How to Prepare for an Office Move

Though it is an exciting time in the growth cycle of any company, relocating to a new office space can be quite daunting — especially when you have to relocate an entire team of employees to a new space and figure out how to move high-value equipment, electronics, machinery, and other important items to that same space.

For a successful corporate office move to take place, there are many factors that come into play. Planning ahead and staying organized are some of the ways that can help make the transition as easy of a process as possible for all parties involved.

It is vital to ensure the relocation process does not tarnish the business or brand in any way. Below are some of the key ways to prepare for a successful office move while keeping your business running smoothly during the relocation process.

Plan Early

Before planning to move, think about your reasoning for the move. Some questions to consider are:

Are you looking for a more cost-effective space alternative to where your office is located right now?

Do you want to be located geographically closer to qualified and skilled employee resources?

Have you realized that your current location is limiting the growth potential of your business and now is the time to move to a place with more opportunities for business growth?

Whatever your reasons are, make sure to weigh out all options fully and discuss the moving details with your stakeholders and team.

Once the decision to move is made, set aside — at least six months in advance — to plan out your entire moving process. Create a moving timeline with all key phases from start to finish.

Also, be sure to inform your current landlord and/or property manager of the anticipated move timeline and completion date to ensure it syncs up with your lease expiration, to provide ample notice under your lease requirements, and avoid any extra holdover rent and fees.

Plan out where things will go in the new space, assign moving roles to the team, and figure out how much it will cost to spend on the move for budgetary purposes.    

Creating a detailed inventory list of all the company’s assets, including office furniture, computer equipment, and miscellaneous items prior to the move can prevent items from getting lost or misplaced during the move.

Set a Moving Budget

Get together with your finance and accounting team to create a moving budget for all projected costs of the move. Setting a moving budget will help to prevent overspending and unexpected costs.

As tempting as it may sound, the cheapest route in moving options may not be the best route; as this may lead to more issues down the road that could be way more expensive and time-consuming than the initial move.  Simply put, with commercial move vendors, you often get what you pay for.

Instead, plan and budget on hiring professional movers that know exactly what they are doing and who will make sure that your costly and heavy equipment reaches its destination with no issues.

Make sure to get quotes from, and request walkthroughs with, various moving companies so that you can compare which move vendor option will fit your budget better and is properly able to service your area.

Contact a Professional Moving Company

The professional movers at Managed Facility Solutions (MFS) offer a variety of commercial moving services. If you need help planning your move and figuring out exactly how much to budget, our expert team of project managers are here to walk you through the entire process.  

Our project management team can prepare layouts, move planning data and timelines based on their combined 75 years’ worth of experience.

Here at MFS, we take pride in making sure that you are completely satisfied with the transition process from start to finish.

Some of our award-winning services include commercial moving, facilities support, storage and warehousing, IT & data center services, project management services, corporate campus relocations, furniture installation, and so much more.

Our modern fleet of commercial moving trucks will safely carry your equipment, furniture, and other important items straight from origin to destination. Contact MFS at [email protected] or (408) 920-0110 to get started today!

Visit the New Office

While visiting the new office space for the first time, be sure to fully inspect and develop a layout plan which details where everything will go. Examine the walls and floors to see if you will need to hire a professional team to address any issues such as chipped walls or stained floors.

Develop a new office layout to help you determine where the office furniture/desks/cubicles should go and where all of the electrical outlets are. Also, be sure to request a Certificate of Insurance from the moving company based on requirements from your new property manager or landlord.

Notify Employees and Customers

Before the move, be proactive about notifying all employees of the moving timeline as soon as possible so that each employee knows her/his/their responsibilities during and after the move so that each employee can plan accordingly and in advance of the move date.

It is also recommended to notify any local partners, affiliates, customers, and suppliers of the moving date so that there is no interruption of service. Inform these customers of your new contact information, the expected continuation of services, and the impact the move may have on any project deadlines.

Be sure to also update any company materials such as business cards, the company’s website, email signature blocks, stationery, and marketing materials with the new company’s address.

Celebrate the Move

Now after a long and (hopefully) smooth move, it is time to celebrate! Thank everyone for their cooperation in making the entire move a successful one and throw a small grand opening party or a meaningful lunch to celebrate.

You can also have a formal ribbon-cutting event.  This will show your employees just how much you appreciate their help and assistance in making this all possible.