Office relocation is a challenging task—everyone planning to relocate needs an office moving checklist for proper preparation and communication before the move.
The cost of moving office is often less than the time you lose due to your mismanagement. The more the number of days you take, the more money you will lose for the company—the primary reason for the exceeded number of days is ineffective planning.
The only way to ensure efficient office relocation with minimum disruption is to follow this Ultimate office moving checklist 2023
If you follow this checklist, your business operations will resume within the planned number of days, and your move will be hassle-free.
Imagine how easy it will be if you have the roadmap in hand before commencing your journey! Won’t it be more manageable and stress-free?
Check out this handy useful ultimate office moving checklist 2023 for effective planning and efficient move.
Reason Behind Office Relocation
Begin by deciding the reason behind your relocation.
Do you need ample office space? Do you have more clients around your new office? Are you relocating to cut the cost?
Once you know the crucial reason behind your relocation, you can efficiently plan your relocation around it.
Once you choose your primary reason for office relocation, jot down the amount of time you need and allot the appropriate budget for office relocation.
Office Relocation Budget
When you plan your budget for relocation, ensure with the moving cost, you add the following:
- Occupation costs (this will cover expenses such as rent, parking, security, cleaning services, electricity, and maintenance).
- IT relocation
- Telephone installation
- Insurance fees
- New office furniture in case you are not shifting the old one
- Costs of signage
- Cost of rubbish removal
- Cost of updating online changes for your new address.
- Installation of air conditioners and heaters
- Keep a margin of an additional 20% in case of unexpected events.
- Keep some budget for refreshments on the moving day,
You can even take quotes from various companies to decide your budget. Once you have some quotes, it will help you to determine your budget and plan accordingly.
With a sorted budget, motive, and time, create a team with appropriate skills to help you with relocation.
Location Requirements
Before you decide the location, consider the following questions:
- Is it easy for the client to find and reach you?
- Do you have an easy mode of public transport to that place?
- Is the location easily accessible for employees?
- Does the area have sufficient parking?
Ultimate Office Moving Checklist 2023
Step 1- Crucial things First
These pointers should be taken into consideration 3-6 months before your move.
- Examine your commercial property lease. You may have to pay a deposit if you plan to move early! Ensure there is no breakage or damage to space during the move. You may have to pay for it.
- Bring together a team for office relocation with respective skill sets and divide the tasks.
- Ensure if you need moving insurance for machines and essential equipment.
- Ensure that you stick to your budget.
Step 2 – Confident, articulate, and professional communication
Internal Communication Checklist
- Inform your current landlord about the relocation date and new address officially. Terminate your lease.
- Make a master list of people you need to inform about the change of address. Ensure that the list includes your employees, client, service providers.
- Ensure you brief every department separately. For instance, discuss your tech requirements for the day with the IT department.
External Communication Checklist
- Book your Moving Company
- Ensure you have a list of all your external service providers like food providers, internet providers, and so on. Inform them about your office relocation plan and your new address.
- Contact Virgin Removals for advice and book your move.
- Ensure to speak to your HVAC contractors in Advance, so they are available on the day of installation. It is always best to speak to the commercial air conditioning service providers in advance so you can discuss which kind of air conditioners you need, and can you shift your old air conditioners to the new office. Always have a detailed conversation with them.
Ensure you inform about the change of address to:
- Clients
- Partners
- Any professional organisations you belong to
- Stationery services
- Banks and financial institutions
- Food service or bottled water company
- Phone company
- Insurance companies
Step 3 – Pre Move Essentials
- Before you move, ensure you don’t take any unnecessary items with you. Please get rid of them.
- Before you move, ensure you have an internet connection and telecom connections so you can resume your work asap.
- Examine the security needs for your new office.
- Report to the landlord about any existing damage in the new office.
Step 4 – Preparations
- Get a detailed blueprint of your new office plan. Measure the new office space and decide how you will place the things before you move.
- Create an inventory of existing office furniture.
- Order new furniture and stationery if needed.
- To make a move easy and hassle-free, assign color codes to every department. Allocate color-coded stickers to each department section. Assign each employee an alphabet, and add that corresponding alphabet to their desk and equipment.
- Sign any official paperwork, permits, and licenses in advance.
- Assign cleaning service to ensure both offices are clean on arrival and after leaving.
- Book parking space for the moving day in advance.
- Arrange a meeting with movers in the new office and give them a copy of your detailed blueprint.
- Draft a list of emergency contact numbers, including elevator maintenance and building management.
- Assign a member of each team to manage their department’s packing responsibilities.
- Put together a “moving pack” for every employee, including their allotted desk number and color code.
- Ensuring that everyone takes home their personal belongings and devices.
- Decide and divide the representatives who will stay at the current location until the last moving truck leaves and will be going to the new location to supervise.
- Ensuring that color-coded signs and desk numbers are laid out and marked in the new space.
- Assign where to put which furniture in advance to save time on moving day.
- Ensure all the staff has security access for the new location.
- Ensure each team or department has a sorted moving day plan with an exact list of responsibilities and emergency contact numbers.
Step 5 – The moving day
- Ensure that all tech equipment, computers, phones, etc., are moved first.
- Ensure all the services are running correctly—for instance, the internet, electricity, water, etc.
- Ensure Updation of your new office address on your website.
- Ensure transfer of your insurance from your broker.
- Ensure to take back the deposit of your old office.
- Distribute new keycards and passes to staff.
- Please send emails to your clients to remind them of your change of address.
Step 6 – Post Move
- Once your move is over, you need to manage a few things to start with the work.
- Set up all computers and tech equipment first.
- Create a new phone list.
- Distribute new phone lists and department locations.
- Hand out new passes, keycards, and keys for the new office.
- Check all invoices and payments.
- Issue a press release about your change of address.
- Throw an office-warming party.
- Add a personal touch by leaving a “welcome pack” on every employee’s desk. You can include some goodies and personalized welcome notes in the pack.
Congratulations, You have completed your move with no stress!
Since you have just made it through a hassle-free office relocation, so stop and celebrate! We hope our list helped you a big time.
For any moving suggestions and no obligation moving quotes, contact us.