If there’s one thing working in property for the past 30 years has taught me it’s the value of keeping an open mind.

With the help of Channel 4, we now all know that when you buy a house, the three most important things are location, location and location. And there’s a reason why this well-worn adage has stuck – it's true. Ask a buyer why they are moving and the chances are it will be to be close to good schools, to be in a handy position to get to work, or both.

What is interesting though is that the key stipulations buyers give to an agent at the beginning of the house-hunting process often end up being far from the attributes of the house they eventually purchase. For example, buyers frequently stipulate the required distance in miles from a given point, rather than time taken to get there. But, as someone with local knowledge might tell them, somewhere that looks a long way away on a map might actually be quicker to reach than a nearer location because the commuting links are so good.

This may open up an unexplored world of towns and villages, hitherto disregarded or unknown. A family set on living in Guildford, for example, could extend their search further along the M25 and end up buying in Sevenoaks or Tunbridge Wells, where they have better value for money and can match, if not shorten, their commute time to London by train.

Schools too are crucially important and sometimes the only motivation for moving in the first place. Even so, it’s not unheard of for buyers to base their search on a particular school only to be pleasantly surprised by the choice of private and state schools in other areas, swayed by anecdotal evidence.

Another aspect about which buyers frequently change their minds is type of house. At the outset of their search, they generally fall into two camps: those who want old and those who want new, be it a first home in London or a house in the country. For some, period features will always trump the convenience of new build, but others may be persuaded by new as they start to engage with the practicalities of purchasing an older property.

It all comes down to lateral thinking and compromise. Location is still key – it's just that it might not be the location you were expecting.

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