Relocating without living somewhere first

Relocating buyers are asked to make an area decision and a property decision at the same time, usually on a compressed timetable. Separating the two is the single most useful thing you can do.

Rent first, if you can

Six months of renting in the district you think you want is the cheapest research available. It is also the only research that tests the commute, the noise and the winter.

Where that is not possible, compress it: spend two full weekends in each shortlisted district before viewing a single property.

Then buy on constraints

Once the area is settled, the property decision becomes ordinary, and the usual rules apply: buy the structural constraints, change the rest later.