simple question about entry date to the UK

[mdg]

Hi,

I'm applying for a tier 2 General visa to start working in september. On the application question of when do you wish to travel to the uk, I put a date 2 weeks before my start date (according to the CoS) because I read on the UKBA website that I can enter the UK up to 14 days before the start date.

However, I want to travel to the UK 3-4 weeks ahead to sort out a house, etc. I don't need a visa to enter as a tourist and I wonder if I can do exactly that, enter as a tourist and then leave and re-enter to get my visa stamped within the mandatory 14 days. Will immigration start asking questions about why I want to enter before my Tier 2 visa is valid?

Also, I travel a lot to Ireland and I know that unfortunately there is no immigration point in an Ireland-UK flight to stamp my visa when required. Is there a way to ask for an officer at the airport to stamp it if i decide to travel from Ireland within the 14 days before my job starts? or is it better that I re-enter the UK from another country?

Thanks for your help.