If moving your office is a daunting prospect, one thing that can help is breaking the task up into parts. We’ll go over ways to prepare for an office move, including advice for considering your needs, planning ahead, communicating about the move, and getting ready for moving day. By the end, you’ll have the information you need to prepare a moving checklist and make this massive task a little more manageable!
Table of Contents
Consider Your Needs
One step you should take to prepare for an office move is to consider your needs. Figuring out what the move can help you achieve will contribute to good decision making throughout the moving process.
For instance, your office move can be an opportunity for your company to grow. Perhaps your new office space will be larger. If you can get your hands on a nice location, you can use the move to attract more clients and talented employees.
An office move can also change up the rhythms of work. Think about the limitations of your current office space and how your new space might be different. For instance, do you want to structure workstations differently? Do you want more conference rooms for collaboration? Structuring your new office with intention can increase your efficiency in the new space.
Not only can these considerations make your employees more productive, but so can the building’s amenities. For instance, try to find an office space with ample natural light. You can also consider the location of the office: employees may be happier if their office is near a gym. Having nice spots nearby to grab work lunches can also be great for team-building!
Plan Ahead
After you think about your vision for the relocation, there are a variety of logistical tasks involved in an office move. Prepare by adding all these tasks to your office moving checklist.
One major task is coming up with a timeline for the move. Some key dates for the timeline include the end of your current lease, the beginning of a new lease, your moving date, and the date you want to finish the move by. When you make your timeline, time the move to minimize disruptions to your workflow. For instance, you can plan to move in between large projects.
Related to the question of the lease, determine whether you’ll renew your lease, and notify your landlord about the move.
You should also consider your budget for the move. Office moves come with a variety of costs, such as the cost of hiring movers and cleaning services, purchasing any new equipment you want, and paying employees overtime.
Also, take some time early on to form a moving team! Assign someone to be the point person during the move, and figure out who on the team will be responsible for taking care of which tasks on your moving checklist.
Finally, prepare for the move by doing some blueprinting. Visit your new office space to see if you want to make any changes like painting or installing equipment. Measure the dimensions of the space. Map out where you want major equipment to be located, and where you want everyone’s workstations to be. This is a great time to get your employee’s feedback on their new set-up.
Communicate About the Move
Communicating about the move is a key step. Announce the move to employees as early as possible. You can start with an email and hold meetings throughout the moving process. Employees will have a lot of questions about the move, including what the new office will be like, how their schedules might change, and where they can park.
In addition, plan to update all your marketing materials with your new address. For example, change the address on your website, and order new copies of any promotional materials that might have your old address on them. If you’re moving into a larger space, this can be a great opportunity to celebrate the growth of your company!
Lastly, let the relevant people know about your relocation. Inform services like the post office, the IRS, and utility companies about the move. Make sure you get a head start on transferring all these services to your new space before moving day.
Prepare for Moving Day
Prepare for moving day by doing an inventory of your old office. Determine what you want to keep and what you want to get rid of. This inventory will also help you know if you want to purchase anything for your new office.
Once you have an inventory, you can start packing. Stay organized! Keep track of who each item belongs to and where it will go in the new space. Spreadsheets are always helpful.
Another major part of preparing for moving day is finding movers you trust. For an office move, hire a company like UniMovers that specializes in commercial moves.
Do research on the moving company’s policies and rates to make sure they will fit your needs and budget! Consider getting a quote from a few different moving companies.
Conclusion
Now you know the basics of preparing for an office move. We first covered how to consider your needs for the new space before diving into topics related to initial planning, including budgeting, making a moving timeline, and preparing a moving checklist. We also discussed how to communicate about the move and prepare for moving day. Make sure you hire trustworthy office movers to ensure a stress-free move! Keep our checklist close by to ensure a seamless office move.
Sophie Pollack-Milgate has a day job as a research assistant. In her free time, she likes to read 10% of the library books she checks out, complain about how either ice or heat are ruining her runs (depending on the season), and modify recipes beyond recognition.
