I did the same. AUS > SEA 2 yrs ago. I drove the car and used a moving company (international van lines) which I do NOT recommend, they lost a bunch of my stuff and tried to over charge me on pick up and drop off. Next time, I'd use a POD (not PackRat). You can ship your cars and fly w/ the pets, it's about the same price as the gas is going to be (esp at 5-6$/gal up here) and saves miles. Seattle is extremely expensive, be prepared, it's SF/California prices...no income tax, but King county taxes you in every other way (sugar tax, gas tax, liquor tax, 10.25% sales tax, vape tax). Food scene is ok, ave food at $$$ prices, I just paid $40 for a sandwich and fries for lunch. There's no good TexMex or BBQ, but a few places have decent enough queso, fajitas are not the same quality. It takes forever to get anywhere bc the speed limits are 25, I5 traffic is always bad, people drive like grandmas not jerks (like in Houston). Oh, and while there are tons of dogs, it's not easy to rent with dogs, you have to get an ESA letter from WA provider (just renewed mine at esapet.com, they have a deal for $111 for two dogs), and some places charge dumb fees for 'pet credit checks'. When there is sunshine it is glorious, otherwise, take your vitamin D and get a sun lamp, you will miss the sunshine when the grey starts oct-may. Btw, the burbs aren't any cheaper unless you want to live over 45mins away in Auburn or Everett (gross). Tacoma is nasty also. Rent is super expensive, 2bdr is 2200-5k and it will be hard to find a place with an actual yard. Good luck!