How to effectively search an online property portal to find your perfect home

It is easy to get lost wandering round numerous property websites without accomplishing anything. We look at the most efficient way to approach an online property search.

Websites offering properties for sale can seem overwhelming, with literally thousands of homes vying for your attention. But used strategically, property portals can help narrow your search and identify the best homes to view.

Choose a website

Restrict yourself to no more than three websites. This will allow you to get a good feel for how they work and means that you won’t waste hours flicking from one site to another. The biggest sites are likely to cover most of the properties for sale in your chosen area.

Don’t be too restrictive with your criteria

When it comes to selecting price bands, include cheaper properties as well as those that are more than you want to pay. This way you’ll see homes that might need renovating as well as those where the buyer might be prepared to drop their price.

You should also consider looking at homes with a room or two less than you want. This could bring properties to your notice that have flexible accommodation or the potential to add an extension.

Don’t be too rigid with the filters. While you may prefer to have a garage, you may miss your perfect home if you only look at properties that already have one. There may still be the potential to add one yourself, or you may even realise that other benefits outweigh the garage. In general, you should set the filters and bands as widely as possible to give yourself a good selection.

Use website notifications to stay up to date with new properties and price reductions. You may also be able to see how long properties have been on the market and whether the price has been reduced.

The role of the estate agent

You should still register with the local estate agents in the area you’d like to live. Building up a good relationship with them means that you’re likely to hear about potential properties as soon as they come to the market, if not before.

By the time homes are displayed on property websites, they may well have been up for sale for quite some time. Keeping in touch with estate agents and demonstrating that you’re a serious buyer and ready to proceed means that you’ll be the first people they’ll want to show round.

Make sure you view the properties that interest you. This will really help you get a feel for what is available in the area of your choice. Giving your feedback to the estate agent will help them understand exactly what you’re looking for.