Office Relocation Checklist: Your Ultimate Office Relocation Plan
Office moves are much more than moving belongings from point A to B. Yes, this is part of it, but there are also two leases to handle, employees, clients, suppliers and vendors, subscriptions, utilities to be set up…the list is endless. Naturally, when you have a lot to deal with and multiple people involved, it's easy for some tasks to fall through the cracks. Allowing this to happen can cost you thousands or hundreds of thousands. So everything about an office move must be properly planned and implemented. Luckily, you don't have to do this from scratch, as we have prepared a comprehensive office relocation checklist to help you stay organized at every step of your commercial moving process.
Step-by-Step Office Moving Checklist
The best thing about checklists is that they break complex information down so you don’t feel like everything is hitting you all at once. This commercial relocation checklist is no different, with tasks being accompanied by tips on how to move an office. Each task marks progress, and you get closer to completing a flawless move with every task you tick off the office relocation checklist. Sounds great? Let's get to it.1. Review Moving needs
Moving your business can increase productivity, attract fresh talent and enhance employee morale. It can also do the opposite. Before you get into the intricacies of moving, begin by assessing your moving needs. The where, when and shy of the move will help clarify the mission and strategy right from the beginning. Some of the more common reasons why businesses need to move are:To attract clientele
One of the basics of starting a business is identifying the right location. However, getting this right from the beginning doesn’t mean it will remain the right or the best location for decades to come. If you think your office space is not projecting the image you want or isn't as large or inviting as it should be, a move is inevitable.Business changes
Your business can experience significant growth over time, causing you to outgrow your current space. You can also adopt different work methods, such as remote working, rendering your huge office space inefficient. You can also choose to move to increase collaboration, get more meeting rooms, have a more modern space, and so on.Employee welfare
We now know employees look at more than their paycheck when picking employers. As such, forward-thinking companies are embracing employee wellness and seeking to meet specific criteria to attract and retain the best talent. So an organization may need to move to be closer to green spaces, gyms, bike-accessible buildings, and so on.2. Plan the move
You need a concrete office moving plan that captures the bulk of tasks you need to do before the moving date. Here are some pointers to help you do this:- Create a schedule outlining when new tech and systems will be installed
- Do a walk-through of the new space and note its floor plan. identify its IT capabilities and the facilities and utilities in place
- Take note of the changes, fixtures, and buildouts you need to make, and get an okay for these from the property manager
- Think about the move vis a vis the projects you have and figure out how everything will work together
3. Your Moving Budget
Moving is expensive. If you are looking at a complex move, it will be even more so. Think about a move that necessitates downtime, staff relocation costs, moving without notice, etc. Such moves mean you have to pay for more, or your business loses money, over and above the moving costs. Your team needs to assess all possible costs and set a budget. This must also align with overall company needs so that a move does not cash-strap the business. Some of the typical moving costs you need to look into are:- Rent
- Rent deposit and dilapidation fees
- Moving insurance
- Service charges for the new location
- Contract/lease break fees
- Setting up utilities
- Agency and administrative fees
- Security
- Office warming party costs (optional)
- Moving supplies
- Moving company and relocation supplier costs
- Refurbishing, build outs, new office furniture and interior décor costs for the entire office
- Internet and phone installation
4. Create an office moving checklist
Relocation requires you to strike a delicate balance between the move and ensuring minimal disruption to staff to ensure business continuity. With a budget in hand, you need a key relocation task force to drive the relocation project. A comprehensive project checklist should guide this team. This should include measurable goals and objectives that capture timescales and downtime-minimizing strategies. Let’s look at the specifics of a moving project checklist. Things to Include in a Checklist include…- Have a designated point man
- Start planning early
- Create and stick to a timeline.
- Be keen on the finer details
- Packaging paper and bubble wrap
- Storage boxes
- A designated packing table or area
- Air filled padding
- A permanent marker for labeling boxes
Stage one: First things first
- Appoint an office relocation point person and a project team
- Look into office removal companies, their scope, charges, and insurance options
- Review the terms of your current office lease vis a vis your intended move
- Research costs and commit to a budget for the new office
- Outline your moving criteria, including staff surveys
- Settle on a moving date
- Search and identify a new office office space that suit your needs
- Document a moving plan and milestone deadlines
- Shortlist, evaluate, discuss, and settle on a new office space from the researched options
Stage two: Communication
- Update your current client lists and change company address listings
- Get your legal representatives to initiate a change of address on all company documentation. Inform partners, stakeholders, and your social media following of this. Have this change effected on your company website as well.
- Review and update or cancel existing subscriptions
- Have team leaders communicate relocation plans to staff. This includes your reasons for the move, where the new space is, how it affects them, and the input needed from them.
- Give tenancy notice to the building management
- have a deadline for employees to change the address on their email signatures and move their personal belongings from their own desks
Stage three: Logistics
Settle on a moving company- Create an office design with a detailed floor plan. Designate desk blogs, open spaces, and meeting rooms for the new office space
- Arrange for cleaning services for the vacated office and the new office address
- Make arrangements for IT, parking passes, building access cards. internet, and telecoms
5. Prepare office equipment for the office relocation
This is an excellent time to replace, update or discard equipment that no longer support your organizational needs. To do this, make a list of everything you will be moving with. If there is new IT infrastructure at the new office, think about how what you have ties in with that. If it will be redundant, consider not bringing it along. Most businesses store their data in the cloud today. If you haven't migrated, could you consider this? If so, backup your files and move everything to a cloud before the move.6. Manage your telecommunications systems
You might need to upscale, downscale, or move with your telecommunications systems. Here is a telecommunications checklist to help you sort out your business communications strategy.- Determine the number of phone lines needed at the new office and notify your telecoms provider of your wish to retain or terminate their services.
- Consider keeping your current phone lines. If you have been in business for a while, strongly consider retaining your existing numbers for continuity.
- Are there any other computer network upgrades that support your organizational strategy? If so, consider having them implemented at this stage.
- Back up all critical data
7. Plan for your network security
Your network security should never be neglected at any point-not even during a relocation. Your planning team must have a network security checklist that should include the following:- Creating an inventory of all assets and resources and designing a strategy for protecting company Info during the move
- With the IT department, create a list of employees with network access and highlight the access levels for each individual
- Assess, detail, and update security policies as needed before the move
