search online
rightmove.co.uk is a really easy to use site, where you can search for homes in any area of the country, as well as finding properties close to specific London Tube station or any other station in the country.
upmystreet.com is where you can find out a bit about any area, by postcode or area name. Check out which schools are near by, what the neighborhood is like, crime rates, council tax, what the leisure and fun is like and other essentials. You can also find property for sale and let here too.
globrix.com is fantastic if you are looking for something particular in a house, for example a garden/swimming pool/garage, just enter postcode and feature into the search and it'll give you a list of what is up for sale or rent.
propertyhat.com is a smaller website but is where people have cut out the middlemen - the agents, and are selling or letting their homes through this website, so it's a great place to scout out properties which aren't being advertised anywhere else.