#80: How We Knew It Was Time To Move

If you’ve ever stood in the middle of your living room thinking, “Is it me… or is this house shrinking?” you’re not alone. Deciding when it’s time to move is one of those life decisions that feels part financial, part emotional, and part gut instinct. Young House Love’s podcast episode #80, “How We Knew It Was Time To Move,” hits that nerve perfectly, because John and Sherry don’t just talk about paint colors and pillowsthey talk about how you know your home is no longer the right supporting character in your life story.

In this in-depth guide, we’ll unpack the big ideas behind that episode, blend them with expert insight on moving and real estate, and give you practical, real-life ways to figure out whether you should stay put, renovate, or finally start packing boxes. No crystal ball requiredjust some honest questions, clear signs, and a little bit of Young House Love–style real talk.

Meet Young House Love (and Their Many Moves)

Before we get into the “should we move?” checklist, it helps to know the couple who inspired this conversation. John and Sherry Petersik of Young House Love have:

• Fixed up multiple homes (we’re talking thousands of DIY projects).
• Documented their makeovers room by room on their blog and podcast.
• Eventually downsized and moved to a beach town with their family.

In episode #80, they talk about how they learnedsometimes the hard waythat the timing and reason for a move matter just as much as the new house itself. It’s not about chasing a hot market or copying someone else’s square footage. It’s about asking: “Does this house still fit the life we’re actually living?”

The Big Question: How Do You Know It’s Time To Move?

One of the main messages of Young House Love’s episode is surprisingly simple: the right time to move has less to do with market trends and more to do with your life, your values, and your day-to-day reality.

It’s Not Just About a “Hot Market”

Yes, interest rates, home prices, and local demand matter. But if you move just because “everyone says now is the time,” you may end up in a house that doesn’t actually solve your core problems. In the episode, John and Sherry emphasize looking beyond headlines and focusing on your family’s long-term needs and what you can truly afford without resentment, panic, or regret.

A Move Should Solve Real Problems

A good move makes your life meaningfully easier or better. That might mean:

• Shortening a brutal commute.
• Giving kids their own rooms (and you your sanity back).
• Reducing home maintenance so weekends aren’t one giant to-do list.
• Freeing up cash flow by downsizing.

When your reasons are specific and concretenot just “I’m bored” or “I saw a cute house on Instagram”you’re far more likely to feel confident after the moving truck pulls away.

9 Clear Signs It Might Be Time To Move

So how do you translate all that into something you can actually use? Here are nine signspulled from real-estate research, expert advice, and real-life storiesthat it may be time to seriously consider a move.

1. You’ve Outgrown Your Space (or It’s Swallowing You)

If every closet is full, your “guest room” is actually a storage unit with a mattress, and you need to do acrobatics to get to the bathroom in the morning, your home may no longer fit your life. As families grow or routines change (hello, work-from-home office), it’s normal to need more usable space and better storage.

The flip side is also true. If the kids have moved out, the yard feels like a full-time job, and you’re heating and cooling rooms you never enter, downsizing can free up money, time, and energy. A move to something smaller and smarterexactly what the Young House Love duo eventually didcan feel like a huge upgrade in quality of life even if the square footage goes down.

2. Your Lifestyle Has Changed, but Your House Hasn’t

Maybe your job is now fully remote. Maybe your parents are visiting more often. Maybe your once-perfect urban condo no longer works with your kids’ school schedule or your desire for a yard and quiet. When your daily rhythms no longer align with your home’s location, layout, or amenities, friction builds.

Ask yourself:

• Does this location still make sense for work, school, and family?
• Do I feel like I’m constantly bending my life around my house instead of the other way around?
• Would a different neighborhood or style of home support how we live now, not how we lived five years ago?

3. The Layout Drives You a Little Bit Nuts

Sometimes the issue isn’t square footageit’s how that square footage is arranged. If you’re tripping over each other in a dark galley kitchen, squeezing a home office into a corner of the dining room, or constantly shouting up and down stairs to communicate, your layout may be working against you.

You can try rearranging furniture or doing strategic renovations, but if the basic bones of the house can’t support what you needopen sight lines to watch kids, a quiet workspace, accessible bedroomsit might be more efficient (and less stressful) to move to a better-designed home instead of fighting your floor plan forever.

4. Maintenance Is Draining Your Time and Money

Older homes can be charming… and also exhausting. If your weekends are a rotation of fixing leaks, patching drywall, wrestling with the HVAC, and booking service appointments, that “charm” can start to feel like a full-time job.

Some maintenance is normal. But if the list is long, urgent, and expensiveand you don’t have the budget or desire to tackle a major renovationit may be a sign that your future self would be happier (and financially healthier) in a lower-maintenance home.

5. Your Finances Have Shifted

Money is a huge part of the move-or-stay question. Maybe your income has gone up and you’re ready to trade a starter home for a long-term “forever-ish” house. Maybe it’s gone down, and your mortgage, taxes, and utilities feel like a weight on your chest each month.

Healthy financial reasons to move might include:

• Wanting to lock in a payment that’s more predictable and sustainable.
• Reducing your monthly housing costs to pay down debt or save more.
• Using equity from your current home to buy something that fits your long-term needs, not just your short-term wishlist.

The key is to run the numbers honestly, including moving costs, closing costs, repairs, and furnishingsnot just the listing price of the next place.

6. Your Neighborhood No Longer Feels Like “Home”

Neighborhoods change, and so do people. Maybe traffic has gotten worse, your favorite local spots have closed, or the vibe has shifted from family-friendly to college-party-central. Or maybe you’ve changed: the energy and noise you once loved now leave you dreaming of trees, birds, and parking your car without circling for twenty minutes.

If you no longer feel connected to your communityor don’t feel safe, welcome, or excited about the areathat’s a legitimate reason to consider moving. You’re not just choosing a house; you’re choosing the daily backdrop of your life.

7. Major Life Events Are Outgrowing Your Floor Plan

Life milestones often put pressure on your home: marriage, babies, divorce, aging parents moving in, adult kids moving back, starting a business, or needing accessibility features for health reasons. A home that worked for you as a couple may feel impossible once you add a toddler and a stroller (plus 47 tiny plastic toys) to the mix.

When your floor plan can’t flex with these changesand fixing it would be prohibitively expensive or structurally impossiblemoving can actually be the simpler, calmer choice.

8. You’re Emotionally Checked Out of the House

Sometimes the sign is less “we don’t have enough closets” and more “I just don’t see myself here anymore.” If you’re no longer motivated to decorate, maintain, or improve your space because you mentally feel halfway gone, that’s worth paying attention to.

Of course, everyone gets bored with their surroundings now and then. But if you feel chronically detachedlike you’re living in somebody else’s house, or in your own pastit may be a gentle nudge that you’re ready for a fresh start.

9. Your Daydreaming Has Turned into Research

We all browse real-estate listings “just for fun.” But when you find yourself saving listings, setting alerts, calculating payments, and mapping school districts, your curiosity has officially graduated into intent.

If you’re doing serious research and mentally comparing every feature of your house to what’s out there, it’s time to sit down and ask: “Are we actually ready to moveor do we just need to tweak what we have?” That’s the kind of honest conversation John and Sherry encourage in their episode.

The Young House Love “Time-To-Move” Test

While they joke and keep things light, the heart of episode #80 is a practical mindset shift. Here’s a Young House Love–inspired test you can apply to your own situation:

Step 1: Name the Real Problems

Write down what’s truly not working. Be specific:

• “We have one bathroom for five people and it’s chaos every morning.”
• “The yard is too big for us to maintain.”
• “Our mortgage payment keeps us from traveling or saving.”

If your list is mostly about boredom (“I’m over this backsplash”) you might just need a project, not a moving truck.

Step 2: Ask If Renovation Could Fix It

Could a renovation, rearrange, or decluttering spree solve some of your gripes? Maybe finishing the basement, adding built-ins, or carving out a better workspace would get you 80% of the way to your “dream home” feeling without the cost and upheaval of moving.

If even your best renovation ideas can’t fix the fundamental issueslike location, lot size, school district, or structural layoutthen moving starts to look more reasonable.

Step 3: Check Your Financial and Emotional Readiness

Are you ready for:

• The financial hit of closing costs, moving costs, and potential repairs?
• The emotional work of packing up memories and saying goodbye to a familiar space?
• A short-term season of chaos while you settle somewhere new?

You don’t have to be fearless, just willing. If the excitement outweighs the anxiety (most days), that’s a good sign you’re ready for the next chapter.

Step 4: Make Sure You’re Moving Toward Something

John and Sherry are big believers in moving toward a clear visionlike a smaller, more walkable lifestyle near the beachrather than just away from an annoying feature of your current home. When you can picture your next season in a specific kind of place, the trade-offs of moving feel more intentional and less random.

Timing Your Move: Seasons, Markets, and Real Life

Once you know that you want to move, the next question is when. Spring and early summer are traditionally popular seasons thanks to better weather and easier school transitions. Winter can sometimes offer less competition and more motivated buyers or landlords, but also comes with its own logistical headaches (snow, holidays, less daylight).

Instead of waiting for the mythical “perfect month,” look at your reality:

• When would a move be least disruptive to work and school?
• Do you have flexibility to line up closing dates, leases, or temporary housing?
• Are you using the calendar as a helpful toolor an excuse to procrastinate indefinitely?

The timing doesn’t have to be flawless; it just has to be intentional and well-planned enough that you’re not sprinting from one crisis to the next.

Preparing Emotionally and Practically for a Move

Even when you’re excited, moving is emotional. You’re not just boxing up stuffyou’re boxing up seasons of your life. Young House Love leans into that honesty: they share the bittersweet parts, not only the “after” photos.

To make it easier on yourself:

• Say goodbye on purpose. Take photos, walk through rooms together, and talk about favorite memories.
• Involve kids early. Show them pictures of the new place, give them age-appropriate jobs, and let them make small decisions (like paint colors or bedding).
• Declutter before you pack. There’s nothing like unpacking a box in your new house and realizing you moved junk you didn’t even like.
• Focus on the “why.” Keep reminding yourself of the problems this move will solve and the opportunities it will create.

Real-Life Experiences: What Moving Taught Us (and Others)

To go deeper, let’s look at some relatable, story-style experiences that mirror what John and Sherry talk about in episode #80those “aha” moments when it became clear a move was the right choice.

“We Were Living Around the House, Not in It”

One couple realized their charming old bungalow had essentially turned into a museum of unfinished projects. Every room contained something halfway done: a tiled shower that never got grouted, a kitchen cabinet door waiting for paint, a staircase missing its final coat of poly. They spent more time dodging mess and feeling guilty than actually enjoying the space.

After a lot of honest conversation, they admitted the problem wasn’t lack of motivationit was that the house simply didn’t fit their stage of life anymore. With two careers, two kids, and limited bandwidth, they needed a home that worked out of the box, not a never-ending DIY marathon. Moving to a newer, more functional house didn’t just give them a nicer kitchen; it gave them back their evenings and weekends.

“Downsizing Felt Like Taking a Deep Breath”

Another family, inspired partly by stories like Young House Love’s beach-town downsizing journey, realized their big “dream house” had quietly become a burden. The yard needed constant attention, the bonus rooms sat empty, and the mortgage left them too stressed to travel or pursue hobbies.

When they ran the numbers on selling and buying a smaller place closer to town, they were shocked at how much flexibility they would gain. Their new home had less square footage but more of what actually mattered to them: walkability, a shorter commute, and a layout that made everyday life easier. In their words, “We traded in rooms we never used for a life we actually live.”

“The Commute Was Telling Us What We Already Knew”

For a lot of people, the commute is the loudest signal. One homeowner realized she was spending close to three hours a day driving to and from work. She loved her house, but she didn’t love waking up at 5 a.m. just to beat traffic and stumbling in the door after dark most nights.

Once she added up the cost of gas, parking, and lost time (plus the exhaustion), the math was brutal. Moving to a smaller, more expensive home closer to work actually reduced her overall stress and gave her back time to cook, exercise, and see friendsthings that improved her health far more than granite countertops ever could.

“We Knew It Was Time When We Stopped Second-Guessing”

One of the biggest emotional markers that it’s time to move is when you’ve had the same conversation so many times that you finally land on the same conclusion every single time. That’s the point where John and Sherry often found themselves before major house decisions: they’d circle around the fears, the what-ifs, the sentimental attachments… and then keep landing back on, “We’re ready. This solves real problems. This feels like us.”

That’s the sweet spot you’re aiming fornot zero nerves, but a stable sense of “this is right for us” underneath the butterflies.

Final Thoughts: Your Home Should Support Your Life

Episode #80 of Young House Love’s podcast isn’t just about how one family decided to move; it’s a reminder that our homes are meant to serve our lives, not trap us in someone else’s idea of success. When your house no longer fits your needs, values, or daily reality, it’s okaywise, evento explore a new chapter.

Whether you’re bursting at the seams, overwhelmed by maintenance, craving a different neighborhood, or dreaming of a lifestyle shift like downsizing or moving closer to the water, the real question is this: “Will this move help us live more of the life we want?” If the honest answer is yesand you’ve run the numbers, done the soul-searching, and talked through the trade-offsyou might be more ready than you think to grab those moving boxes.