Don’t get too excited—this is NOT our new house. 🙂
All photos in this post come from listing images of Seattle-area homes we saw while house hunting. Some were only online, some we toured in person. A few we considered, some were out of our price range or in the wrong location, and others just didn’t fit for different reasons. These homes are shared for fun to illustrate the ups and downs of house shopping and to show some of the charming places we enjoyed dreaming about. The house we chose is not pictured here.
So, if you’ve been following our journey, you know we sold our house. It was a difficult decision, but ultimately we felt at peace with it. For months I’d written about our desire to move closer to family in the Seattle area, and the reasons behind that choice. Moving into a city like Seattle is a big step—not just for our family, but because the cost of living and the competitive housing market make such a move challenging, especially if you’re not coming from an even more expensive market.
A few weeks before our deadline of September 1 (set because of the new school year), we put our house on the market to see what would happen. We’d had rough selling experiences before—sales that fell apart at the last minute—so when we received an offer this time we were cautiously optimistic and didn’t celebrate until everything was final.
Even while unsure about our sale, we began house hunting in Seattle the previous spring. We didn’t expect to buy before selling, but we wanted to learn the market, get familiar with neighborhoods, and understand what kind of home we might afford.
My husband and I spent a few days driving through various neighborhoods, trying to feel out which areas suited us. The house at the top of this post was my dream home—I would have moved in immediately—yet with a price over a million dollars, it remained a dream. That was okay, though, because our move wasn’t about finding an ideal showpiece; it was about finding a home that fit our family’s life. For someone who loves houses, I had to focus on contentment and practicality.
Buying in this market is stressful. Inventory was low, competition was high, and many buyers were willing to offer well above asking price. That forced us to be realistic about what we pursued, and also reminded us how fortunate we were to even be in a position to look.
We focused our search on Magnolia, Queen Anne, Ballard (including Sunset Hill), Greenlake, and nearby neighborhoods. Those are popular areas, which added to the challenge of finding an affordable, suitable home.
Location mattered to us. Mostly we wanted to be near our daughters in Magnolia and close to our son’s school—close enough that driving across the city wouldn’t be necessary for family visits. We were open to homes within those areas and willing to consider different styles and conditions.
We aimed to find a house that didn’t require a complete overhaul. A full fixer-upper wasn’t realistic because we needed to move in right away and make improvements while living there. We wanted a place where we could start with modest updates and, if needed, later tackle larger projects like a kitchen remodel or an addition.
Many listings looked great online but disappointed in person. Over time we became more practical about what would work for our family. Cute online listings don’t always translate into livable homes, and the reality of the market forced us to refine our expectations.
We loved different neighborhoods for different reasons. There was a tiny house in Magnolia we liked for location, but it would have required an addition and a big remodel to suit our family, dogs, and working-from-home life—projects we couldn’t manage while living there. Sunset Hill in Ballard stood out to us because of easy walks to water views and a slightly better value compared with some Magnolia streets. Queen Anne was appealing too, but houses in our price range needed substantial work and likely would attract heavy bidding.
In the city, charming homes with great curb appeal often sell far above our budget. We didn’t want to enter a bidding war or overextend ourselves financially. Those constraints actually helped us stay sensible and avoid making impulsive choices.
At one point, a delightful house we liked sold for more than $100,000 over asking. Even homes that clearly needed significant work sometimes went for well above our budget. It was surprising and sometimes discouraging, but it reinforced that we needed to consider a few options outside the most sought-after streets.
We expanded our search slightly beyond those core neighborhoods and found an area that offered convenience—within five miles of places we wanted to be—and access to water and a beach. While still pricey, it felt like better value and ultimately became the area where we found our house. (For privacy, I won’t share the exact location.) If you’re house hunting on a budget, it’s worth looking just outside the most famous neighborhoods.
Once we’d done that initial research and driven many streets, we felt ready to list our home. When it sold quickly, our search went into high gear. Right after we received the offer, I had to leave on a business trip—bad timing—but just before I left we found a house that had already been completely renovated. We loved it and put in our best offer, but we were outbid.
While I was away, our daughters previewed more homes with our realtor. They felt discouraged by the competition and the condition of many listings—either too expensive, too rundown, or located on busy streets. But they found one house that excited them, and they sent details and photos. I planned to see it as soon as I got back. That unexpected find turned into the house we chose. I can’t share photos yet while things finalize, but I’ll post more as soon as I can. Thank you for following along—we’re excited for the next chapter.
If you’d like to read all of our moving posts, you can find them in the moving category on the blog.
PS. If any intrusive ads have appeared on the site this week covering your screen, I apologize. It’s annoying to me too, and we are working to have them removed.