The Ultimate Step by Step Office Relocation Checklist

Office relocations require extensive planning, in order to achieve hassle-free moves that are free from unwanted dramas. As a rule, all pre-planning should begin as soon as possible. Although office moves can be quite stressful, early preparation and communication will ensure a far more enjoyable commercial moving experience.

The following is a list of steps that will help guarantee a fast and efficient office relocation.

Step 1 – Start with the first thing on the list 

Once every doubt on movement has been settled, and it has been confirmed that you are moving to a new location, you must begin to work on any area that may hinder your move early, which includes

• Research on the moving company to move office items to your new office space.
• If you leave early before your lease or rent expires, you will have to forfeit the deposit.
• You will be liable to pay for any damages that may occur to the space during the move.
• Create a team among your staff to start work on the movement modalities.
• Find out whether you will need an insurance cover for equipment and pieces of machinery.
• Draw a well-detailed budget to prevent overspending during the move.

To make the moving tasks easy, you should prepare for the first step as 3-6 six months before the moving date.

Step 2 – Maintain constant communication with all parties

Now that you have confirmed that you are moving, you should carry internal and external parties about your upcoming relocation in your best interest.

• Ensure you inform your current landlord or property manager about the move through an official notice.
• Since the move will affect your team members, notifying them ahead will give them enough time to prepare.
• Have a master plan to inform your customers, associates, partners, and affiliates of your new address.
• Ensure your list of employees and service providers is up to date.

Step 3 – The preparation stage

The stage is about working on the logistics of moving your equipment, stationaries, and furniture to the new office space.

• Get detailed information on the new space dimension to determine your new arrangement and settings.
• Take stock of your furniture to determine whether you may be needing a new set.
• Arrange the cleaning of your current and new space.
• Make a detailed plan for your staff on a moving day.
• Ensure you have a contingency plan in case of elevator breakdown during the move.
• For a stress-free move, make sure you are on the same page with the moving company.

Step 4 – Implement the Move

To implement your move on the big day, here are some more ways to ensure the task goes on smoothly and stress-free. 

• You can't rule out an emergency. Ensure you print out emergency numbers and distribute them to everyone involved in the task.
• Set aside a budget for refreshments for the moving team.
• Make sure vital assets such as phones, computers, and tech equipment are moved first.
• To reduce stress on external and internal representatives, make provision for air conditioning trucks. 
• Before handing the current space keys to your landlord, make sure all your belongings have been moved out and placed in their right boxes.

Step 5 – Settling In

At this stage, you have successfully moved into your new space. So, to put things in their rightful position for business operations to start, here's what to do.

• Either the space is big or small, you must demarcate the area for staff to see.
• Set telephone lines and IT equipment.
• Update your new address on your website and the company's official social media accounts.
• Discuss with your insurance company the need to transfer your insurance to your address.
• If you have your old premises pass in your custody, make plans to return them.
• Hand out new keys and passes to your employee for them to have hitch-free movement and access to the office.
• Check through the invoice and payment to know how much you've spent.
• Don't rule out throwing an office warming party to celebrate the new space with your employees.

Final thought

This checklist can serve as your ultimate guide to having a successful and problem-free office move. To ensure a hassle-free office relocation, contact an office relocation specialist.

Article source: https://article-realm.com/article/Business/Ethics/16878-The-Ultimate-Step-by-Step-Office-Relocation-Checklist.html