What sort of house would your kids choose?

[elliott]

We're currently thinking about moving to a 'forever' house - we love where we are (fairly urban but friendly area) but I just don't think it will be big enough for us and two ds's as they get older and louder! We're having difficulties deciding what kind of place to move to though.
My ideal house would be in the same area but with more space and a better garden (we have one but it is very slopey, not great for football or den-making!). This doesn't really exist so we will have to compromise and I am wondering what sort of house and location will be best for the kids as they grow.

Do kids like being in the city, or is out of town safer and freer?
Do they really like having a garden or would it be better to be on an estate where they can play out? (have never really considered modern housing but many friends say their kids would love to live on an estate)
Do kids value having a playroom or will they soon be able to play in their rooms? (I have a fantasy that if only we had a playroom I would be able to do so much mroe creative stuff with the ds's...)

I suppose I am just wondering how much of my idea of an ideal home is about my priorities rather than theirs, or is based on what they need now (at one and three) rather than what they will need later.

also have a look at the sandersonyoung.co.uk site - lots on there I think?

Hi pph - yes Haydon Bridge is nice - funnily enough we had friends over at the weekend who live there - but to us city types it counts as way out in the sticks (note the details say 30 minutes to 'Tyneside' - really more like 50+ at rush hour to central Newcastle - I know its nothing in the scale of SE commutes but DH commuted to Hexham for a while and found that too much. He currently has a 20 minute cycle ride to work, I have a 30 minute walk!) I think the problem is that to benefit from better affordability - and that house certainly had great space - we would have to go that far out and its just too much driving for our basically fairly anti-car lifestyle! Thanks for looking anyway, hope it was interesting looking at the NE. Actually if we WERE really into country living then its a pretty good part of the country for it.

crunchie your location sounds great - and quite similar to where I grew up - 20 minute bus into town but fields on the doorstep. Just seems hard to find round here though.