The Ultimate Guide to a Hassle-Free Office Move

October 12, 2016 admin

As your business evolves and grows, there will come a time when you have outgrown your current office space. Research suggests that businesses relocate on average every 7 years, whether for business growth, company relocation, or simply a change of scenery. Moving offices is exciting but challenging. Do not fear; we have compiled an ultimate guide to ensure your office move runs seamlessly. Dive into our comprehensive blog to turn a daunting task into a positive experience for your business and employees.

What to Consider When Moving Offices
How to Plan an Office Move
Common Issues with Planning an Office Move
Ultimate Office Move Checklist
Hassle-Free Office Move FAQs

What to Consider When Moving Offices

Before you commit to moving offices, it is crucial to understand the reasons behind the move. There are many reasons for moving offices, but identifying these early on will enable you to form a more strategic office moving process and secure your dream location.

Some main reasons for office relocations include:

Business Growth: As your business expands, it may be necessary to update your physical location. Relocation can help you customise your office design to match your business growth. Whether you want to add more workstations or provide more accessibility to meeting rooms, it is essential to consider how you envision your business developing and creating a workspace that meets your ever-changing needs.

Boosting Productivity: Your office space must meet the needs of your employees. Employee productivity is essential for driving your business forward, so creating an office space that enhances morale should be a priority for all business owners. If you have outgrown your office space and it offers little benefit to your employees, it may be time to relocate to a more modern space with more natural lighting and open-plan designs.

Current Lease: If your current lease has ended and you are unsure whether to renew it, consider your business goals, employee morale, and current growth to determine whether it is time to move forward with an office move. Shop around for offices that meet your business needs and assess your options.

Buying an Office: Most companies rent their office space; however, some may feel ready to buy a commercial property for their new headquarters. Buying an office space can be more cost-effective in the long term. Investing in an office space enhances the importance of assessing your current and dream space. Consider office styles, employee satisfaction, and business growth, and choose an office location that captures your goals.

How to Plan an Office Move

Once you have researched and selected a new office space, it is time to kickstart your planning process. A well-organised office move is critical for a seamless transition.

Appoint an Office Move Manager

To begin your office move, you should appoint an office move manager to take the reigns on the project. This person will be responsible for creating an office move to-do list, budgeting, planning and notifying employees and customers of the office relocation.

Create an Inventory

Your office move manager should first create a list of all your office belongings before you start packing anything away. This will help ensure that you have packed everything you want to take to your new office, and you can refer back to it during the unpacking process.

You should include the following details in your inventory:

Name of the item
A brief description of the item, including make, model, production year
The current condition of the item
The department it belongs in
The fragility of the item, including special packing and loading notes

Consider Moving Costs

Creating a budget for your move is recommended, as it is easy to let the costs mount up during a move. Start by evaluating what you need to complete your move seamlessly and the associated costs, such as packing materials, moving insurance, new equipment, and removal company fees. It is always better to overestimate your budget if things add up slightly more than originally planned.

Assess Your New Location

Do a walkthrough of your new office space and try to envision what your ideal layout looks like. Create a blueprint mapping out the space, including socket locations, windows, and natural lighting, to map out your workspace that best uses your available space.

Plan a Suitable Date

It can be tricky to arrange a moving date if your business is constantly busy. It is therefore important to choose a moving date that will have the least impact on the daily running of your business, for example, between projects. Set your staff up with the ability to work from home to keep up with their workload throughout the move.

Start Packing

In the months before your office move, you should ask your employees in each department to start packing up non-essential items. As time nears, more office items should be packed up to be ready to go when moving day arrives. Proper protective packaging, especially for fragile items, is important to ensure that they arrive at their new home with no damage.

Hire a Removal Company

Many people make the common mistake of believing they can do everything themselves when organising their office move. Hiring a removal company is essential for a hassle-free move. You should enquire with multiple local companies to receive a quote and assess their reviews before selecting a company. Some office moving companies offer packing and storage services, taking additional stress away from you and enabling you to continue to work until the move.

Common Issues When Planning an Office Move

Underestimating the Move

Office moves may seem simple compared to a house move, but they are deceivingly challenging in their own right. You might not realise how much you have to move until you start packing, and you could easily spend hours digging through hidden filing cabinets and boxes that you’d forgotten about completely. If you’ve ever had to prepare for a house move, you should expect a similar experience to your office move—don’t underestimate it!

Lack of Enthusiasm

Another common issue that business owners can face when preparing for an office move is a complete lack of enthusiasm. Nothing motivates you to plan your move more than excitement, but that excitement is often absent during an office move. [removed sentence]

The best way to get excited about your office move is to consider why you need to move. Is your business growing? Do you need more room for stock and employees? Are you trying to save costs? Whatever the reason, find the positives and focus on them throughout the move.

Leaving it Until the Last Minute

Business owners often leave preparation for the office move until the last minute because they assume it’ll be a quick process, but this is rarely the case. It’s not just packing that you need to be ready for; you’ll likely need to update your details with your bank and post office, inform your clients and customers of your move formally and possibly even change your Wi-Fi and landline providers, all of which should be completed in advance of the move. [removed sentence]

The best time to start preparing for the move is soon after you’ve arranged your moving date. Although you might think that your office only consists of a few half-empty filing cabinets and computers, you’ll be surprised when you empty everything and realise how much you have in your office. So ensure you have plenty of time to prepare before the big date arrives.

No Time to Say Goodbye

We always recommend that homeowners take time to say goodbye to their house when moving out of it, but the idea of saying goodbye to an office might seem a little strange to some people. However, an office can hold just as much sentimental value as a home, especially if you built your business there and have been there for a long time.

You must take the time to give your office the farewell it deserves. Your colleagues might feel equally attached to the office, so ensure they have time to say goodbye. Hold an office party or event before moving out so you can leave your office with one final hurrah.

Ultimate Office Move Checklist

6-12 Months Before the Move:

Review current lease agreements
Select a new office location
Determine the budget for the move
Research and select a trusted removal company

3-6 Months Before the Move:

Notify employees of the move and provide regular updates
Assess the new office space to determine the desired layout
Purchase new furniture and equipment for the office
Schedule IT and phone system installations

1-3 Months Before the Move:

Confirm details and plan time and logistics with the moving company
Begin packing non-essential items
Begin to notify customers and partners of your move
Update your contact information

1-4 Weeks Before the Move:

Disassemble furniture and equipment
Pack your remaining items and label boxes correctly to aid with the unpacking process

Moving Day

Coordinate with your removal company to ensure everything is on track
Supervise the move to ensure everything is loaded and ready
Do a final inspection of your old offices to ensure that nothing has been left behind
Once you reach the new office, begin the unloading and unpacking process

Following the Move

Consult your ideal layout and arrange furniture and equipment to match
Test the IT and phone systems in the new office
Assess if you need to add anything extra to improve the feel of your new office.

Hassle-Free Office Move FAQs

How much does it cost to move an office?

Many costs are associated with moving offices, from packing materials to removal companies. Each move will vary in price depending on your budget and the items you need to move. Receive a free quotation from our team for your packing and moving needs.

How do I set up a new office?

Once you arrive at your new location, it is essential to know your desired location before you start unpacking your belongings. Consider things like office culture, natural light, plug sockets, and more to effectively organise your office layout.

What if I need to store office supplies before the move?

At Guardian Removals, we offer a range of storage solutions to simplify your moving process. We can pack your belongings and take them to our secure storage facility until moving day, when we deliver your office items to your new space.

Seamless Office Moves with Guardian Removals

Conducting an office move requires careful planning and consideration to ensure a seamless process. If, like many business owners, you don’t feel that you have the time to properly prepare for a move, it might be a good idea to hire a moving company to help you with everything from providing sturdy packaging to delivering your items to their final destination.

At Guardian Removals, we are dedicated to ensuring that your office move runs smoothly. Contact us today; our experienced team can assist you with any questions. Kickstart your office move today with our help!