Both of mine were home births and it was the best decision ever. The Midwives were brilliant and you have their undivided attention and expertise, with an ambulance & doctor on standby, if they had said I needed to go to hospital I would've trusted their judgement and gone.
At least you know your neighbours, in hospital you never know who's going to be next to you. That sounds so snobby but I am shy and it would have been purgatory to have been in a ward with people I didn't know.