Redecorating my flat

When I moved in here almost six years ago, the flat had just been renovated and all I needed to do was place my furniture. Although I don't smoke, the walls really don't look that white anymore and my kitchen is almost falling apart. I had been postponing the necessary renovations because I had plans to move to another part of the country. However, those plans were shattered for various reasons, so this will be the first time I'm going to decorate a flat while living in it. Before I just did some decoration work when I moved in or out somewhere. I've actually never lived anywhere as long as here.

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Last week I bought paint for the walls and the ceiling. The ceiling will remain white as it is now but I decided I'd like some more colour so I bought blue and orange paint for the walls. What I bought is actually concentrated paint, which I can mix with the white paint and therefore choose the intensity of the blue and the orange I want.

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This afternoon I went to a furniture store to look for a kitchen. As I usually am fairly quick with my decisions and am not very demanding, I signed the sales contract immediately after the saleswoman had finished planning the kitchen on her computer. It was even a bit cheaper than I had hoped. Not really cheap, of course, but I've had my current kitchen for 14 years and that was a very cheap one so I'm confident I won't have to buy a new kitchen within the next 10 years at least – although I don't really like to idea of living in the same flat for so long but for the time being I'm happy.

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My new kitchen will be red. We have a red kitchen at work and I like it although I know it's a bit uncommon. Friends of mine will help me to dismantle my old kitchen but the new one will be set up by professionals so that no problems with the water supply for the dishwasher, the sink and the washing-machine will occur. Tomorrow I'm going to look for carpets.

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It's been suggested that I put laminate on the floor but I prefer carpets because I like to walk barefoot or just wear socks and that's just too cold in winter. I also like to sit down on the floor. Redecorating the flat will still keep me busy for a while, but hopefully in spring I'll have a comfortable and spacious flat with little furniture and no more bits and pieces lying around. By then my son will probably have moved out so that my daughter and I will have a nice girls' household.

Wow—great essay, Daniela. Sehr gut!

You write better than some native speakers I know.

My comments in green are corrections, those in orange are stylistic suggestions. Quick notes:

I take pride in not being clear about the rules on commas, so I have avoided adding them where I think they should go. However, before a clause beginning with the word “which” you will require one. (Your regular teacher can confirm or deny that.)

I’d break the essay into separate paragraphs. The pound sign shows where I might break them, but it is up to you, natürlich.

You would say “for the time being” or “for the moment,” but not “for the moment being.”

dismantle = bedeutet vielleicht auseinander nehmen?