Office Move Checklist: Tips for Relocating to a New Office Space

Start planning early 

The key to any successful office moving is preparation. The more preparation that can be done beforehand will eliminate extra costs where possible. A small office move may need a few months to organise, and a larger office relocation may need several months to prepare. Give yourself a realistic time frame to have everything organised. Once you have settled on a new office building, there are a few things to be considered:

• Choose a move date – consider a Friday or enquire about weekend availability with your removalist to eliminate work disruptions.
• Decide and determine your allocated budget for the relocation.
• Get quotes for your removal. We suggest booking a survey for an office relocation to minimise surprises for both parties, and for the accuracy of the quotation.
• Put together a planning team and designate a ‘move coordinator.’
• Arrange your phone, internet, water, and any other applicable services.
• Plan the new computer and IT systems set-up before move day to ensure it can run as smooth as possible. Check if your employees can help you with this or you need to hire external assistance.
• Announce the move to your employees.
• Out with the old, in with the new

Moving office can be a great opportunity to declutter your workspace, while upgrading your technology and office décor. Even if you are not able to replace IT and furniture, give everything a good, deep clean to give it a fresh face for the new office.

It is important to tidy and declutter early and know what can and cannot go into a general waste skip bin. In Australia, there are strict rules and regulations regarding electronic waste disposal, which will need to be safely disposed of at an e-waste facility. Electronic technology changes every day, so it is advised that you enquire about any relevant rules and regulations regarding this before your relocation.

• Notify clients

When you have locked in a move date, notify your appropriate clients. It is best to inform them of any change of contact details, the new address, office moving date and advise them of any delays that will occur due to the removal. This will minimise confusion for your team and your clients and give both parties a sense of peace of mind.

At this stage, it is also a good idea to notify the post office, your banks, office suppliers or any other key agencies of the relevant move details.

• Design an office floor plan

Since you will be calling the new space “home” for a few years, placement of your furniture is crucial, and it is best to get it done correctly the first time. The office will need to be designed to accommodate to staff needs, using the most practical arrangement. When planning your new workspace, consider the following:

• Communal spaces
• Storage spaces
• Employee seating plans
• Where your IT equipment will go
• Location of power sockets and cords
• Get employees involved

If you can, get your employees to pack up their own workspace. Give them each a box or two with tape and a marker for labelling for their personal belongings and office equipment. Label each computer, screen, cord and hard drives before boxing and then label the box to ensure that nothing is misplaced and can be easily located during delivery. If everyone in the office is involved with packing, this will save you so much time.

• The week before the big move
  Planning is the key to ensure that any kind of removal can run smoothly. Here is a simple checklist of things you can tick off a week or two before the relocation. Some include:

• Collect packing materials – boxes, paper, tape, markers, etc.
• Back up all relevant documents and data.
• Have employees pack their desks and personal belongings.
• Organise cleaners for the old office.

Relocating can easily become a stressful time. If you utilise your time leading up to the removal, planning can take some of the pressure away during the move. We have put together this simple and easy checklist for office relocating, helping you to make arrangements before the move day, and keep things running smoothly.

At Total Care Movers, we are here to help. We have a variety of tools and equipment to relocate your business with ease. Do you have some questions about your office relocation that was not included in this list? Give us a call! We are always happy to help.