there are three of us, 2 adults and a 4 year old, we have a four man tent and took it out last weeked for the first time. We where very happy with it.
The main reason we went for the tent we did was that we saw it up ourside at Decathlion, it really gave use a sense of the size and quality. So it might be worth heading to a few other shops and seeing what is out there.
Also if you go secondhand go and see it setup, again you will get a sense of the space, quality and more importantly condition.
Hi Tonto
As you can see on here, some folk like lots of space. Personally I prefer compact - it feels more like an adventure, plus less off-putting for a quick weekend getaway, and easier to pack in the car. For the same reason, I prefer nylon to canvas. We started with a small 5-man ridge tent for the four of us. Keep it simple!
I think your other half isn't far off the mark, though if you can get an Outwell, they are better built. We got one at Blacks in the sale last year for under £300. Decathlon are worth checking out too.
As for all the other stuff, I'd use the search button on here to look for checklists. But still, keep it simple - if in doubt, leave it out.
We bought a massive great bundle of stuff second hand off e-bay last year for £500. Everything you need (and more) to go camping. After out first trip, we had an idea on what we didn't need, will never use and what needed changing. We sold some bits, recouped a bit of cash and changed it.
There are four of us. Two adults and two very-big-kids-for-their-age at 8 and 12. We have Hi-Gear Kalahari 8 tent with porch. It is just about the right size for us to be comfortable with all our gear for 3+ nights stay. We have just bought a Vango Icarus 500 5-man tent for up to 3 nights stay and we wouldn't go any smaller. For 5 of you, I'd recommend the Kalahari 8 size.
If buying second-hand, take someone with you who knows what to look for in a tent. We were very fortunate with our purchase as the seller on e-bay had done a comprehensive list with many excellent photos of the items, so we were able to work out the initial cost of the stuff. We paid £500 for about £1300 quids worth!
We are a family of 5 but with only a 6man tent. We've found over time that it's not just about having loads of bedroom space but even more importantly, you need the big living space attached to it all and good height in the living area too.