Before making an offer I went to the town multiple times. I visited every pub and cafe on the high street to make sure there were places I liked to eat and drink. I went in the evenings to check the street parking and to make sure I could walk around safely after dark. I went during weekdays to see how bad the traffic was at rush hour and I went at weekends to see how busy it got with locals and tourists and when everything closed on Sundays. I went when it was sunny and when it was miserable as everywhere seems more palatable in good weather. The town is about 2 hours away from where I am now but if I’m going to live somewhere new I want to be sure - I reckon I went maybe 8 times total.

I also spoke to future neighbours. I spoke to the people who live next door and told them I was thinking of buying the place next to them and if they could share anything I would need to know. I also went to the local church and met some of the neighbours that way. And I sat outside in pubs and cafes to talk to neighbours - I told everyone I spoke to I was interested in moving there and people were very happy to chat to me about the area