Contact local agents

If you are going to handle your search on your own, decide which listing estate agents you would like to work with. Or you choose a property finder (as agents work primarily for property sellers, not for the buyers - more on this in the next chapter here). Call them and start interacting, so you feel comfortable. Make sure you give them as much detail as possible. Many things can be “lost in translation” (unless you find a bilingual agent) so you need to make it as clear as possible not only the type of property you want to see but also those things that are unacceptable. You need to be flexible, of course, but you don’t want to be running around looking at places which are clearly not what you want. Be as specific as you can, and be firm about it.

Plan your viewing trip

Contact estate agents well in advance of your discovery trip to get in their diaries. If you just stroll into the estate agent’s offices, it is likely that they won’t be able to show you anything because their appointment books are already full. However, make sure you’re not going to spend all your time seeing the same property with different agents!

Bear in mind that some of the houses you have pre-selected on the Internet may have become unavailable by the time you show up (because they have been sold) so keep your choice open – but don’t overbook yourself either. The listing agent should be a good guide as to how far apart the properties are and how many you can see in a day. Don’t overdo it, you will just end up tired and muddled.