Welcome  Smiya to AbanteCart,

I think you are looking for something like below extension:
http://marketplace.abantecart.com/smart-product-search-and-result-filtering?keyword=filter&category_id=0

Check store URL setting in Admin. You need to update it.
You should be able to access admin, if you can not, you missed moving/copying file.

Make sure you moved all the directories and files. Double check file and directory permissions.

Welcome to AbanteCart.

I am guessing what you need. If you need to move block elements on the page layout, you can do this in layout manager:
http://docs.abantecart.com/pages/design/layouts.html

By basic import I assume you mean products without a matrix (attributes)

Since I am new to ABC I haven't gotten to import product yet as I was figuring out Import for Categories and Manufacturers. (best practices)
Since I'm just starting I will setup another instance of this beta.

Ironically the #1 down fall of 99.5% ALL e-commerce and POS applications is that they were not created with the starting point of data importation.
They are all built around manual input of date.  Also most are not built to handle a matrix's correctly. (Matrix is the retail term for attributes. Most commonly Color and size combinations for goods.)   So when you are thinking about the process think it terms of matrixed goods.   
Example - a shoe
Distributor | Brand | Style (name) | SKU (not UPC)| Description | Category | Sub Cat| Color | Size| Cost | Retail | UPC |EAN | Date Added | Image | Visible

Distributor - because you can have more than one source for the same goods with 2 different prices.
Brand - say Nike, Reebok, etc
Style - Name of shoe Ex: Air Force One
SKU/Manufacturers ID - doesn't have to be used but most shoes, as well as other goods will have a numerical sku. EX: 6100543167
Description - self defined.
Category - Main category.  Ex: Shoes
Sub Cat - Sub category. Belongs to the above parent main category. Ex: Mens  Can have more than 1 sub cat. I have never seen more than 2 used.
Color - text input with color way ex: Black Leopard Tan  , or just Black.  User defined -no 15 character limit here!
Size - 10, 9.5 , 8 etc etc. 
Cost - wholesale price
Retail- selling price
UPC - # of product (unique identifier)
EAN - If outside the US/Canada
Date Added - self defined
Image - just like you have it  (image.jpg or folder/image)
Visible - 1 or 0 or Yes and No. Either way.

That is what I think is the minimum for a product import.
You can and should allow other data also at user discretion. Like location (store #) promotions etc.  All data to a product should be importable. All at the same time. (not parts)

Notice there is NO Action required.  It will always look for instance first, if so - Update, if not Insert. 
Every size/color combo will have a unique UPC.  So you could have 1 Style of shoe but hundreds of UPC's.  So ONE Product listing. Less user chooses to make multiples per color.

Other notes - Size don't worry about cross item types having the same size. IE a 7.5 shoe and say a 7.5 skateboard. Just give the ability to narrow search parameters.  in both Admin and Public sections.
IE 
Search Term: 7.5
Manufacturer:  ALL pr specific
Category: Shoes
Sub Cat: Mens
Etc

I have the same question,

I would like to tick search product descriptions by default.

Did anyone find a way of doing this...  I have been fiddling around for a while without success.

I need the search field to search through product descriptions.  any help is gratly appreciated.

thanks again.