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.

Decluttering your attic – how and why

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If you have some spare time on your hands and want to improve your living conditions, your attic is definitely one of the places to look at. You can reinvent and reimagine it for another purpose, providing you with either an extra storage unit or another living room. But before you can do all of that, you will need to do some work. Now, this can be a tricky proposition, depending on the circumstances, and you might want to rent a temporary Everett self storage unit for the endeavor. That will make it easier for you to renovate/remodel your attic, as well as make the whole process a lot more convenient. In this article, we will provide you with a guide to decluttering your attic, so you will have an easier time with it.

Why declutter, to begin with?

decluttering your attic - easier together
An extra room can be used for all sorts of purposes.

There are numerous reasons why you might want to free up an extra room in your home. Perhaps your family has a new addition and you want to start working on that child’s bedroom? Or you want to have a dedicated gaming room, or simply to have somewhere to store all those extra items you don’t need all year long.

In fact, you might have been using the attic for storing purposes up until now, and it is full of various items that you even don’t know about anymore. To declutter it the easiest way, look into one of the short-term storage Seattle solutions. PortaBox can make the whole process a lot easier and more convenient. You may also want to involve professionals at some point, especially if you have plenty of remodeling to do. Even if you want to make this your own personal project, advice from a contractor can help you create the room exactly how you want it.

But before you can get to that, you will need to declutter.

How to go about decluttering your attic?

  • Create a plan
  • Take everything out
  • Clean the attic
  • Sort everything
  • Get rid of unwanted items
  • Label and organize your items

Depending on the situation, you might want to enlist additional help. Decluttering can be a lengthy, as well as tiring, process. The more people you have working on it, the better. Therefore, pick up the phone, call a few friends and/or family members and ask them for help. Their presence will make everything easier. If you need professional advice, you can always contact PortaBox Storage Seattle and we will be happy to provide you with some solutions. It will be much easier to go through this process if you have some quality plastic storage bins with you, after all. 

Create a plan

man writing on hammer paper
Before anything else, create a good plan of action!

The first thing you need to do is have a clear goal in mind. With a good plan, decluttering will be a lot faster and easier. Think of what you want to use the attic for, as well as the areas that will be used for storage, gaming, or an office. With a clear plan in mind, you will not need to backtrack or question your decisions while you work. This is also the time to start thinking about acquiring packing materials and include them in your projections.

If you are planning to renovate your attic, you may want to set a budget for it as well. The bottom line is, the more you prepare, the better. Just make sure not to use up all of your time thinking about decluttering the attic and not actually doing it. It is a trap that most of us fall into.

Take everything out when decluttering your attic

Once you have the plan of action all sorted out, it is time to get to work. The first thing you want to do is simply to remove absolutely everything from the attic. Take out all of the items and put them somewhere else. Depending on the size and the number of items inside, this is a process that might take several days. Make sure that you have a temporary solution for storing those items before you can bring back in those that will remain.

Clean the attic

After everything is out, you will have the perfect opportunity to clean your attic. You may be surprised at how much cleaning work is to be done. It is most likely you haven’t cleaned your attic all that much throughout the years. Which is perfectly normal, the attic is that one room that you usually don’t have to bother cleaning. At least that is what most people think.

However, if you plan on using your attic regularly, it is imperative that you give it a thorough scrubbing. You can clean the attic on your own or hire professional cleaning services, depending on your budget and available time. Again, having a couple of friends and family members to assist will make everything easier.

Sort everything

man carrying a table
Make sure that you have enough room for the stuff you will bring out.

All those items that you have taken out will need to be sorted at some point. You can do the sorting while you are resting from the cleaning effort, or you can designate some time to do it. You might also want to take the opportunity to write down the stuff that you have. Keeping an attic inventory list is a great way to save a lot of time and effort down the road.

Get rid of unwanted items

During the sorting process, you will most likely encounter many items that you will never use again. Chances are, if you haven’t used something for a year or two, you are not going to be using it again. Most of the time, when we need something, we will go to the store and get it instead of rummaging through the attic. That is just the way it is. Therefore, don’t clutter your attic all over again, get rid of the items you are not using, freeing up space for more useful belongings.

Label and organize your items

Lastly, you may want to create a labeling system for your belongings. It will make locating the things you need a lot easier. Decluttering your attic is the perfect opportunity to do so. Create a labeling system that you like, as detailed or brief as you want it to be. Then slap those labels on each box and enjoy spending the least amount of time on finding the items you need!

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