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.

Guidelines for packing your home office

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Are you planning a relocation of your home office? If you are, there are some things you can do to ease this process. Packing your home office is not something you can do in an hour. Also, you should make sure to take this process seriously and make a packing plan. We made a short guide to help you organize this process and keep all of your inventory pieces safe. Take a look at the few most important steps you should take while packing your home office.

Organize transportation on time

If you are packing your home office during the move, you should make sure to organize the transportation of your belongings on time. Before getting all the packing supplies, you should consider hiring a moving company with all the necessary equipment to move your home office. Relocation companies can also offer you different storage solutions. For example, if you are moving to Kenmore, WA, you could look for Kenmore self-storage solutions. This type of storage is the most efficient solution for local moves.

Schedule a moving date

Before you start packing your home office, you should make sure to know the exact moving date. If your office is packed and you have to wait a few weeks while searching for movers, your business can suffer. In order to keep your work up to date, you should make sure to talk to your movers and schedule a moving day.

making plans
You should make sure to take this process seriously and make a packing plan.

Packing your home office – where to start?

When packing your home office, you should access the entire inventory and see what you’re dealing with. For example, if there is some furniture you could disassemble into pieces, find the right moving boxes and pack pieces individually. Also, it’s very important to sort out important documents in order to avoid the loss of some of them. When it comes to packing your home office, you should decide which items are unnecessary and get rid of them. This will help you lower the price of moving services you plan to pay for. Packing only necessary items will ease the packing and prevent clutter.

Sort out your inventory

Packing documents and paperwork is probably the trickiest part of moving a home office. This is why you should sort all the paperwork into a few piles:

office furniture
If there is some furniture you could disassemble into pieces, find the right moving boxes and pack pieces individually.
  • Contracts
  • Books and literature
  • Receipts, warranty paperwork, and valuation coverage policies
  • Homeownership paperwork
  • Bank and finance-related paperwork
  • Office supplies and documents

Pack by categories

Having all the previously mentioned categories in mind, you should pack those documents and office supplies into separate moving boxes. Make sure to decide which files are confidential and shouldn’t be handled by movers. If you want to, you could move those items yourself.

Label the moving boxes

Unlike other household items, your home office inventory shouldn’t be mixed up during the move. It’s important to label all the moving boxes when packing your home office. By doing so, you will ease the unpacking process and setting up your home office in a new location.

Transport important files by yourself

Hiring a moving company is a great idea. However, if your business is dependent on some important paperwork, you could always choose to keep it with you during the move. If you keep your documents safe during a move, you will save your work in case of some moving complications.

laptop
It’s important to label all the moving boxes when packing your home office.

Disassemble furniture and secure it for the move

Once you pack all of your paperwork and label the moving boxes, you should take your time to pack the furniture. This might be the hardest part of packing your home office, but there are ways you can ease this packing process. If you can disassemble some of the pieces, make sure to wrap the pieces into plastic wrap. In case your furniture can’t be disassembled, you could ask a moving company to help you transport it in one piece. 

Don’t forget to consider a temporary storage solution, especially if you are moving your home office to a new location. There are some Bellevue self-storage options your movers can provide. Just make sure to let them know the size of your inventory and other details of your move.

Hiring a reliable moving company

If you are moving your home office, the moving company you hire should act like moving business inventory. Unlike some kitchenware, clothes and memorabilia from your home, losing some of the office inventory could affect your business in many ways. Before signing a contract with your movers, you should make sure that they know the value of your inventory.

notebooks
Before getting all the packing supplies, you should consider hiring a moving company with all the necessary equipment to move your home office.

Another way of securing your stuff during the move is to pay for a moving valuation plan. Some relocation companies offer full-coverage valuation as a part of their full-moving service. Just to be sure, you should make sure to understand all the details before paying for a moving service.

Make a storage plan

After packing your home office, you might be needing a temporary or a long-term storage solution. By making a storage plan, you will make sure your inventory is safe even if your new office is not move-in ready. For this reason, you should contact a reliable storage company and make sure to get more information. Depending on your needs, you could choose between temporary or long-term storage solutions. Whichever you choose, professional storage experts will present you with options and help you choose the best one.

Packing your home office should be an efficient process in which all of your important files and documents stay safe. Whether you have a small or a big office to move, we hope these guidelines helped you organized this process like a pro.

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