I’m a little early.
AGENT:
No problem at all. In Calgary’s market, you have to move fast if you want a good apartment!
RENTER:
Actually, I’d settle for almost anything. I’ve been here ten days and the hotel is ruining me. My father has me on a strict budget.
AGENT:
Sit right down here now, sir. Let’s talk a little about the places before we go have a look. Now, we have four apartments available.
RENTER:
OK, could you tell me more about those four apartments?
AGENT:
Sure. The first one is on Beatle Road, just a block off-campus. It’s a 3-bedroom with a bathroom and a living room and a great Italian restaurant right next to it.
AGENT:
Well, it’s $435 a month, including Internet and utilities.
RENTER:
Okay, that sounds reasonable. Any drawbacks to the house?
AGENT:
There’s a really big garden, but it hasn’t been taken care of over the years and is just too big to clean up nicely.
RENTER:
Hmm. That sounds okay. Tell me about the next option.
AGENT:
The other 3-bedroom apartment is on Oakington Avenue on campus. It is right near the building where you have classes, and the kitchen and living room are
RENTER:
Wow, that sounds like a pretty good option.
AGENT:
Well, it is a cool apartment, but since it’s a dormitory, the living room, bathroom, kitchen, and washing machine are all shared. It would be nice not to have to buy living room furniture, though.
RENTER:
And how much is this one?
AGENT:
$400 per month for a bedroom with an air conditioner. For a bedroom without an air conditioner, you would pay less, $340 for it.
RENTER:
Yikes, even with the air conditioner, it sounds really inconvenient to have to share facilities. I’ll never cook if I have to walk down the hall to use the kitchen.
AGENT:
Yeah, that’s true.
AGENT:
Anyway, the next place is a 2-bedroom on Mead Street.
RENTER:
Oh, I like Mead Street - that’s off campus, right?
AGENT:
Yep. It’s pretty cool, but it only has 2 bedrooms, plus a living room and a study.
RENTER:
But I want to live together with my two friends.
AGENT:
So you could make the study into a small bedroom if you end up living with them.
RENTER:
Also, we guys want a TV and DVD player since we’re all so much into movies.
AGENT:
Well, this place has a great TV and VCR, but no DVD player.
RENTER:
No DVD? That’s so weird. Are any other facilities provided?
AGENT:
As you said, weird enough, it also comes with a washbasin.
RENTER:
Is there a washing machine? I think we need that more than just a washbasin.
AGENT:
I'm afraid there’s no washing machine in the apartment.
RENTER:
Wow, that’s so old-fashioned! Maybe it’s not the best choice for three college guys. How much is it?
AGENT:
Well, it’s $600 per month, but of course it would be cheaper if you made it into 3 bedrooms instead of 2.
RENTER:
Where is this apartment located?
AGENT:
It’s 2500 Mead Street, where there are a lot of bars.
RENTER:
It would be affordable, but it would get pretty noisy. And that sounds really expensive for an old place in a noisy area. How about the last place?
AGENT:
This one’s on-campus in the Devon Close complex. It’s a one-bedroom, so it will be a little quieter than the Mead Street place.
RENTER:
One bedroom, huh? That could be good for focusing on my studies. What else does it have?
AGENT:
It comes with a living room and a study, and includes a really nice lamp in the study that has a bunch of different settings. You know what else is cool? There’s a dining hall downstairs so all evening meals are free. You can purchase breakfast and lunch, but meals after 6 p.m. are free.
RENTER:
Wow, this place sounds too good to be true. Is it really expensive?
AGENT:
It’s alright - $500 per month, but there’s no bathroom.
RENTER:
What? No bathroom?
AGENT:
Well, there’s no bathroom in the apartment, but there’s one at the end of the hall.
RENTER:
Hmm. Thanks, I think now I just have to decide whether I want to live alone or not.
AGENT:
Yeah, which one do you prefer?
RENTER:
I think I’d choose either this apartment or the one on Beatle Road.
AGENT:
OK. You’d better think about it, and then you can contact me ASAP.
RENTER:
Fine, thanks for your help!
