You found a great new office and signed the commercial lease, and now you need an office moving checklist to help you plan. We know that the process can be very overwhelming, so we've compiled a list of things you'll need to consider or consider before moving to another office. Since we know that each company has its own deadlines and its own leasing process, we have refrained from setting the time for each step, but they are in the order in which you want to complete them, regardless of the time frame in which you operate. Our office moving checklist will help ensure a smooth office move to your new space.
Someone must internally direct the moving process to avoid chaos and confusion. Nominate an office manager, executive assistant, or person with similar responsibility who excels in organizational, logistics, and communication skills throughout the company. They'll need that skill set to organize a smooth transition to the new space. However, here's the key: make sure they're also great delegators.
Ask them to distribute the pending tasks to the other members of the committee. The load will be split, making the process easier and more feasible. Your newly appointed moving coordinator can be tasked with finding reliable and reliable moving companies, but getting recommendations from your broker or colleagues who have moved before is a good option. Also, find out if you'll need moving insurance and what type of coverage you'll need if so.
This is recommended if you are moving valuable equipment. Your broker can also advise you on this. Now that you've found your next ideal office, you'll want to design an office interior that reflects your company's brand and values and that's optimized for productivity. A good first step is to draw up a plan of your office space and determine what furniture and items you'll need to fill the space.
This should cover everything: office desks, chairs, sofas, conference tables, phone booths, industry-specific equipment, and more. Go back to your budget and verify that the allocation you set takes into account your needs. If the furniture you'll need is over budget, you can prioritize and plan spending on lower-priority items later on. You'll also need to determine a seating plan, which you can do once you have the floor plan.
Also, determine how long it will take for the items you need to be delivered. For any equipment that takes a significant amount of time to deliver, you may want to pre-order. As a final point, you might want to consider hiring an interior designer and asking your tenant agent for recommendations that fit your budget. Confirm when you will have possession of your new space.
Once you have the possession date and have determined when you will be moving, you must let your current landlord know when you leave. Ask them what they will have to do before leaving. Will you need the office cleaned or repaired in any way? Is there anything you need to return? Knowing these things beforehand will save you unwanted surprises in the future and allow you to include any unnecessary expenses in your budget. You don't have to share everything all at once while making decisions, you can send emails with updates on the moving process.
Throughout the communication process, anticipate a lot of questions. We recommend creating a separate email for the move, so that employees' questions don't get lost in the middle of daily work. Someone from the relocation committee can easily monitor this email so that responses are sent quickly. As a last note, some employees may request a change of seat or other services.
Decide if you will accept these requests ahead of time and make sure the committee is on the same page. If you haven't already, include the new floor plan, how much space they'll have for their belongings, when they'll be able to unpack their individual work areas, and the protocol for setting up their personal computers. Provide a way for them to easily dispose of all the boxes. Also, pick up your employees' passes or keys for the old space the night before the move.
Whenever possible, find out what you can install before you move: daytime equipment, telecommunications, or kitchen appliances. This will free up time to focus on unpacking and will also ensure that, if any problems arise, you have additional time to find a solution before your employees have to occupy the space. Review your list of current providers and decide which ones will continue to be efficient to use at your new location. If you need to connect with new providers, start the process before you move.
Now is the time to also send employees information about your new neighborhood. Let them know about places to eat within walking distance, good restaurants to dine with customers, nearby gyms and daycare centers, and public transportation routes that will get them to work and home faster. Have your moving coordinator and a team of some volunteer helpers manage the move. From supervising moving companies (or moving the objects themselves), to having the office set up according to the floor plan and making sure that the installations are done correctly, there is a lot to do.
Designate a person to tour the old office after the move and take pictures of the space, as well as document any damage to the infrastructure. This is just an extra precaution that will help you if your previous landlord tries to make you pay for damage that wasn't the work of your equipment. Also, this is a good time to return the keys or passes to the old space that you picked up from your computer. If you notice anything that isn't working, immediately notify the new owner.
Send clear instructions to employees about the disposal of any cardboard boxes and the protocol for setting up computers and connectivity in the new office. Anticipate lots of questions throughout the process and be patient; a week or more to comfortably place employees in the new space is normal. We hope that our office moving checklist has helped you successfully organize the relocation of your large office. Looking for a complete timeline of the office search and moving process? We have created this practical video that shows every step of the journey, from finding a space to settling in.
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Whether you've negotiated a commercial lease before or it's your first time, you're likely to run into a few possible. Read more If you're renting commercial office space, at some point you'll have to think about whether you want to renew your lease or move the offices. Business relocations require detailed planning and preparation. When planning the move, decide the date of the move, the deadline for the relocation process, after which you can draw up a schedule.
In addition, have a specific budget allocated to the relocation process. It will be useful in identifying the costs of hiring moving companies and will help you avoid making uninformed decisions. Moving offices isn't without significant stress either, but if you stick to your schedule and don't dedicate yourself to logistics in the end, the day of the move could go better than you expected. Whether you're looking to introduce more workstations, more open collaboration spaces, or provide more accessibility to meeting rooms, choosing a new office space that fits your team's long-term needs is a key consideration for modern companies looking for the perfect office to grow.
Why you should move your business on the weekend When planning an office move, it's very important to choose the actual day of the move. These include researching, researching, and finding a moving company with experience in office relocations and working with them on the details of your unique move based on your needs and your budget. Moving to a new office is an exciting decision for any company and it doesn't have to be a stressful process for those who coordinate it. Once your office move is complete, here are some steps to help you settle into your new office space.
Hopefully, you've chosen a new office that allows you to accommodate your current furniture and technology, but if you haven't, you'll want to know before you move in, not after. The process of planning your office move should really start 3 to 6 months before your office move deadline. As mentioned earlier, your telecommunications system hardware is just one component that you need to address while moving your office. There are many reasons to change the office location, but identifying the reasons for the relocation early on in the process can help you create a more strategic and carefully considered office moving process.
Planning and organizing an office move should start with setting your budget and determining your moving needs. Download your office moving expense checklist as a handy starting point template for compiling the key costs of moving your office. You will usually be assigned a moving coordinator with experience in commercial moves, who will work with you to plan your unique move. To prepare the most accurate office moving budget, your Clancy representative will perform a free visual inspection and consultation at your office.
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