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.

The different tactics to pack your household

Step 1 of 2

MM slash DD slash YYYY

Packing always seems to be a struggle. Whether you’re preparing for a weekend getaway or a business trip, packing can take hours and is rarely fun. But when you’re moving, downsizing, renovating, or even renting self storage Seattle, you need to pack a lot more than a few pieces of clothing – you need to pack your entire household. And that can be incredibly time-consuming, not to mention exhausting. In fact, it’s such a huge task that you can easily find yourself overwhelmed and not knowing where to start. However, there are several different tactics to pack your household which can help you do this faster and easier. You just have to choose the one that suits you and your home perfectly and you’re all set!

The different tactics you can use to pack your household

Given that packing your entire home is a monumental task, you’re going to need a plan of action. This will ensure that you get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible without forgetting anything vital. But where do you start with boxing up your whole life and moving it somewhere else? And once you start, how do you keep going? Virtually everyone in your situation has faced this problem. Luckily, there are multiple ways to overcome it.

#1: Declutter and pack only what’s necessary

One of the biggest challenges when packing a household is the sheer number of things you need to pack. And this isn’t just a problem for those that like to hoard things – we all accumulate more material belongings than we realize over time. Then, when the time comes to pack them all, we find ourselves scratching our heads and wondering where all this stuff came from and what we’re going to do with it. The solution is logical: you need to declutter!

Vinyls and books displayed in a yard.
Organizing a garage sale can be a part of different tactics to pack your household.

You almost certainly have things you no longer need or use. Old appliances, clothes that have gone out of style, toys your kids have grown out of, furniture that’s seen better days – who needs all this? All these things are doing is taking up space and gathering dust. Do you really need them in your new home?

Do you really want to pay extra for big storage units because of things you’ll probably never use again? How many boxes are you willing to waste on trinkets you don’t really care about? Instead, here’s a thought: sell them for extra cash or donate them to someone who needs them more than you. Not only will you have less to pack, but you’ll also make someone’s day with a great second-hand find. And even if you end up with several boxes, you should have no trouble fitting them inside a portable Kirkland self storage container.

#2: Start from the things you use least when packing

Since nobody really enjoys wasting time on packing, most people want to get it over with as soon as possible. But that’s not always the way to go. Rushing often leads to mistakes. These mistakes can be dangerous, especially when you’re moving and rushing – you might break something valuable or injure yourself while trying to lift heavier things. Instead, why not take the safer and simpler approach – start packing weeks in advance. Set aside a few hours every weekend to pack a few things and then put them in short term storage Seattle until it’s time to move.

Person wearing winter clothes.
If you’re moving in the summer, you can pack your winter clothes early on.

That way, you can avoid the stress of having to pack your household last-minute. But you’ll need to pack strategically. Start with the things you aren’t using – off-season clothing, holiday decorations, valuables. Then slowly move on to things you’re unlikely to need before the relocation. Finally, pack the things you’re still using last to ensure a comfortable stay in your home to the end.

#3: Go room by room

By far, the most popular strategy for packing a household is the room-by-room packing approach. The idea is simple: finish packing one room before you move on to another. It keeps you organized and makes it less likely that you’ll leave something behind. But there’s one big problem – you pretty much have to pack your entire home in one go. Whether you’re going to work hard all day or strategically pack smaller or less-used rooms first and spread it out over a whole weekend is up to you.

But you can’t exactly spread this out over a few weeks. Otherwise, you’ll end up with your kitchen completely empty and your bathroom still fully stocked. Gather all your packing materials, call friends and family for help, prepare for some hard work, and don’t stop until you’re done!

#4: Combine the best of different tactics to pack your household and create your own strategy

Every relocation is unique and packing strategies aren’t a one-size-fits-all task either. Sometimes, none of these will strategies work for you. And what happens then? Well, you can always make your own plan for packing your household by taking the things you like best about each of these strategies and combining them in a way that works for you. These tactics are, after all, just suggestions. What matters is that you have a plan and it’s a plan that works for you.

Person using a planner to combine different tactics to pack your household.
Creating your own approach to packing can often have the best outcome… that or relying on the help of professional packers.

How to choose between the different tactics to pack your household?

Every household packing tactic has its pros and cons. If you have a lot of stuff or are downsizing, then decluttering is definitely for you. But if you’re moving into a bigger house on a tight budget, you may want to hold on to as much stuff as possible instead of buying new things. Avoiding stress will be much easier if you pace yourself and pack slowly. However, if you’re moving on short notice, this is not really an option.

Finally, if you don’t have much to pack and like to get things done quickly, room-by-room packing is probably the easiest choice for you. But if you don’t want to rush, then you should choose something else. It really all depends on how you like to schedule your time, what your to-do list looks like for any given day, and how you work best.

Some general tips for packing a household

Regardless of which of the different tactics to pack your household you choose, some things are universally true: you shouldn’t procrastinate, you should get plenty of quality packing materials, and you should ask for help with the heavy lifting. Finally, if something goes wrong, you can always look for professional packers in the area. After all, you should always have a backup plan.

Latest Posts