Move an Entire Office

Are you planning an office move? Moving an office is as complex as moving a home, possibly even more so. There’s large, heavy office furniture, computers and monitors, wall hangings, posters, and signs to pack up and move. You may also have delicate electronic equipment or machinery that requires specialized handling. And usually, you’re on a tight schedule and must keep your business running throughout the entire process.

An impossible job? Far from it. With some planning, you can move your entire office on time, within budget, and without pulling all your hair out.

This post will give some suggestions for moving an office. If you’re planning an office move and need guidance on where to begin, this post may interest you.

Start Planning Early

As you know, an office relocation is a big job with many moving parts. That’s why it’s beneficial to plan early for your move. You should start planning as soon as you know about the move. Ideally, six months in advance is when you start researching moving services and making a list of tasks. Some people start even earlier, such as a year ahead.

Identify a Moving Team

Planning a move for a good-sized office isn’t something you can do all by yourself. Also, getting your employees involved in the planning helps ensure they’re bought into the move and gives you the benefit of their valuable input.

So you should designate an in-house moving planning team, with representation from every major department in the company. You could nominate someone else in the company to head up the planning, so you can focus on the day-to-day aspects of keeping the business running. You can delegate tasks to specific people or groups on the planning team.

Set a Budget

Although you may not have a firm number, you will want to have a general idea of how much you plan to spend on the move. This could change later but will be helpful when you research moving companies and decide on essential tasks. Your budget will help you determine what things should be included in the move and what can be done later or not at all.

Declutter

As with a house move, decluttering is a good step before moving. You don’t want to pay to move things you’re no longer using. You and the moving team can collectively decide whether a piece of equipment is still needed, and if not, whether it can be discarded, sold, or donated.

You will also want to survey your new office location so you know what will fit and what won’t, and start deciding what should go where. If the new office has a very different layout, you may have to part with some items.

Choose a Moving Service

You will want to choose several moving companies that can handle your commercial move and consult with each. Office moves are different from home moves, and it’s best to use a company that is experienced in commercial moving. Once you’ve received quotes from at least three companies and talked with each one, you can choose one. The company may also work to find a moving date that works best for you, such as a weekend date to minimize disruption to your business.

Check Your Lease and Notify Your Landlord

Your lease will tell you when the current term expires and what happens if you move before that date. Is there a penalty, or will you forfeit your security deposit? What cleaning and repairs do you need to do when vacating your present office? Will you be responsible for replacing light bulbs and repainting?

The lease will also tell you how far before the move you need to provide notice to the landlord. Once you’ve decided on a moving date, notify the landlord or property manager and schedule a final walkthrough if needed.

Inventory Your Property

Once you’ve decided what items to move, keep a record of what you’re moving and what you’re not. This will be useful when you get to your new office to ensure everything was delivered. You may also want to keep crucial documents and electronic files in a secure, offsite location during the move.

Update Your Address

You’ll need to update your company literature, website, social media accounts, and business listings with your new office address. You’ll also want to inform investors, suppliers, and customers of your new location and how they can reach you. Also, close utility accounts or get them transferred to your new site.

Unpack and Test

After your move, you’ll need to set up everything. You’ll also want to test your phones, computer networks, servers, printers, and equipment. Do a dry run and troubleshoot any problems so you won’t have downtime during business operations.

Celebrate Your New Pad

An office relocation is lots of work and stress for everyone. Consider having some downtime for your employees, possibly a small party, or even a celebration lunch a few days after the move to recognize your staff for their hard work and look forward to a bright future at your new location.

We hope you found this post, How to Move an Entire Office, useful. Be sure to check out our post Cubicle Disassembly Guide: How to Move Office Cubicles Cheap for more great information.


Work with All Around Moving

Have Experience in the Moving Industry? Want an Additional Income Stream? Work With All Around Moving!

If you are interested in applying your skills as a moving relocation consultant in the moving industry, check out our program to earn extra income. Partner with us, All Around Moving and we’ll help you make extra money. Click here to learn more.

Havenly - Stunning Interior Design Services