Established in 1999, this company is the only independent property research and database firm in the UK, focusing on products and services for business and consumers in the residential market. You can choose to purchase a full area report, or if you are interested in a specific home, you can request a detailed coverage guide, which will also comes with the area information as well.

This a really cute site the is very visually appealing. It has local community sites for over 31,000 villages, towns, cities and suburbs across the UK. They have plenty of local area info and links to local amenities and businesses.

For around £300, Homecheck uses all sorts of surveillance techniques to generate a tailored in-depth report on factors important to you. This can include anything from the neighbours, traffic and litter, to the whether your property lies beneath airport flight paths. An excellent service which is well worth the money if you aren't able to check out an area yourself.

Massive database aimed at any company, employee, family or individual who is thinking or relocating to any area in the world. Choose your destination by using the clever map based system, which will link you through to a specific page concerning that country. You can then read information about schools, housing, driving, removals, taxes, insurance and so much more.

Top quality local information portal offering a guide to what’s happening in your area. You will get the most out of this service by registering, but you can search for hundreds of different events and activities in your area by simply entering your postcode.

A useful resource tool which can help you find direction to, or just have a look at any area in the UK. You can search by place name, postcode and even house number . You can even find local amenities, information and properties for sale then link to their websites.

Free UK travel guide and trip planner. Find travel deals, hotel and restaurant reviews, things to do and more for the savvy traveller.

If you need to know whether it’s going to rain on Saturday or whether your area is at risk from floods, this site has it all. You can find out 5-day weather forecasts for all areas of the world or simply for your town, as well as read about the latest weather news and flooding information.

A simple but very useful site if you don'y know an area. Just input the area you are looking for and they will provide a street map and an arial photo.

Find a wide range of information at county level. They provide local news and weather plus you can search the massive database for local businesses and services or find leisure facilities and local events. Looks good and is easy to use.