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.

Guide to merging two homes into one

Step 1 of 2

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Taking that leap of faith and deciding to move in with your significant other is a huge step in anyone’s life. With so many plans and expectations for the future, all you can think about is the time that’s ahead. However, before you can enjoy your joined lives, you first have one important hurdle to overcome – the process of merging two homes into one.

Unless one or the other comes with minimal to zero furniture pieces, you will have to find a way for combining the two sets of styles and furniture into one home. Just know that this won’t be an overnight process. And until you can figure out the best and the most logical layout, it would be good to look into self-storage Seattle options. With a safe place for keeping your belongings, you’ll have all the time you need for figuring out the best way to merge your separate belongings into one beautiful whole.

Start with an honest conversation about your expectations

Going into the process, we are sure you have some expectations and ideas as to how this new shared space is supposed to look. And just like you have an idea, so does your partner. Before you start packing your individual items and potentially creating a problem on the day of the move, it would be best to first discuss the process with your partner.

A couple talking about merging two homes into one.
Before you start relocating your items, have an upfront conversation about what’s to come.

How do you both envision the house will look? How many of your items will you have to give up? Will you hire movers for relocating your belongings? Should you pay for a Bothell self-storage unit until you situate yourselves into the new home? These are only some of the questions you should have an answer to. And you should do so even before the day of your move rolls around.

Create a list of favorites when merging two homes into one

All of us possess a certain number of items we simply cannot part ways with. Be that a sofa or a comfy armchair, we know you have a couple of items you can’t imagine your life without. Well, now’s the time to put them all on a piece of paper by creating a list of your must-haves. Once the other person does the same, you will have a pretty good idea of which items aren’t negotiable. A person has to make numerous compromises in any relationship, and you can rest assured that sometimes those compromises will be about mundane things, like putting items in a Woodinville self-storage unit.

Decide what to do with the duplicate items

If both you and your significant other have been living alone, then you have two sets of everything. Two sofas, two stoves, two dining room tables – you get the gist. So when merging two homes into one, it goes without saying that you won’t be able to keep all of your items. This is the moment when you need to compromise the most. So decide what to keep and what to do with the items you decide to get rid of.

A living room.
Whose couch are you going to keep? That is something for you to decide.

The criteria by which you decide whose items to keep is completely up to you. You can choose the most modern pieces, keep half of your items, and half of the other person’s items, etc. The options are numerous. Besides, with all the extra items you are going to have, you can make a sizeable donation or earn some extra income by selling them. Once again, we’ll let you decide what to do.

Do a deep purge of your clothing and personal items

If you have struggled to find enough space in your closet as it is, imagine just how jammed the situation in the new home will be. To avoid mess and clutter, the best (and only) thing you can do is have a deep purge of your belongings. Before you start packing up your bags and moving in with your significant other, go through your closet first and foremost. Get rid of any and all items that don’t fit you anymore. Dispose of the ones that you wear only once in a while as well.

We also suggest you go through your childhood toys and memorabilia, as these are the items we don’t usually need but hold onto because of their sentimental value. As harsh as it may seem, it’s best to be rational instead of sentimental when merging your home with someone else’s.

Draw a floor plan together

And now comes the interesting part – the actual merging. In order to avoid a lot of mess and confusion on the day of the merge aka moving day, it would be best to have a general idea where your items go. And the best way to do that is to put it in writing. Draw a floor plan with your significant other and include the windows, doors, cabinets, and everything that will affect the way you arrange items in a room. Now try to visualize the space and decide where the focal pieces will go. Trust us – this will make your moving-in day so much easier. You will be able to tell your movers where to place your items. Thus, you will save yourself the trouble from dragging them once they leave the premises.

A floor plan.
You do not have to be an architect to draw up a floor plan.

Start enjoying your new life together

Once the focal furniture pieces are in place, it’s the right time to take a sigh of relief. You aren’t settled in yet so you haven’t finished merging two homes into one. But you are certainly only a step away from doing so. Either way, the hard work is now over, so you can sit back, take in the surroundings, and relax. We can promise you that decorating your house will be much more enjoyable than the moving day was.

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