Searching for a home has never offered more choice. Thousands of listings are a tap away, alerts land in your inbox every morning and you can tour a house on your phone before you've even booked a viewing. But more choice doesn't always make it easier. It's easy to spend weeks scrolling, fall for the wrong house or miss the right one because it never hit the portals.
This guide walks you through how to search for a property in the UK: where to look, how to research a home before you view it and how to spot the problems that listing photos won't show you. Along the way, we'll show you where Planna can save you time at each step.
Start with your budget, not the listings
It's tempting to open Rightmove first, but the best searches start with a number. Work out what you can afford before you look, so you don't fall for a home that's out of reach.
- Get a mortgage in principle. It shows how much a lender is likely to offer you, and many estate agents will ask to see one before they'll put your offer forward.
- Budget for the costs on top of the price. Stamp duty, solicitor fees, surveys and moving costs all add up. You can check how much stamp duty you'll pay on GOV.UK, and our guide to how much it actually costs to buy a house breaks down every cost.
- Think about running costs too. Two homes at the same price can cost very different amounts to live in once you add energy bills, council tax and maintenance. Our guide to the true yearly cost of owning a home explains what to expect.
Choose the area before the house
You can change almost anything about a house, but you can't change where it is. Before you start saving listings, decide which areas suit your life: your commute, schools, budget, and how busy or quiet you want things to be.
Things worth checking for every area on your list:
- Safety. Crime levels can vary a lot from one street to the next. You can look up local crime figures on police.uk, and our safest places guides cover cities across the UK, from Leeds to Cardiff.
- Schools. If schools matter to you, check Ofsted reports and remember that living nearby doesn't guarantee a place. Our guide to school catchment areas explains why.
- Transport and amenities. Do the commute at rush hour, and look at what's within walking distance: shops, GPs, parks and cafés.
- Local prices. Knowing what homes in the area have actually sold for helps you spot an overpriced listing straight away.
For more on what to look for, read our guide to choosing a new neighbourhood.
Where to look for a property
Planna. Start your search on Planna. Browse properties, then use the Area Guide, Home Report and HomeScore to check the neighbourhood, the key facts and the condition of any home that catches your eye, all with Planna.
A few tips:
- Set up instant alerts for your areas, so you hear about new listings first.
- Search slightly above your budget. Asking prices are often negotiable, especially when sellers are cutting prices, as we explain in our guide to negotiating in a buyer's market.
- Draw your search area on the map instead of searching by town name, so you don't miss homes just over a boundary.
- Look at homes that have been on the market for a while or have had a price reduction. The seller may be more open to an offer.
Local estate agents. Register with the agents in the areas you like and tell them exactly what you're looking for. Some homes are offered to registered buyers before they're advertised online, and an agent who knows you're ready to move will often call you first.
New builds. Developers list homes on their own websites as well as the portals, and often release homes in phases. Ask about incentives, but check exactly what's included and how long any warranty lasts.
Property auctions. Auctions can turn up bargains and homes that need work, but they move fast. In a traditional auction you're legally committed when the hammer falls and usually need to pay a deposit on the day, so get legal advice and a survey before you bid.
Word of mouth. Local community groups and social media pages sometimes mention homes coming up for sale before they're listed. Let friends and family know you're looking too.
Research a home before you view it
Listing photos are designed to sell. Before you book a viewing, spend ten minutes checking the facts:
- Sold prices. Search sold property prices on GOV.UK to see what the home last sold for and what similar homes nearby have gone for.
- Energy rating. Find the property's energy certificate to see its EPC rating and estimated running costs.
- Flood risk. In England, you can check the long-term flood risk for any postcode.
- Council tax. Check the council tax band so you know what you'll pay each year.
- Planning applications. Look on the local council's planning portal for applications on the home itself and nearby. A new development or extension next door could change how the home feels.
Check the condition, not just the kitchen
The asking price tells you what a seller wants. It doesn't tell you what the home will cost you once you move in. A new roof, a failing boiler or a damp problem can easily add thousands to the real price.
That's where Planna's HomeScore comes in. It looks at a property's Safety, Condition and Energy across 1,000 data points, giving you an objective picture of the home before you make an offer, and evidence to back up your negotiation if there are problems. You can find out more in our guide to what your home's score means.
HomeScore doesn't replace a survey. Once your offer is accepted, it's still worth paying for a survey from a RICS-regulated surveyor, especially on an older home.
Make the most of your viewings
Once you've got a shortlist, use your viewings to look past the staging:
- Go twice, ideally at different times of day, to check noise, light, traffic and parking.
- Look for warning signs such as damp, cracks, a tired roof or old wiring. Our list of 15 red flags to look out for when viewing a house tells you exactly where to look.
- Ask questions. Why are the sellers moving? How long have they lived there? What's included in the sale? Have there been any problems with neighbours?
- Take photos and notes straight after each viewing. After a few houses, they start to blur together.
Stay organised and make your move
Buying a home creates a lot of paperwork: your mortgage in principle, reports, quotes and eventually your survey and contracts. Keep it in one place with the Planna app, which has a secure Vault for your important home documents.
When you find the one, you'll go into your offer knowing the local market, the property's history and its condition. That puts you in a much stronger position to negotiate. If it's your first purchase, our step-by-step guide for first-time buyers takes you from offer to keys.
Your property search checklist
- Set your budget and get a mortgage in principle.
- Shortlist areas using the Planna Area Guide.
- Browse properties on Planna and set up alerts on Rightmove, Zoopla and OnTheMarket.
- Register with local estate agents.
- Check sold prices, the EPC and flood risk, or get a Planna Home Report.
- Check the condition with HomeScore.
- View twice and look for red flags.
- Make an offer backed by evidence, then book your survey.
Finding the right home takes time, but you don't have to do it alone. From choosing an area to looking after the home you buy, see how Planna can help at every stage of your home journey.
