Corrected version of house swap letter

Our second homework assignment was to write a house swap letter to someone that we would be interested in swaping houses with for a couple of weeks. I chose to "swap" with someone living in London, cause I´ve never been there but always wanted to go! Too bad it was only an assignment for university and I don`t actually get to go...

Dear Emily,

Thank you for your letter with all the details about your house and area. I just have one question regarding your two cats. Do you want me to feed them during my stay at your house? If so, it would be great if you could leave me with some instructions about their needs, since I have never had any pets myself. Apart from that, everything seems to be clear. Now, as promised, here are all the things you need to know about my place.

Getting in  

I’ve left a set of keys with my next door neighbor, Maria. She will be home the day you arrive to let you in my apartment. Maria is a retired English teacher, speaks excellent English and will be happy to help you out in case you have any questions about anything. She’s a very friendly lady and excited to meet you, so don’t hesitate to ask.

The rest of the apartment

There is actually not much to explain. As you will see, the apartment consists of two bedrooms, a big living room, a bathroom, a kitchen and a nice balcony. My apartment was recently renovated which means that almost everything is brand new and should work fine. The only thing that is a bit temperamental is the washing machine. It only works when it wants to, so if you would like to do some laundry, just keep an eye on it and simply turn it back on if it stops operating. Everything else is pretty self-explanatory and I have left notes where I thought that you might need help.

Shops and restaurants

I will leave some food for you in the fridge for when you arrive. Please let me know if there is anything in particular that you would like me to buy or cook. If you run out of groceries, there are a lot of supermarkets within a short walking distance. I would recommend that you go to Billa or Spar, since these stores sell quality food for a reasonable price and they are located right across the street from my apartment. I will leave my membership cards on the kitchen counter for you. You might get a little discount on certain items. If you’d rather eat out than cook, there are a couple nice restaurants close by. If you are into Chinese food, you should definitely try Sun Li, which serves delicious food and is less than five minutes away on foot. Right next to the Chinese restaurant is a really nice Italian place, San Marco, where you can enjoy amazing pizza and pasta dishes. The only place that I would steer clear of is the Greek restaurant next to Billa, because their food really isn’t all that good and I’ve had some pretty bad experiences there in the past. If you feel like going for a couple drinks in the evening, there’s a great bar across the street.

Spending your free time

As far as shopping is concerned you are best going right into Graz. Along Herrengasse you can find pretty much any store you are looking for. Ranging from clothing to shoes or beauty products – everything is right there. Another thing that you should do during your stay in Graz is walk up the Schloßberg. Since it’s just a little hill, the walk will only take you about fifteen minutes or so. On top of the Schloßberg you will see the famous Clock Tower, our city’s well-known landmark, as well as a beautiful public park and a restaurant that serves great food, but is a bit pricey. The breathtaking view of Graz and its surrounding area is well worth seeing. If you are looking for more things to do, you can find a number of leaflets and maps in the drawers in the living room.

How to get to Schloßberg

Getting to the Schloßberg from my apartment is really easy and only takes about twenty minutes. As you leave the apartment building make a left towards the big intersection next to Billa. Right on that intersection is a tram stop, where you should get on tram number six towards Laudongasse. After about ten minutes you will reach the tram stop Hauptplatz, where you have to get off. Walk up Sporgasse until you see the bar Seasons on your right. Across from that bar you will see a pretty steep road leading up to the top of Schloßberg. Don’t worry, it’s only steep in the beginning, the rest of the walk is really enjoyable and not too exhausting.   

Anyway, that’s about everything that comes to my mind right now. If there is anything else you would like to know, feel free to get in touch with me. I am very excited to stay in your house in London and I hope you will have a great time in Graz as well.

Verena