Planning a Major Move: 3 Inspiring Lessons We Learned

When you are planning a major move, one crucial piece of the puzzle is understanding what it actually takes to get to walk into your new home. When people think about relocating, they usually ask if they can afford it. That is a fair question, but it is not the only one. Two years before Terry and I moved to Washington; we almost bought a completely different house in a completely different city. We lost it, and we were crushed. But losing that house turned out to be the best thing that happened to us. Here are three lessons we learned while planning a major move.

Lesson 1: A Crucial Change of Direction

In early 2020, we found a beautiful, hundred-and-fifteen-year-old home right on the water at Redondo Beach in Federal Way. The view of Puget Sound was amazing. We wanted to wait until August to close because we were finishing work on our home in California. The seller initially agreed, but then changed his mind and wanted to close right away. We could not do it, so we lost the house. I was heartbroken.

About a week later, the March 2020 shutdowns started. Looking back now, I thank God we did not get my dream house. We would have taken on a new mortgage, and neither one of us would have retained our jobs due to Covid. Plus, the inspection had raised some red flags, and the beach house would not have worked well for our senior dog. We had been thinking with our hearts rather than looking at the reality of the situation.

Back in California, most of the work on our house was already done. For the next year, we focused on cleaning and downsizing. Then, I realized after coming home from the beach one day that it didn’t give me the sense of peace I usually feel. When I told Terry, he admitted he had long wanted to move to Spokane. That single conversation shifted our focus completely. That single conversation shifted our focus completely.

When you plan a major move, building flexibility into your framework helps reduce stress and opens up better opportunities.

Lesson 2: Take the Trip Before the Leap

In April 2021, we hooked up our travel trailer and drove to Spokane. We were not house hunting at that stage; we simply wanted to explore the area with a local realtor who drove us through South Hill, Spokane Valley, and out to Nine Mile Falls.

While I had flown into the Spokane airport years prior, that trip went straight to CDA, meaning I had never actually seen the city. Seeing the neighborhoods in person before making any commitments was a priority, and the pine trees, river waterfalls, blue skies, and lack of traffic completely won us over.

We went back home and watched the market for a full year. I got very specific about what I was looking for. Here is what mattered most to me:

Lots of trees on our property
A balcony to enjoy the view
Room to park our trailer
A beautiful place nearby to walk our dog

When planning a major move, it’s important to list what YOU want and let your realtor know too!

Lesson 3: Know Your Numbers When Planning a Major Move

Watching the listings for a year told us what we needed to know. We learned what our California house would sell for and what a house in Spokane would cost. The numbers made sense.

A few months before our planned transition, I applied for jobs in higher education in the Spokane area and received an offer. The start date was January third, but our house in California was not ready to list yet. We created a plan. Terry drove up with me to get me settled into a short-term apartment, and then he returned to California to finish and sell the house.

The drive up involved six inches of snow on New Year’s Eve. I drove my 4Runner carefully behind Terry, using walkie-talkies the entire way. It was scary, but we made it.

The Next Chapter

The apartment was on the third floor with a beautiful view of the mountains. Terry helped me move everything in, and he made multiple trips to the store for basic necessities while I was at work. We even drove to the university campus together so I would feel comfortable on my first day. Then, Terry and our dog drove back to California while my cat and I stayed in Spokane. I missed them terribly, but our careful planning made those three months apart manageable.

If you are navigating a transition, taking your time and gathering information is a smart approach. You can download our Can You Afford The Life You Want? Free Guide | Rebuild With Clarity to start building a structure for your own transition.

You can also hear Terry and I discuss the full story of our scouting trip and the snowy drive in our latest video, We Moved To Save Money For Retirement. Housing Was The Easy Part, on the Rebuild With Clarity YouTube channel.