The house was in poor condition. But it was on a lake in Seattle.

Of course, the house still had its original knob-and-tube wiring. But for the lake view, they could overlook a few flaws.

Finding a home that feels good isn't easy. Sometimes, as Jeremy and Jen Lewis discovered while looking for a place in Seattle, it can take years.

The couple, who worked in finance in New York , moved to the west coast in 2006 with their children – Ben, now 24, Sarah, 22 and Margaret, 19 – after Ms Lewis quit her job and Mr Lewis accepted an offer to help to create a video game company based in Seattle.

"We wanted to go and explore a new part of the world with our family," said Mr Lewis, 53.

At first they moved to Bainbridge Island, lured by its lush beauty and short ferry ride to Seattle. The scenery was breathtaking, but Mr Lewis soon discovered that getting to work was taking longer than expected. After a few years, they started renting houses in the city and looking for a place to buy.

Image The couple searched for years to find the right place, and when they found it, "it hadn't been renovated for many years," Ms Lewis said. “He had an electric button and a tube; it had a chopped floor plan. »Credit...Ruth Fremson

That was easier said than done. After four years of renting, "we were still looking for a special home and property that would be more permanent and give us a sense of place," said Ms Lewis, 53.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">When their lease was about to expire, the couple decided to buy a house near Bellevue as a stopgap measure. "It was the best choice at the time," Ms. Lewis said.

It wasn't until 2016 that they found a place that captured their imaginations: a 5,400-square-foot home on an extra-large lot at...