Tips for Office Moves
Timeline for Office Moves
Follow these Office Moving Tips to guide you through each stage of the moving office process.
Office Move Preparation
- Select an office move project leader
- Create a master moving office checklist to outline all tasks required
- Establish an office moving budget
- Plot out your office move timeline with associated actions
- Determine who should be in your office relocation project team
Office Space Issues
- Determine requirements for serving notice on your current office space
- Get advice from Commercial Property Solicitor if unsure of your exit strategy
- Discuss outline requirements for new office (size, location, specifications)
- Choose Commercial Property Agent to act on your behalf
- Get advice from Office Design Company on the best layout for new office
- Establish what office fit-out requirements your new office needs to fulfil
- The above items need to happen as early as possible (ideally 9 to 12 months prior to your target office move date). The following action items are listed by timeframe (don't forget to use the Moving Office Timetable for a detailed timeline of your office move).
4-6 Months Prior to Office Move Date
- Decide on your target office move date
- Begin communication plan to staff (emphasise the positives!)
- Start developing an IT Relocation Checklist - and order new phone lines/numbers as required
- Evaluate phone system options - an office move is a great chance to upgrade
- Clarify office design issues and agree on office layout plan
- Establish what new office furniture is required
2-4 Months Prior to Office Move Date
- Confirm that your target office move date is still a "go-er"
- Review all marketing material to determine what needs changing for the new office location
- Contact 3 office removals companies and get them to quote on your office move
- Find out whether your new office requires any signage - and order as necessary
- Order any additional business phone lines required
- Continue with the communications plan to staff
1-2 Months Prior to Office Move Date
- Order new letterhead paper & marketing material with new address
- Start getting business insurance quotes for new office
- Start allocating office space to staff - as per the office layout plan
- Identify what new office equipment and office services required (coffee machines, water coolers etc)
- Establish what security arrangements are needed in new office
Month Prior to Office Move Date
- Book a commercial office cleaning company for your outgoing office
- Inventory all IT equipment (pc's, phones, fax machines, copiers etc)
- Inventory all office items (furniture, filing cabinets, chairs, desks etc)
- Order any business utilties required in new office
- Check that all connectivity issues (phone lines, internet access) are on target
- Order any new office stationery
- Establish what office equipment is going to be sent to an office storage facility (and book)
- Send out change of business address details to customers and suppliers
- Contact Post Office, communicate change of address and arrange mail forwarding
- Arrange for any junk and unwanted equipment to be collected and disposed of
Week Prior to Office Move Date
- Hold final preparation meeting with office removals company
- Take delivery of office moving crates and boxes
- Start packing up the common areas of the office
- Allocate new business phone numbers and extensions
- Distribute new office layout to staff
- Back up all information services and computers
- Communicate the office move plan to employees
- Ensure your website has your new address details
- Check that the required parking and loading bays are ready
Day of the Office Move
- Meet with the project manager from the office removals company
- Ensure that all not-required staff are kept away from both offices
- Set up a "lost property" area in old office
- Fully clean old office and hand back to property manager
- Sign off on new office with office removals project manager once happy
For more information on any aspect of an office move go to the Moving Office Resource Centre.
Planning an office move? Go the office relocation planning resource centre
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Start Planning Your Office Move
Wherever you are in your office move process Help Moving Office has the information you need to plan your office move properly.
Start Planning -
Access The Resource Centre
With over 20 guides, checklists, tools & calculators the Resource Centre has everything you need to plan, organise & manage a successful office move.
See Resources -
Office Relocation Directory
Looking for the right companies for your office move? Connect with independently sourced and pre-qualified companies that are experts in your local market.
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