This will probably be the most time-intensive and frustrating part of the process for you! But it is the most important, because this is where you find your dream home, the perfect fit for you, and also where you agree a price with the seller.
Before you start
Make sure you’ve done all the prep you need – we have a summary of steps before you start as well as loads of articles on things to consider before your first home purchase.
Your online research (a.k.a property porn)
The easiest way to start your house search is online. Almost every property for sale will be listed on one of the property portals. There are three main ones in the UK: Rightmove, Zoopla, and On The Market.
You can register for all three and use all three to get the complete view of the market, but I usually find that Rightmove will cover about 80% of the market, and the other 20% will usually be on On The Market. So I recommend using Rightmove and On The Market together.
From your First Time Buyer preparation, you would now a good idea of your budget, your search areas, and your criteria (i.e. bedrooms, property features, etc). You can use the property portals to search and narrow down to only the listings that meet your criteria, to prevent property overload. Just like a dating app like Tinder, there’s hundreds of listings available, and unless you narrow down to the ones that meet your criteria you’ll spend fruitless hours browsing.
Ready for the next stage? Now go see our House Hunting Guides & Tips.
