From Business Insider · Heather Snow · · 2m
A month in Seattle showed me what I really want
After 18 years in San Francisco, Heather Snow house-swapped to test if Seattle was her next home. One month revealed it wasn't, but clarified what she's looking for.
In brief
After 18 years in San Francisco, Heather Snow house-swapped to test if Seattle was her next home. One month revealed it wasn't, but clarified what she's looking for. Heather Snow spent July in Seattle through a home exchange to test moving there, but discovered the city's sprawl and traffic didn't suit her, though the…
Eighteen years in San Francisco, ready for change
Heather Snow loved her life in San Francisco but felt buying a house with a yard was out of reach. She began seriously considering moving to a new city.
Why Seattle seemed like the logical choice
Seattle offered similar energy and career opportunities as San Francisco, plus proximity to striking natural beauty. Snow had visited many times and had a good friend living there.
Testing the move through a home swap
Instead of moving immediately, Snow decided to test living in Seattle for a month. Through HomeExchange, she traded her Noe Valley condo for a house with a yard in Ballard for July.
Living as a local, not a tourist
Snow worked remotely, went grocery shopping, and explored Ballard with her dog Pepper. She visited the Ballard Farmers Market on Sundays and checked out local breweries in the evenings.
Ballard's appeal: residential and walkable
Snow loved that Ballard had single-family homes on tree-lined streets but was also walkable to a historic core with shops, restaurants, and bars. It seemed like the perfect combination.
The traffic problem emerged quickly
Outside Ballard, Seattle felt much more spread out and suburban than San Francisco. A thirty-minute drive to her friend's house turned into fifty-five minutes in rush-hour traffic.
“What I thought would be a quick, 30-minute drive turned into a 55-minute headache in rush-hour traffic.”
Dog restrictions she never would have noticed
Although Seattle is dog-friendly, Snow discovered more restrictions around water access and off-leash areas than she expected. Most sandy beaches don't allow dogs, unlike Fort Funston in San Francisco.
The swap clarified what she actually wants
A month in Seattle made clear it wasn't her place. Snow now wants affordability, a walkable neighborhood with community, natural beauty, and to avoid heavy traffic and crowds in major cities.
Still searching, but with clearer vision
The home exchange was a low-cost, low-risk way to test a major life decision. Snow is still searching for her next city, but her vision of what she wants is now much clearer.
The main idea
Heather Snow spent July in Seattle through a home exchange to test moving there, but discovered the city's sprawl and traffic didn't suit her, though the experiment clarified what she wants in her next home.
