phrasal verb · informal
do up a house
UK/duː ʌp ə haʊs/US/du ˈʌp ə haʊs/DO UP A HOUSE
Band 5-6speakingtask2
to repair or decorate a house to improve it
Examples
“They bought an old cottage and plan to do it up over the summer.”
“We're doing up the kitchen this month.”
“Doing up a house can increase its market value.”
Band 8 sentence
“They decided to do up the Victorian terrace rather than demolish it, preserving many original features.”
Collocations
- do up the kitchen
- do up an old house
Word family
do up phrasal verbdo verbrenovate verb
Common mistakes
"I will do my house next month"→"I will do up my house next month"
"I will make up the house"→"I will do up the house"
Say it for a higher band
5renovate→6fix up→7+do up a house
Synonyms
renovate
Easily confused
renovate
“They renovated the old farmhouse last year.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In Hometown & Housing
Learn it with its set