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.

How to estimate the storage unit size you need

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Additional space is something probably all of us have dreamt about at a certain point in our lives. Additionally, having a storage container (or containers) delivered to us is an option that we do not take seriously enough. Reliable self storage in Seattle has all the prerequisites to be the right solution for everybody’s needs. And for all of you who have been thinking about renting a storage unit, but are unsure of which size to opt for, we are here to assist. PortaBox Storage will advise you on how to estimate the storage unit size you need and avoid the most common storage mistakes.

Why is it important to estimate the storage unit size

Picking the right size for about anything can be far more complicated than it might seem at the first glance. After all, the amount of stuff that you are going to need to store can oftentimes be difficult to imagine once stored in a different setting. According to Bainbridge Island self storage professionals, people sometimes make two mistakes:

  • Pick too small a unit
  • Opt for the too-big one

The questions that pop up next are quite logical and we’re offering you the answers.

Why do people opt for a too-small unit?

When people look for portable storage containers for rent near me, they tend to go and rent smaller ones. It is because most people wish to save as much money as possible. Obviously, this seems like a cost-effective and clever option. However, it is not going to help you solve the problem of the lack of space that you have but make it worse.

a row of storage units
Choosing the right size storage unit does not have to be that difficult with timely preparation.

Sure, at the beginning you might feel good about having more space to exploit than before. However, not all of your items will fit, you will risk stacking them incorrectly, and potentially damaging the ones you’re able to fit in. Soon enough you will realize that you are just wasting money on the unit you rented and not solving the issue you wanted to deal with in the first place.

Why do people choose a too-big unit?

Another option that you may opt for in the case you failed to properly estimate the storage unit size would be to opt for a larger one than you actually need. The thought behind this would be that it is better to have more space than to lack space. Up to a certain point, we can go along with this analogy. After all, renting a storage unit that is not large enough is definitely more waste of money than renting one that is too big.

However, in the long run, using a storage unit that is too big is going to negatively affect your budget. Just the money that you will be investing in has to offer will not have been worth it. Our self storage Boise experts advise that you should make an inventory and take time to properly make an estimation of the storage space you require.

cardboard boxes help easily estimate the storage unit size you need
Packing in cardboard boxes can help you estimate the storage unit size you need

Tips to estimate the right size of your storage space

The process of estimation is quite straightforward. First of all, you should make sure to:

  • take inventory of your belongings that should go into storage. You need to know what you want to store away in order to actually be able to find the self storage Shoreline has to offer of the right size.
  • calculate the load that you are dealing with. To best deal with this step would be to take representative pieces of items. Each item should be representative of the size of each category needing to be stored. Then, calculate the volume of each and every one of the items.
  • multiply the volume sizes you received by the number of boxes in that category. This is going to present you with the overall volume of things that you need to put away.

Of course, there will be items that can’t fit the boxes and need to be stored separately. In that case, the following solution will come in handy – ask a reputable storage provider for professional advice. And then, go with it.

Find a trustworthy storage provider

What you are left to do is to actually tell your chosen storage provider the amount and volume of items and what size of unit you are looking for. With the volume of your things calculated, this step is going to be an easy one. The reason why we would suggest talking to your provider first is that they are going to have the experience and knowledge needed to help you maximize the storage space you are going to be getting to use.

A couple holding a sofa in effort to estimate the storage unit size they need
Ask experts for help with estimating storage space for your bulky furniture.

No storage space in a unit can be used to its maximum. If there were the case, then you would be left with a unit fully loaded and unable to reach the items that you may need to take out someday. Therefore, let us know what volume of things you need to store away and their nature. Our experts are going to suggest the right size of the unit for your needs. And you should feel confident to trust them on this. We are in this business to make your life easier.

You’re ready to estimate the right storage unit size

As you have seen, people too often make wrong decisions when they have to decide what size of storage unit to rent both for home and business storage purposes. However, you should be ready now to do what it takes to correctly estimate the storage unit size you need. Simply follow the pieces of advice we prepared for you and once you make precise measurements, give us a call. We are going to help you make the right decision and rent the storage unit that fits all your needs.

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I shopped around and could not beat the price. But, what really impressed me was the driver's concern and attention for my things - that was the icing on the cake. I'll recommend you to my friends.

Mary G

Locations Served

LYNNWOOD PORTABOX

2902B Lincoln Way Lynnwood, WA, 98087