I'm in sterling near rt 7 and 28. Its ok. 10 years ago we moved to take my commute from 90-120 min a day. Game changer to go to 20 min a day. Getting that time back with a young kid (now two) was life changing. Its nice being 15 min or so from dulles Airport for our work travel. Being in sterling is ok i guess but the explosion of people, new housing, and data centers kinda sucks. Heading west, if you want the quiet and property size is probably the way to go in that way. Make the leap for real and avoid the intermediate explosion of change without some of the benefits. There is something to be said about the breweries and wineries (if you find some you like) being so close to spend a lazy afternoon with friends, beer, and random kids making friends and playing and running all over the area together.
Feel free to pm with any specific questions if you want at some point.
Have a friend that lives in Purcellville and they love it. Its super burbs. He loves a couple of breweries nearby (belly love and adroit theory ). He works from home and travels so he's less into living in a big city. Gets that itch scratched traveling for work.