After a couple of long but fast-moving weeks of packing and preparing for our move from the peninsula to Seattle, the day finally arrived. We officially moved out of our house. Saying goodbye was hard, but we’re looking forward to the next chapter. It felt more like a “farewell, friend” than a final goodbye because the memories and the lessons from this home will stay with us. Every house we’ve lived in is part of our story and holds a place in our hearts.
I learned a lot in this house about creating a home I love and finding contentment wherever I am. I’ll continue sharing favorite rooms and projects from this house on the blog. This home is also featured in my next book, The Inspired Room, due out in November. I wrote about my decorating process and tips for designing a home, and I took many photos of this house for the book. I can’t wait for you to see it.
Even though we’ve physically left the house, it feels like a “see you later” rather than a final goodbye.
Moving out without having closed on a new home first was a strange situation. We’d always moved directly from one house to another before, which made logistics simple: belongings go from Home A to Home B. This time, we had to decide what to do when there wouldn’t be a Home B right away.
- When I first faced the reality of an “in-between” move, I lay awake worrying about awkward scenarios.
- Should we rent a storage unit? Where would everything fit, and how would we get it there?
- Would we end up moving twice, adding stress and extra work?
- Renting a house was expensive and didn’t suit our short-term needs, especially with dogs.
- At one point I even joked about selling furniture and traveling light, but that wasn’t realistic.
With a week to vacate, the pressure was on. I searched for practical options and found PODS, a portable storage solution that fit our needs. They deliver containers to your home, you load them, and they can transport and store the containers until you’re ready for delivery to your new place. That eliminated the need to move twice and simplified the whole process.
We used a mix of DIY packing and professional help. To make packing easier, we rented reusable plastic moving bins, which are sturdy, stackable, and labeled. Those bins sped up packing and helped keep things organized.
Years ago we decided never to move heavy furniture ourselves again after a couple of rough experiences. Once PODS was arranged, I used a labor marketplace to hire local movers to load the containers. Hiring help was the best decision—I sat in the shade while professionals carried furniture down the stairs in sweltering heat.
By the end of the day most of the house was loaded. The next day the containers were taken to a secure storage facility until we are ready for delivery. Using portable containers meant we didn’t need to move into a temporary rental or lift everything multiple times—PODS stored our packed containers for us and will deliver them when we’re ready for the next step. It was, hands down, the smoothest move we’ve experienced so far.
At the moment, we’re staying with family while we wait for our next house. It’s an odd feeling to be temporarily without our own home, especially when you write about loving the home you have, but this transition is part of the process.
Good news: we have an accepted offer on a house and expect to close soon. I’ll share details about that in a future post.
I’ll share more about our last day in the house, including the inevitable blunders and a few moving bruises, along with practical tips we learned for a smoother move and updates on our new home soon.
Have you had any tricky moving experiences? I’d love to hear your stories and tips.