After living in San Francisco for 18 years, I started to seriously consider moving.
I loved the life I built there, but the next step — like buying my own house with a yard — felt out of reach for me. But I was worried that I would regret leaving the place I had called home for so many years.
When I think of where I want to live, I immediately think of Seattle. I think this city will provide similar energy and job opportunities to San Francisco, and I love that it’s close to amazing natural beauty.
Plus, I’d visited this west coast city several times and had a good friend who lived there, so it seemed like a logical move. But instead of taking immediate action, I decided to try out the city for a month to make sure it was the right fit for me.
Through HomeExchange, a platform that allows users to exchange homes with people from around the world, I traded in my Noe Valley apartment for a house with a yard in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood in July.
I experience Seattle as a local, not a tourist
It was fun to be able to experience the city like a local. Heather Snow
Although I’ve visited Seattle many times over the years, this was the first time I had the opportunity to test out daily life there with my dog Pepper, rather than just experience the city as a tourist.
I work remotely, go grocery shopping, and visit the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays. Pepper and I explored different parks on our morning walks and went to a local brewery in the evening.
I really prioritize spending time in Ballard because that’s the community I’m most interested in and potentially calling home. I love the uptown area, with its tree-lined streets filled with single-family homes, but the location is also within walking distance of the historic center filled with shops, restaurants, and bars.
It felt like it could be the perfect combination of having a home with a yard in a residential area while still having the city living and walkability that I love in San Francisco.
I spend most of my time in the walkable neighborhood of Ballard. Heather Snow
However, living there for a month also made me realize some of the pain points that locals will encounter.
For example, while I found Ballard to be very walkable, once I left the neighborhood, Seattle as a whole felt more spread out and suburban than San Francisco. I find myself driving and stuck in traffic more than before.
One night I was invited to a friend’s house for dinner. I thought a 30 minute drive would be quick, but turned into a headache-inducing 55 minutes in rush hour traffic. At this point, I realized that moving around the city required more planning than I had originally anticipated.
Pepper’s company also gave me an insight into dog regulations that I would never have noticed on vacation. Even though Seattle is a very dog-friendly city, I found there were more restrictions on water and off-leash areas than I knew as a tourist.
I’m used to letting Pepper run free on the beach at Fort Funston in San Francisco, but I’ve found that most beaches in Seattle don’t allow dogs. Luckily, she can still sunbathe and people-watch in the yard of the house where we live.
Home exchange helped me figure out what I wanted from a permanent home
Even though Seattle wasn’t the place for me, it helped me figure out what I wanted next. Heather Snow
Having someone stay in my home gave me insight into what she loved about her and made me appreciate everything I already had.
The woman I traded the house with mentioned that many of my neighbors said hello to her and that people were friendly when she walked her dog in Noe Valley every day. I’m not surprised that she feels this way. After all, my neighborhood is one of my favorite parts of San Francisco.
The time I spent away gave me a clear idea of how much I valued my current home and some perspective on what I wanted for my next home.
One month in Seattle made it clear that this city was not my place. It also confirmed that I wanted something that was unattainable in San Francisco due to housing costs, like a house with a yard.
Ideally, I wanted to find a place that combined the best of both cities: affordability, a walkable neighborhood with a sense of community, and natural beauty. I also realized that avoiding traffic and crowds might mean traveling beyond big cities.
Thankfully, trading on your home is a relatively low-cost, low-risk way to test out a major life decision like moving. Before making the expensive move, I was able to refine my list of what I wanted in my next home, and what I didn’t want.
Currently, I’m still searching for my new city, but I have a clearer vision for my next chapter.