Before you start looking for a property, it's worth asking yourself a few basic questions, which should save you time and money in the long run:

Do you prefer the town or country?
Do you want to be inland or on the coast?
Do you want to be isolated or in the thick of it? (Most people prefer to be within about an hour's travel time of a town.)
How much outside space do you want?
How close do you want to be to your neighbours?
How close do you want to be to shops, bars and restaurants?
Where's the nearest public transport, how often does it run, what time does it end?
How far is the beach?
How close are you to the nearest airport?
How far is it to sports facilities, golf, tennis, swimming, and so on?
How good are the local health and social services?
Arts and entertainment - what's available in the area?
Neighbours - what are they like and how often do you want to see them?