While it's easy to get carried away with the excitement of buying a home, its important you don't rush into it without first considering whether the property you're interested in is in a location that will suit you.

For most of us, buying a home is the biggest investment we'll ever make so it's very important that we get it right first time. You can't take a house back if it 'doesn't fit', after all.

The first you should do is decide on when buying a home is the general neighbourhood you'd like to live in, bearing in mind that the better and more desirable an area is, the more expensive property will be.

You may find that you'll be able to afford a larger property by choosing a different neighbourhood, although ultimately it's the location of the property as well as the actual property itself that makes a house a home.

Once you've decided on the area, contact as many local estate agents as possible and ask them to forward details of suitable properties. Once these have been received, it's time to start looking at them individually.

Take an afternoon and drive around the area, looking at each property from the outside. The estate agent doesn't need to be involved at all at this point, it's merely an elimination process.

Look at the following:

* Is there enough parking space?

* Where is the nearest public transport link?

* Is it far to the shops? What kind of shops are there?

* Are there any other amenities that are important to you? Park? Health centre?

* What do the neighbouring houses look like? Are they well cared for? If they're unkempt and likely to fall into disrepair they'll ultimately bring down the value of your property.

* If you have children, or plan to have them, will walking to school be safe for them?

One way of getting a feel for the neighbourhood where you're thinking of buying a home is to spend an hour or so in the local pub. What kind of people frequent it? Are they friendly? Do you feel a connection with them?

Go into local shops and chat with the shopkeepers. Tell them you're thinking of buying a home and ask them what they feel about the area.

Don't feel that you have to make a decision immediately. Take your time and think about what youve experienced. Is this really where you want to spend the next chapter of your life?

If the answer's yes, congratulations. If the answer's no then it's back to the drawing board. But don't worry, your house is out there waiting for you. Just need to take your time and eventually you'll find it. Just make sure you stay positive and remember that buying a home should be fun.