Moving office is a complex and stressful process at the best of times. It can be a nightmare to try and coordinate the whole process effectively. That’s why great planning is essential to making sure your move runs smoothly and without any issues. The best way to plan your move is to break it down into manageable tasks and sections. It is important to approach a move with a plan and to have a good idea of what needs to be done. The following checklist will help you get organised for a stress-free office move.
Give yourself plenty of time
One thing that is important to do when planning to move office premises is to allow plenty of time ahead. More often than not, people will rush their move or attempt to move before they are actually ready to do so; this will make the process feel more chaotic. However, not setting a date to move office can be just as bad, as the process can take too long and become drawn out.
To avoid both of these situations, set a realistic moving date from the outset to ensure that you have a timeframe to work around and plan your move in advance. You should give yourself at least six weeks to get everything organised and planned out but take longer if you feel you will need to. It’s important to remember that the longer your move drags out, the more it will end up costing your business.
Moving Office Checklist
The first thing you should do before moving office is plan what kind of furniture and equipment you will need. It is a good idea to measure your new office space beforehand to make sure that your current furniture will fit. It is likely that you are moving to new premises to expand your business, so you might need to think about getting more furniture anyway. You should also consider hiring a removal firm to help you move your belongings, as they will often handle packing, too.
Six Weeks to Moving Day
- Measure your new office space and decide what additional furniture you'll need so that the space is ready when you arrive.
- It is also important that you alert your staff to the move and offer support if they need to make any arrangements themselves.
Four Weeks to Moving Day
- If there isn’t already security in place then you should consult a security company and arrange for them to survey your office prior to moving in.
- Make sure you arrange for new phone lines and internet access at your new office premises so that you don’t have any downtime. You should be able to speak to your current supplier about the change of address.
- Order the new furniture that you need for the office space to ensure that it will be delivered in time for moving into the new premises.
- Make sure that you inform your clients about the impending change of address so that they are aware; you should also plan to update your website and listings with the new address.
Two Weeks to Moving Day
- Make sure that the facilities are all working and ready for when you move in, such as the kitchen and bathroom; get these stocked with tea, coffee, etc.
- Make sure that your phone providers can transfer the business number to your new business premises and that any old post will be forwarded to your new address.
- If you have a delay in moving to your new premises, or you simply don’t want to transport all of your belongings at once, then you should consider storage solutions until you are ready to move them. Make Space can provide the perfect business storage to meet your needs.
Moving Day
Come moving day you should be ready to move if you have followed our moving checklist. Moving office premises is always going to be nerve-wracking but you can make the whole process easier by planning things out. This way you are in control from the start and you shouldn’t get any nasty surprises.