You know, it's been so many years since I've gone out to a woman's house and picked her up for a first date, I can't even remember.
I recommend that you DO NOT do something expensive and typical like going and picking a woman up, taking her to dinner, etc. for a first date.
Instead, either:
1) Have her come to your place, and leave for a cup of tea from there.
2) Meet her at a coffee shop that's CLOSE to your place, and if she flakes out, you can still enjoy yourself and you're not far from home.
Another rule of thumb I have is to not make a date too far in advance.
I've found that often times, you can call a woman up and say "Let's go get a cup of coffee RIGHT NOW".
It's rare that I would ever make plans more than a day in advance... this also helps prevent flaking.
