Ideal homes are a matter of choice and personal taste. But for the average new Australian mom, an ideal home is one that is more spacious than the current home and still not unaffordably so. It has to be modern in all its fixtures and conveniences so that chores are easier with a baby to care for. It should have a sunny north facing daytime living area – as all homes should really - for the best use of natural light and lower utility bills. And it should be close enough to facilities like hospitals, daycare and other emergency services that living with a baby can often require.

Image credits: APG Homes

The Size of Your Ideal Home

Most families in Australia today are of the average size of 2.6 (2006 figures). The size you want your family to be in the future is important in helping you choose your home. If you intend on having a family of two children, a 2-4 bedroom home with a living space will be suitable. But in the nursing years it is always a blessing to have room for the helpful relative or the sleep-deprived parent while the other parent is on the night-watch shift.

Also note that while it's tempting to buy a larger home for your money, sometimes larger is not better. It will leave you with less garden space and more space to clean, light, heat, cool and furnish. This will add to your chores and costs for as long as you own the home. So, think about size carefully before buying a home before buying a home.

What Your Ideal Home Should Look Like

As a new mom, what you want your home to look like will depend on a number of things. Whether you want a condo apartment with its own modern conveniences or a detached or semi-detached townhouse is a matter of choice, cost and location.

Whether you want a modern flat-roof home or a traditional pitched roof is again a matter of tastes and lifestyles. Gabled homes have a certain charm while flat roof homes are cheaper. On the flip side, flat roofs can be harder to maintain because water drainage is not as effective as in pitched roofs.

On the inside, the walls should be baby-proof with washable paint so that growing toddlers and pre-teens can bring out their inner artists without causing a panic. The furniture should be as free of pointed corners and fragile glass as possible. Babies are bundles of energy, and you can't expect them to hold back for the sake of your furniture.

Utilities and Conveniences of An Ideal Home

If your home is built smartly with passive heating and cooling solutions, then you probably won't need a heating or cooling system in some areas. But in others, you can consider alternative power sources for your energy solution. Wind powered units or the areas that have access to geothermal energy such as Victoria are great places to locate your family home. Alternative energy sources will cut costs and make sure your home remains sustainable for you and your children for a long time into the future.

Most mothers would want some basic appliances for convenience in their kitchens and bathrooms; a dishwasher, refrigerator, microwave, washer and dryer are essentials. Safe induction or electric cooktops that are easier to clean are also a great modern option as opposed to gas-fueled cooktops that can create safety hazards for the family with toxic gases such as carbon monoxide. Also, don't forget that coffee machine for the desperate cup of morning coffee after a sleepless night of tending to colic pains! Other conveniences can include a toaster; a juicer for the healthy family, and surely most mothers would not pass up on a neat Jacuzzi in the bathroom to relax in at the end of an exhausting day.