You've decided to take the plunge and buy a house or a condo. Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver are littered with them. So what's holding you back? Often it's the confusing lingo that peppers the listings. There are abbreviations, codes, and words that seem to be made up. How are you supposed to know whether you'd like to buy the property if you can't even understand the description of it in the listings? Not to worry. We've created this guide to help you decode the listings and choose the home you want to buy.

Full/Half

When you see these terms, usually preceded or followed by a number in the Richmond, VA real estate listings, it's referring to the number of bathrooms in the house. Full bathrooms are bathrooms that include tub/shower, sink, and toilet, while half bathrooms only have sinks and toilets - no tub or shower.

BR

This is an easy one that you can probably guess. BR is an abbreviation for bedroom. When you see this symbol accompanied by a number, it's telling you how many bedrooms the home has.

Pentroom or Pntrm

This is the term for a room at the top of the house that has great views. In the olden days they would have simply called it an attic, but Whitby real estate with a pentroom is swankier than houses with an attic, because pentrooms are finished spaces with windows.

DK

Deck is apparently not short enough a word, so people often shorten it to just these two letters when they're making their listing. If you see it, it means the home has a deck.

FDR, DR

Listings that advertise an FDR or DR are telling you that the home has a formal dining room, or simply dining room. Either way there's a dedicated eating space separate from the kitchen.

HWF

This is a term that a lot of people will be looking for in Spokane, Washington houses for sale, so be sure to remember what it means: hardwood floors.

POT'L

This is listing code for potential. If you see it in front of a feature, it means that the house doesn't actually have that feature, but that you could put it in if you wanted. Some commonly listed "potentials" include expansion, finished basements, and attic rooms.

FP

Another popular feature with buyers, FP stands for fireplace. These are usually found in the living room, but they might be in the family room or master bedroom as well, so be sure to ask.

HI CEILS

If you're looking for a place with lots of headroom, search for a listing that contains this code. It means high ceilings when filtered though someone who has actually passed an English course.

PVT

This is code for private, so its absence in listings that are for condos should clue you into the features that are shared with others in the building, like a garden or a swimming pool.