An office relocation is a big project for any organization. Suddenly, you are dealing not only with the logistics of transporting your assets but also with a new set amount of space, a new layout, and additional factors. Planning an office move is necessary to counter challenges and maximize time.
If your company is moving offices, prepare well ahead with this as your guide. Here is how to move offices efficiently.
Review Your Current Lease
An efficient office move starts with reviewing your current lease to ensure you aren’t breaking the terms and losing your deposit.
As part of your lease agreement, you may be required to do a list of things before leaving. This may include basic cleaning and restoring the space to its original condition. Remove cables, installations, fixtures, signs, logos, furniture, and more. If minor repairs are needed, you may also have to cover them.
Give Yourself Lots of Time
An entire office move does not necessarily need to happen in a day or even a few days. If it’s overwhelming, plan for the move to take a week or longer. Make the trips you can make, and take your time. Don’t rush.
Use Portable Storage Containers
Portable storage containers can be dropped off anywhere. They provide additional space to put office furniture and assets that do not fit your new office. Portable storage containers are inexpensive to store items and create more usable square footage for your company’s assets.
Plan Your New Office Layout
As you unload furniture and assets into your new office, this is made significantly easier if you already have a layout in mind. Plan how you will position the furniture and how people navigate the layout. Etc. Then, you have to fill in your drawn-out layout the day of.
Move Assets Based on Priority
As you move from one office to the next, prioritize what needs to be moved first. Have a list to minimize office downtime and keep people working as you fill your new office space. A list of property assets will also ensure nothing becomes missing during the transfer from office to office.
Consider Your Office Size
Your updated office size may be smaller than your old office or different in some way. If you need to downsize furniture or equipment, this must be done long before moving day. If items lack space in your new office, consider portable storage containers to hang onto them.
Donate Office Equipment And Furniture
Pack office furniture and equipment you don’t need. Donate what you aren’t taking with you. Many agencies are willing to pick up these donations. You can assign someone in your office to make the necessary arrangements to offload these items to relevant parties.
Pack Your Office Assets Early
Don’t wait to move. Pack early. Get the necessary boxes and office moving supplies ready to go. Pack what is not used daily. By packing in daily, you’re making progress without overwhelming yourself.
Ensure nothing is damaged during the office move. Pack furniture, computers, electronics, and filing cabinets carefully. How to pack for an office move is a science. It may be enough to hire office movers to help.
Form Your Office Move Team
Whether you hire an office moving service, you still want to form an office moving team at your company. Establish a moving committee composed of different workers. Assign tasks for the move. Make any decisions on how to keep the company running during the move as well.
Notify Clients And Suppliers
As you start redirecting mail and contacting utility companies to notify them of the office move, don’t forget to notify relevant clients and suppliers. A company doesn’t want to miss significant correspondence or confuse partners.
Ensure Connection Dates Are Set
Set up internet, phone, and utilities in your new office. Ensure they work before your move-in date. From setup, you want to be able to jump back into work as soon as possible. Additional services to set up may include electricity, garbage and recycling pickup, security services, and similar considerations.
Keep Employees Informed
Ensure that employees have an email informing them of what’s happening. Advise them of the new office address, moving day, key features of the new office, and key dates in the moving process. After a week post-move, schedule a meeting with employees to review the move, receive feedback, and answer questions.
