How did you find housing before actually being in the country?

Both approaches work, but the "wing a short-term place first" route is honestly the one I'd recommend for most people relocating from abroad, especially your first move. A short let (a few weeks) gives you time to view places in person, get a feel for neighbourhoods, and — importantly — avoid the classic remote-rental scam pattern: too-good-to-be-true photos, pressure to wire a deposit before any viewing, a "landlord" who's conveniently "travelling abroad" and can't meet in person.

If you do need to lock something in remotely, use the Housing section of your destination's guide for legitimate listing platforms and expected costs, and never send money before a live video walkthrough at minimum.

Did a live video-call viewing with a very specific list of questions prepared in advance. Worked surprisingly well and caught two issues photos alone wouldn’t have shown.

Used a relocation agent for the first month specifically — expensive, but it removed the risk of negotiating a full lease remotely with no way to verify anything myself.

How do you actually verify a landlord or listing is legitimate before sending any money remotely?

Landed short-term first and searched properly once I could actually see places in person. Worked better for me than trying to commit remotely.

Grace — I insisted on a live video walkthrough plus checked the agency’s registration details independently. Not a guarantee, but it was my own bar for feeling comfortable enough to proceed.

Following, in exactly this position with six weeks to go.

OP here — thanks all, going with a short-term-first approach based on how this thread has leaned.

Used a local Facebook group specifically for the neighbourhood I was targeting, rather than the generic national listing sites — far higher quality leads and fewer scams.

Following, retiring here in a year and this whole thread is going straight into my planning notes.