The Ultimate Office Move Checklist

Moving offices is no easy feat. There's plenty to coordinate, risks to consider, and various people to keep in mind.

The key to any successful office relocation is meticulous planning. To do this, you need a checklist and the assistance of a professional moving company.

This checklist will ensure that you're planning for some of the most important aspects of your commercial move six months in advance and may even alert you to a few things you may not have thought of.

Why You Need An Office Move Checklist

A moving checklist is essential for ensuring a smooth and organised transition to a new office space by helping you avoid some common moving pitfalls:

• Overlooking important tasks. Without a structured plan, important tasks such as packing specialised equipment, connecting your phone lines, and briefing

  employees can be overlooked, leading to delays, lost equipment, and unnecessary stress.

• Missing important deadlines and milestones. A checklist helps keep everything on track by outlining key steps, such as notifying stakeholders, coordinating with movers, updating addresses, and ensuring IT infrastructure is set up before employees arrive.

• Causing unnecessary downtime. The right checklist can also help you minimise downtime, ensuring your business can resume operations quickly and efficiently.

The Ultimate Office Move Checklist

By breaking down your move into manageable tasks, this office relocation checklist helps keep chaos in check and ensures nothing is left to chance.

3 - 6 Months before the move

Confirm the new office space

If you've found a potential new office address that you love, arrange a viewing of the property so that you can confirm it meets your requirements in terms of space, IT infrastructure, and general facilities. It's also important to verify compliance with fire safety and accessibility regulations. Should the new office tick all the right boxes, arrange the necessary paperwork and sign your lease.

Set a moving budget

Next, start shopping around for a professional office moving company and calculate how much you need to spend on packing materials so you can formulate a budget. Don't forget to account for moving insurance, downtime costs, and any other unexpected expenses.

Create an office move timeline

Before you get into specifics about the move, it's essential to have a detailed timeline in place. This will ensure the move is going to plan and according to deadline.

To set clear deadlines, start with your moving date and then work backwards, factoring in everything that needs to be done over the course of six months. If possible, it's also helpful to pick a moving date that will cause the least amount of disruption.

Lastly, don't forget to appoint a project manager for the entire planning process.

Announce the move to your staff

Once you have a plan in place, it's time to let your staff know about the move. Collect some photos and videos of your new office location so that you can provide employees with visuals. You can even mention that there will be an office warming party to boost morale.

Declutter and create an inventory

What is moving with you and what can you get rid of to make the moving process a little smoother? This is a good time to declutter your old office and create an inventory for use both during the move and once you arrive at your new space.

If you find office equipment doesn't fit in the new space or that you don't need right away, consider using a secure storage unit.

Arrange IT and internet services

Moving your IT infrastructure can be a complex process, so make sure you're planning backups and the transfer of your servers and computers well in advance. It's also important to ensure that internet services will be up and running by the time you reach your new location so business operations can resume as quickly as possible.

Get quotes for removal teams

Once your budget is in place, you can start making some decisions about your moving team. It's best to pick a moving company that specialises in office relocations for greater peace of mind. They'll have the experience and know-how to ensure your office equipment gets to your new location safely and on time.

Order packing materials

By this stage, you will have a detailed inventory, so you can go ahead and start ordering packing materials, such as moving boxes. Make sure you account for any particular equipment that requires specialised packaging.

1 - 2 Months before the move

Plan your new office layout

You need to know where each department will be stationed and where your IT infrastructure will be stored prior to your move. This way, your moving team will know exactly where to place specific office and tech equipment and boxes. Creating a detailed floor plan will also help you make the most of the space.

Create a label system

It's simply not enough to pack everything away in boxes. A clear labelling system will ensure you can stay more organised and that your move will be a smooth transition. Colour coding your labels is also recommended for convenience.

Schedule IT and utility transfers

One or two months before your moving date, it's essential to confirm your electricity, water, and internet services. This is also a good time to enlist the help of contract IT professionals who can get you set up at your new workspace quickly and easily.

Assign moving responsibilities

Now that you're getting closer to your moving date, it's time to assign different responsibilities to employees to ensure a successful move. When everyone has their own jobs to do, you can speed up the packing, unpacking, and general move coordination process.

Secure your moving insurance

Even with all the planning in the world, things can still go wrong, which is why it's best to take out moving insurance. Your current insurance provider should be able to arrange this, so you won't necessarily need to shop around for separate insurance.

Confirm transport logistics

By now, you should have decided on a moving company, so this is the time to confirm any transport logistics with them. This includes finalising the size of the moving truck you require and how many extra hands you need to do the heavy lifting.

Notify your clients and suppliers

Make a point of letting all of your clients and suppliers know about your last day in your current office and what your new address will be. It also helps to add an update to your company website as well as your social media accounts.

Decide on hybrid working

Since it won't be business as normal right away once you move, you may want to make some temporary hybrid working arrangements for certain staff members.

2 Weeks before the move

Begin packing non-essentials

Anything that isn't required for basic day-to-day operations can now be packed away. Each employee should be responsible for packing up their own non-essentials.

Confirm the setup of your internet and phone lines

With your office move imminent, check in with your phone and internet service providers to make sure everything is set up at your new workspace. You may also want to set up a phone forwarding service to a mobile phone number while you transition.

Finalise the moving plan with your staff

Moving day is getting closer, so call a meeting to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities. This is also a good time to take everyone through the new office layout.

Prepare workstations for moving

This is your final chance to get all files backed up on individual computers and gradually start packing up your IT equipment. For employees who use laptops, this will be a lot easier. You may also need to provide desktop users with laptops if they need to keep working during the move.

Arrange for cleaning services

If you're not in a serviced office and won't be moving to one, make sure that cleaning services are available to assist you on your moving day.

Moving day

Your moving day has finally arrived, and while you've done everything to ensure a successful transition, there are a few last-minute details to keep in mind:

• Arrive at your current office early so that you can oversee the move.

• Once everything has been removed, do a final walkthrough to make sure nothing is left behind.

• Hand in all of the keys to the old office to the property manager.

• After you arrive at your new offices, make sure your internet and phone systems are working as they should.

• Unpack all of your essential furniture and equipment first to ensure minimal downtime.

• Dispose of any packing material as you go to keep clutter to a minimum.

After the move

While you're gradually settling into your new space, there are some final details you need to take care of:

• As you unpack and get settled, compile a list of issues that need to be addressed over the coming days and weeks.

• Test the office lighting, security, and any other facilities.

• Update your website, social media accounts, Google Business Profile, email signatures, and any other marketing materials and important documents with your new address.

Move Complete

With this step-by-step guide, you can transition to your new offices with ease and greater peace of mind, knowing all of the most important aspects are well taken care of ahead of time. Keeping this checklist for a commercial move handy will also ensure you meet the key milestones from six months before your move to your actual moving day.

Having the right moving company by your side can also make a massive difference to your experience, so take the time to choose carefully.

If you would like a free and competitive quote from office relocation specialists with decades of experience, contact us today.