We all have our own idea of the perfect home, from a contemporary penthouse apartment in a cosmopolitan city to a rambling country cottage set amid manicured lawns. For most of us these visions will remain purely in the mind’s eye, as financial constraints and practical considerations will largely dictate the house in which we live with our families. So, fantasies aside, how do you decide on the best property for your family home?

Look to the future

Most people move from their first home because of the demands of a new family, but this can easily be avoided if you take your future requirements into account when buying your first home.

First and foremost, consider how your financial means might after. You may find the perfect home for you, your partner and your future family, but you need to assess carefully whether you will be able to afford to stay in that property if either you or your partner decide to give up work to raise a family. Even if you both decide to return to work, your finances will be affected by the cost of reliable childcare.

The location of your new property is also important, not only from an aesthetic point of view but also from a practical one. Babies soon grow into school children, so it is a good idea to ensure that there is a suitable school within a comfortable distance of your new home.

Main parents who choose to stay at home when their children are young may not be able to afford a car, so it is important to note whether local shops and post offices are easily accessible.

Room to expand

None of us can see into the Inline, so a property that has enough space for an extension has real advantages. You may decide to have only one child, but things often do not go entirely as planned, so it is always good to know that there is space available if needed, whether it be an attic area suitable for conversion into a playroom, or space within a garden for the construction of a new living room or conservatory.

Any home will undoubtedly benefit from a good-sized garden ¡ª a house with a garden is more desirable than a similar sized properly without this added space. A garden may act purely as a safe place for the children to play, or become a stunning display area for a green-lingered parent.

Getting to work

For many of us, the distance from our home to our work place is a prime consideration when buying a new property. However, more people are now choosing to work from home. With the introduction of home computers, faxes and. more recently. ISDN lines, many families are no longer tied to a property within a certain distance of their employment.

Country life

Many families are now opting out of large cities in exchange for the less demanding lifestyle of rural areas. If you feel this may be perfect for your family, think carefully before deciding to uproot and relocate. Most people have an idyllic image of country life, but the realities can sometimes come as quite a shock to those who move from the town to the country. A dream home may not seem quite so perfect without a cinema or restaurant just around the corner, and many former town-dwellers feel isolated from human interaction.

One solution is to look for a property in a small village or rural area on the outskirts of a town or city. You can then enjoy the best of both worlds, with your home in a rural setting but all the facilities of a town within a short travelling distance.

A high price to pay

One further point to be made if you are thinking of moving from town to country is that property prices are generally higher in the city than in rural areas. One advantage of this is that your new country home is likely to be far larger than your existing house or flat. Conversely, if you find that country life is not all that you had imagined, you may find it difficult financially to return to the city.