Stacks Property Search

Pre-Call Questionnaire

Before We Talk

Ten minutes. Completed separately. Designed to make our first conversation genuinely useful.

10 minutes Complete independently Not obligatory

A note from Rachel

This isn't to vet you. It's not a pitch. It's to make sure that when we do speak, we're using the time well.

I ask couples to fill this in separately and independently — that's the whole point. Where your answers align, we can move quickly. Where they differ, that's exactly what I need to understand before we can do anything useful together.

There are no right answers. Honest ones are all I need.

On the three-word questions especially: don't overthink them. Gut instinct is exactly what I'm looking for. We'll work out what those words actually mean to you as we move through the process together.

And if what you're describing is unrealistic for your budget in the area you have in mind, I'll tell you honestly. Part of what I do is help you understand what's possible — and what isn't — before you spend another six months looking for something that doesn't exist at your price point.

The search itself is what reveals what needs to be compromised on. There are always compromises. Let's be straight about that from the start, there'll be a lot more to talk about. Your responses here help guide the direction we take.

Prefer to complete this on paper, or want to share with your partner by email? Download printable version
01 Complete once per family

General Information

The logistical anchors that shape the geography. You can both complete this section, one of you can cover it, or you can split the factors between your forms — all of those work fine as a starter conversation. Whatever gets the information down is the right approach.

Geographic Anchors

Work

Office location, client sites, regular destinations — and how many days a week or month. Include both partners if applicable.

Children and schools

Include ages, any target schools or school types, faith preferences, whether you're looking at state or independent — and anything about the school situation that will shape the search. Leave blank if not relevant.

Other

Family, regular commitments, places you need to be close to. Add a postcode where you can, and note how often you need to be there.
Location / what it is Postcode Frequency
Budget and Finance

You don't need to put specifics down here — but do make a note to mention anything that affects your plans, position or proceedability when we talk. A rough sense of budget is all I need for now. You can rely on my absolute discretion.

Bonus, pension lump sum, inheritance, proceeds from a business sale, rental income from your current property, SDLT liability — anything that affects timing or available funds.
Other Major Factors
Anything that should shape what we look at — or rule things out.
Anything else that might be relevant — things that don't fit neatly elsewhere but that I should know before we speak.
02 Complete independently

Preferences — The House

Your answers, not your partner's. And be honest with yourself about which headspace you're in: are you answering from "if money is no object" or "what I think is actually feasible in the target area"? Either is fine — just be clear which one you're working from. It makes a difference to how I read it.

Absolute minimum
If everything else worked
Optional
Three words for the house you're looking for Don't overthink it — first instinct.
Three dealbreakers Things that would rule a property out, regardless of everything else it had going for it.
Outside space, outbuildings, work-from-home requirements, hobbies that need space or a particular setup, how much work or renovation you'd be prepared to take on — and a non-negotiable you haven't been able to articulate yet.
03 Complete independently

Preferences — The Area

This section covers two things: the immediate environs of the house — what it sits in, what's directly around it, the feel of the plot and its surroundings — and the wider area it belongs to. You may find some of this overlaps with what you wrote above, and that's fine. Cover both layers here if you can, as both will shape what we search for.

Three words for the area or setting you're looking for Village? Market town? Rural? Quiet? Connected? Characterful?
Three area dealbreakers What would make the right house in the wrong place?
Towns, villages, postcodes — as specific as you can be
And briefly why, if it's useful
04 Complete independently — this is the important one

Variances

Most searches that stall do so because of something that hasn't been said out loud. These questions are about what you already know — or sense — about where you and your partner see things differently. You won't see each other's answers until we're in the room together.

A priority of mine that I'm not sure my partner fully appreciates:

Something my partner seems to value that I feel less strongly about:

The question we keep coming back to but haven't resolved:

Have you seen anything that felt close — even partly? What happened?

That's everything.

I'll review your responses before we speak — usually within 24 hours. If you haven't already booked a call, reply to the message that brought you here and we'll find a time.