Some people have a very clear idea of where they want to buy a house.
They may be moving near to friends or relatives, buying a bigger or smaller home near to where they already live, or maybe moving to be close to work. This can be a blessing or a curse - a blessing if there are homes available in the area you are searching, a curse if there are not. Either way, it certainly removes one of the major early activities in the househunting process - deciding where you want to live. For those that are able to be flexible, the right choice of area can make the difference between happiness and horror, so think carefully about what you want from an area and why. The more time you spend in defining where you want to live, the easier it will be to focus your search, especially if there are quite a few potentially suitable areas.