Gearing up to buy a new home? There's little point going on viewings until you’ve established what you can afford, the type of home you’re looking for and where you want to be.

Viewing properties before being certain about any of these factors is risky, not to mention a waste of time for both you and the agent.

A successful property search requires focus and direction. It’s like a jigsaw puzzle with three key pieces – budget, space and location. What you can spend is the starting point; the other two pieces need to fit around that.

Here are five steps to a successful property search:

1. Establish your budget

First things first. Speak to an independent mortgage adviser to get an idea of what your budget might be for the property purchase. This will largely depend on your salary (salaries if you are buying with someone else), your monthly outgoings, any outstanding debt you have and the size of the deposit you are putting down.

2. Make a wish list (in order of priority)

Once you know what you can afford, list down what you want from the property. That means the style of home, number of bedrooms, kitchen size, commute time, local schools, garden, etc. When you've done that, mark each requirement on an importance scale of 1-10 as it's likely you'll have to compromise on something down the line.

3. Use free tools and information in the media

Use the information in print and digital media to research local property values, sold house prices and area stats such as average price per square foot in the locations you’re interested in.

4. Contact some local agents

A local expert has on-the-ground knowledge of the current local property market. Discuss your requirements with a few of them – good ones will be helpful.

5. Narrow down your search

With every viewing you will find out more about what you want, don’t want, and what you can and can’t afford. Use each viewing as a means of refining your criteria and potential compromises so that you can be more precise in what you are looking for and where.

And finally, always listen to your heart – just don’t let it take over.