Hi! Melissa’s daughter Kylee here. It’s been a while since I wrote a blog post, so I wanted to share an update about our move and the journey so far. If you follow my mom or me on Instagram, you may have seen glimpses of the moving process and tours of homes we visited. We saved those stories to highlights on our profiles if you want to catch up (@kynoelle, @theinspiredroom, @courtneylane1).
A little background: over the years I’ve shared about our Seattle townhome (above is the entry and one of our pups, Leo!). It was the first home my husband and I owned and it served us well for seven years as we started careers and life after college.
At the end of 2019 we started planning updates: paint the wood kitchen cabinets, replace the black granite tiles with something brighter, change light fixtures, and do a fireplace tile makeover. I even mocked up a few ideas for how the kitchen might look.
Then the pandemic hit and we paused plans since we didn’t want contractors or visitors in our home. Like many, we settled in and reevaluated priorities. I already worked from home, and my husband’s work also shifted to a permanent remote option. Rather than invest more into the townhouse, we decided to pursue a new chapter and look for a different home.
We began house hunting last summer and put in several offers, but were repeatedly outbid—often by narrow margins. The first house we offered on (pictured above) was one we nearly secured. After several losses, we realized selling our townhouse first would strengthen our position and let us make more competitive offers.
In April we sold the townhouse and moved into my parents’ basement apartment as a temporary landing spot while we continued searching. We expected that the equity from our sale would make winning offers easier, but the housing market grew even more competitive. Homes we loved were getting dozens of offers—often all cash, sometimes with inspections or appraisals waived—and frequently selling for well over the listing price. Many homes we tracked went at least $150,000 over list; some sold for more than $300,000 above asking.
We made offers on a variety of homes in different locations: suburbs, a lakeside property that would have been near where Courtney lives, farm country, forest settings, island properties, and city homes. It’s been an emotional ride imagining life in so many different places. Often we didn’t even find many homes that felt right, and when we did, being outbid was disheartening. We stayed patient and avoided getting swept into bidding frenzies that might push us into a situation we’d regret.
While we primarily looked in Washington, we were open to anywhere in the Pacific Northwest—even down to Portland, Oregon, where we grew up. The PNW has our hearts: lush green landscapes, outdoor activities, mild climate, beautiful summers and autumns, and a relaxed, cozy vibe.
A few weeks ago, while visiting family in Portland, we toured an open house and fell in love. After a year of searching, much to our surprise, our offer was accepted. It feels surreal—exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Although it’s bittersweet to put more distance between us and my parents and siblings, we’ll still be close enough to visit frequently. We’re looking at this as a fun chance to spend time in each other’s cities, almost like having little vacation homes.
We aren’t moving to a place where we’ll be lonely—many friends and family, including Lance’s mom, live in the area. In fact, we have more connections there than in our current city, so it already feels like home in a way we hadn’t experienced in Washington.
I know you’ll want to see the house—I can’t wait to show it to you. We’re absolutely in love with it. Given how wild the market has been, we weren’t sure what style or condition we’d end up with, so we’re grateful to have found a home that checks many of our boxes. It’s charming as-is and offers plenty of opportunities to make it our own. I’ll share a full tour and our plans soon.
Stay tuned here and on Instagram (follow @kynoelle and @theinspiredroom) for updates. If you’re a blog subscriber, you may get a sneak peek of the house first 😉