Founded in 1890, Hansen Bros. Moving & Storage the parent company of Portabox has successfully weathered many history-changing events including the Great Seattle Fire, WWI, the Spanish Flu of 1918, the Great Depression, WWII, the 2008 recession, and 9/11 among many other public crises. We are taking the current COVID-19 threat very seriously and will promptly adhere to any and all directives from local, state and federal government officials. Hansen Bros. and Portabox have been categorized as an essential industry business (moving & relocation) within the current mandate established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee.

As essential services, we will maintain normal operations until such time as either company management determines we must close our offices or we are directed to do so by a governmental authority. We are taking extensive precautionary measures including the adoption of all CDC guidelines and the establishment of our own policies intended to minimize health risks for all customers, employees, contractors, vendors, and community stakeholders. We are proud to be able to support the needs of our customers during this crucial time but are prepared to quickly change course as required.

Stay safe together with Hansen Bros. and Portabox

The COVID-19 crisis is fluid and there are many uncertainties and factors outside of our control that may, with little or no advance notice, impact our delivery of moving & storage services. Please be aware the current crisis could potentially result in small inconveniences such as a delayed project start time or significant inconveniences such as the complete rescheduling of services.

Although there are many unknowns to be navigated, you can be certain that Hansen Bros. and Portabox will be timely and transparent in our communications regarding servicing your moving & storage needs, and our professional relocation consultants will work diligently to offer creative solutions in the event your project is impacted by the current health crisis.

Steps We're Taking:

  • Company-wide Implementation of all precautionary measures recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
  • Office staff and crews are being monitored daily for symptoms and/or known exposure by management and asked to go home, contact their healthcare provider, and self-quarantine as directed. Staff that experience symptoms and/or aware of exposure when not at work have been directed to stay home and notify their supervisor.
  • Office staff and crews are receiving daily briefings on precautionary measures and have been directed to follow them on and off the job.
  • Office staff and crews are being instructed to maintain appropriate “social distance” of 6 feet minimum between one another, customers, and all other people.
  • Office staff and crews are being provided with appropriate hand sanitizer and surface disinfecting supplies. They have been directed to disinfect truck cabs and moving equipment between each move to the best of their ability. These supplies will continue to be replenished as we are able, based on availability from retailers.
  • We are limiting visitation to our branch offices. If you wish to purchase moving boxes or supplies, please simply call in your order and we will happily deliver to your vehicle outside.

We are all in this together.  The team at Hansen Bros. and Portabox is proud to continue offering our services in accordance with the necessary precautions outlined above. We are here to make the process of storing belongings seamless & safe for you.

9 tips for reorganizing your garage this spring

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Have you noticed your garage is overloaded with things? Is it time to sort things out? After all, you can use your garage for different purposes. It would be a pity to waste such a useful space. Hence, reorganizing your garage this spring should be on the top of your list. Also, while doing this we advise you to consider using temporary storage Seattle in order to make more space in your home. Therefore, whatever you do, decide what is truly important to you. Make the best of your garage space. At the same time, make sure your things are safely packed and stored.

Start reorganizing your garage this spring

It is a known fact, we have started buying too many things nowadays. Even the things we don’t actually need. As a result, many of these things end up in boxes in garages. Hence, after a while, we notice there’s no free space anymore. Well, it’s time to do something this spring. You can always go for Everett self storage. On the other hand, if you keep on reading you’ll see several tips for rearranging your garage space this spring.

1. Make a plan

After making a decision to order things in your garage this spring, make a detailed plan. Consider a few things.

  • your goals
  • deadlines
  • steps
  • what to keep
  • packing supplies you need
  • cleaning
  • how to store

2. Divide the things into 3 piles

First of all, take everything from your garage. Make sure the weather is fine. You don’t want your things to get wet. Then, check what you have in your garage. Create three piles.

  • keep
  • donate
  • throw away

3. Don’t forget to do the zoning

After deciding on what to keep in your garage, you can do the zoning. Separate the items into piles of similar things. In case you wonder why, soon you’ll see this was s a good idea. With the use of zoning, you’ll know exactly where your things are at any time. For instance, we can suggest certain piles.

  • workstation
  • sports and recreational equipment
  • lawn and garden
  • holiday decorations
  • long term storage
  • memorabilia

Of course, you can have more piles. It all depends on the items you keep in your garage. Thus, everything is individual.

tools hanging neatly on the wall
Reorganizing your garage this spring means using every part of the garage space. Make sure your piles of things are tidied separately and easy to access.

4. Cleaning is obligatory

Once you have taken the things out of the garage, you’ve got the open space. Now it’s time to clean everything thoroughly. Take your microfiber cloth, broom, sweep, and other things you need. Take your time and start scrubbing shelves and cabinets. Sweep the dusty corners and walls from top to bottom. Pay attention to cleaning the floor. One of the downsides of in-house storage is definitely the fact you must take care of everything. Thus, if you want to avoid all this, you can always opt for professional storage solutions.

a wooden broom ready for reorganizing your garage this spring
In order to keep your things safe, keep your garage clean.

5. Consider the storage systems

The main thing is to use the garage space as much as you can. Hence, prior to putting everything in its place, take measures of the space. Think of every detail, and find the best solution for storage.

  • shelves – The shelves are simple and functional. They can hold a lot of weight. Moreover, they are an excellent way to store items in an organized way. Also, you can access your things easily. Therefore, put enough shelves of different dimensions in your garage.
  • cabinets – They are quite good when you want to store the items you want to conceal. Though they may get disorganized, this is the perfect place to keep things that need protection from dust or dirt. Also, for things such as chemicals. In that case, lock the cabinets to make sure your children won’t touch anything dangerous for them. Furthermore, in order to save space, you can have sliding doors on your cabinets.
  • plastic bins with lids
  • clear jars – Use jars of different sizes for small things or hardware.
  • hooks
  • pegboard – It’s quite easy to install. Still, don’t use it for heavy objects.

6. Overhead storage

The ceiling should not be wasted. Believe it or not, you can use this space to store a lot of items. As a matter of fact, this is a great idea for long-term storage. Also, the items that are hard to store somewhere else can find their place above your heads.

7. Make sure the things are kept off the ground

In order to arrange better protection of your items and to make sure the garage is tidy at any time, keep things off the ground. In case you’re buying ready-made shelves and cabinets they should have raised-on legs. After all, it’ll be much easier to clean the floor beneath them.

8. Invest in protection

Unfortunately, break-ins happen. Therefore, invest in quality doors and window locks. Fill in the holes, protect the ceiling. No rain, floods, and other accidents should compromise the safety of the items. Be that as it may, Kirkland self storage offers complete protection of your items.

a house with garages protected with safe doors
No matter what you keep in your garage safety comes first. Choose high-quality doors and locks on the windows.

9. Maintain your garage organized

Once you’ve arranged your garage space this spring, place everything in its place. Don’t forget you must keep everything protected and clean. Check regularly your items. Keep your garage tidy and neat at least once a month. Of course, it depends on how much time you actually have. That is why you should never store in your garage certain items that need more detailed protection.

Make sure you use every inch of your garage smartly

Overall, reorganizing your garage this spring is a way to declutter and keep your items safe in one place. Take care of every detail. Make sure the space is clean and full of good storage systems. However, in case your budget allows you, a more secure and less tiresome way would be to use storage facilities where true professionals take care of your belongings. With this in mind, you’ll enjoy more space and save yourself a lot of trouble.

 

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