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Planning an office move doesn’t have to be a stressful process if you know which steps to take. Check our complete timeline to learn them!
Planning an office move, in most cases, means that your business is expanding. You’ve worked hard to build your brand and create a successful business. It’s now time to move from your small office into a much larger space.
However, this is just one of the few reasons why you might be considering an office move. Maybe you need a change of location because you want to provide your employees with a better atmosphere. You could even be making a move into a smaller space to save money by only having the amount of space that you need.
Whatever the case might be for your specific move, you need a moving timeline planned out to make the transition as less stressful as possible for both you and your employees. To learn what steps you should be taking before the big day, continue reading below. Here’s everything you need to know about planning an office move!
1 Year Until the Move
Yes, that’s right. One year before the move date, you should start planning. Assign someone in your business to handle all aspects of the move. This is the person who should be in charge of making sure the move happens with little to no issues.
If you have several departments in your office, be sure that each department head voices or writes down any concerns that they might have about the move for their specific department. Department coordinators should also provide you with a list of all the employees and their specific positions.
If any new positions are opening in their department after the move, or if any employees in their department aren’t moving with the office, they need to make this information available to you.You should know how many employees are coming with you and how many open positions you can expect.
11 Months Until the Move
When it’s 11 months into the countdown, you need to start looking for a moving company that has experience completing corporate moves. Some other aspects to look for in a company should be how much experience the company has, what their past clients are saying about the company, and what kinds of certifications and insurance they have.
You’ll then need to do an inventory of everything that will need to be transferred during the move. If your move is large enough to require multiple moving trucks, it’s best to reserve your move date with the moving company now. This is also the best time to order all new furniture items needed for the new location.
Set up a meeting with the person whom you assigned to handle all aspects of the move and check in with him or her.
5-3 Months Before the Move
The employees who aren’t moving to the new location should be relocated. Now is the time to start planning their location. You should also begin ordering any new equipment for your office.
Let your current landlord know that you’re making the move. This gives the landlord enough time to plan for a new tenant. Have the moving company come out to the new location to scope it out and let them know of any concerns that your department heads might have about the move.
You’ll also need to contact your telephone and internet companies to schedule the transfers and installations. When it’s closer to the 3-month mark, hand out moving instructions for all employees.
2 Months Before the Move
Begin dividing your office into color-coordinated sections by using colored labels. Speak with the landlord about the use of elevators and stairs for your move. If possible, have the elevators restricted for your movers only for moving day.
The color-coordinated sections will make the move more organized for everyone. Having the elevators strictly for movers helps make the moving process simpler.
6-2 Weeks Before the Move
By this time, you should print out large images of the floorplan for your new office space. Hand copies out to all moving coordinators. You should have a grid sheet of how you want the furniture to be placed in each room of your new office.
Order boxes for your move or grab some for free from your local grocery stores and warehouses. Once you have your boxes, pack up your common areas in the office.
Meet with your assigned person in charge once again and inform all employees of moving expectations and schedules. Schedule for your new furniture and other equipment to be installed at the new office.
1 Week Before the Move
One week before the move, you should label everything, keeping the color-coordinated system intact. Have direction arrows in the new building for movers and employees to find the new office easily.
You can also have the mover visit both the current office location and the new one to take photos. This will protect you and the movers from getting hit with damage expenses that were preexisting.
You’ll then need to have all employees pack up their personal items.
The Day of the Move
Assign someone to be at the old and someone to be at the new location to oversee the move. If any items are damaged or misplaced, you should make a list of these.
If furniture needs to be rearranged, you can do so on the day of the move as well.
Plan Your Office Move with These Steps!
An office move might seem stressful, but following these steps will ensure that you get the job done well with as little stress as possible. Another sure way to keep stress at a minimum is to work with a reputable moving company that you can trust.
Metropolitan Movers has been helping businesses move since 2010 and we’re dedicated to providing you with the best moving experience possible! When you’re ready to start planning, click here to request a free quote!
