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 make moving more time-efficient

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Moving is not something you do overnight. In fact, if you’re moving long-distance, it may take you months to properly prepare and organize everything. Unfortunately, some things can’t be rushed! You shouldn’t sell you home to the first potential buyer just because they’re interested or box your belongings up without a care in the world. But there are some aspects of moving that you can get done faster if you know what you’re doing. Since people use storage when moving a lot, PortaBox Storage experts know a thing or two about how to make moving more time-efficient as you prepare for the relocation. From planning tips to packing advice, we’ll guide through the process of saving time on relocation.

Planning tips to make moving more time-efficient

One of the best things you can do to make moving not just more time-efficient but also less stressful and overall easier is to make a good moving plan. Planning in advance is beneficial in many ways: it helps you stay on top of all the tasks you need to do, it keeps you organized, and it keeps you on schedule. So it’s worth putting a few hours in planning your relocation before you start.

Planner with a plan to make moving more time-efficient
Planning is never a waste of time.

Start preparing for your relocation as soon as possible

This may seem a little counter-intuitive if you’re trying to move quickly. After all, doesn’t starting well before moving day mean you’ll spend more time on your relocation? But look at it this way: the sooner you start, the sooner you’ll finish. Plus, having a plan means you’ll waste less time making things up on the fly. So take a few hours to research your options, read up on some tips, and make the best plan for your relocation. Remember to allow for plenty of time for packing, brainstorm on whether you need to use Newcastle self storage, and look into moving companies in the area.

Create a checklist to stay on track

Checklists are an excellent format for putting your moving plan on paper. They are very simple to make while also giving you an easy overview of all the tasks you need to do. And if you make a virtual checklist, you can also easily drag tasks into a new order if your plans change.

Plan out the day of the move in advance

As moving day gets closer, you’ll also want to make a plan for how moving day should go. This doesn’t have to be as detailed as your overall moving checklist: simply write out all the things you mustn’t forget. Remember to write in the time you need things done by if there is a deadline. If your landlord, for example, is expecting you to vacate the premises by midday or you need to load your boxes into portable storage Boise before the container is picked up by a certain time, you should make those tasks priorities. You’ll likely have to be very flexible on this as unpredictable things happen all the time when you’re moving. But even some minimal guidelines can help keep you calm thus ensuring you don’t waste time on panicking.

Packing tips to make moving more time-efficient

Packing is the most time-consuming part of the moving process. If you want to move efficiently and quickly, then figuring out ways to make packing faster is crucial. Proper packing techniques can save you a ton of time.

Person packing for a move.
Packing quickly equals moving quickly.

Gather packing supplies in advance

If you’re trying to speed things up, then you don’t want to stop packing every few hours to go out looking for more boxes or tape because you’ve run out. It is much better to have all your packing supplies in your home before you even start. Then you can jump into packing and dedicate all your time to the task until it’s done! So, to estimate the amount of supplies, you’ll need and then gather them in advance. Get a few extra boxes and rolls of tape just in case.

Pack, declutter, and label all at once

Some people like to take their time with packing and do it in phases: decluttering, gathering supplies, preparing the boxes, packing each room one by one, labeling boxes. But if you want to save time, you can do all that at once and this is how:

  1. gather all your supplies in one place that you’ll use as a sort of packing station
  2. set aside three boxes – one for the things you’re donating to charity, one for the things you’re selling, and one for the things you’re throwing away
  3. go through your stuff: put the things you’re getting rid of in the appropriate box; pack the rest
  4. label each box as soon as it’s packed to speed up the process

General moving tips that help you make moving more time-efficient

Between proper planning and quick packing, you’ll save a lot of time. But there are still other things you can do to make your relocation even more time-efficient.

Analog clock.
There are many ways you can move more efficiently.

Get help to speed up the process

By far the easiest way to save time on your relocation is to hire movers to handle everything. Professional movers and packers know exactly how to do everything quickly and efficiently. So if you’re moving on really short notice, you should go for the services of a moving company. However, if that is not an option, you can still ask for help from friends and family. A few extra sets of hands certainly won’t hurt!

Don’t forget about all the little things that make life while on the move easier

It’s easy to focus entirely on moving tasks and how to make them happen faster. But you can also make moving more time-efficient by freeing up a few extra hours every day that you’d normally spend on day-to-day life.

If, for example, you spend eight hours packing instead of working, you’ll be able to cut down on the number of days you need to prepare for the relocation. There are a few things you can do here. Think about using a few vacation days at work, for example. Get childcare to simultaneously keep children taken care of and out of the way. Start practicing weekly meal prep. Every minute you save counts because they eventually add up to a faster relocation!

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