Office Moving Checklist: Essential Steps and How an Office Removalist Can Help

Inform Your Team Of The Move

Office moves will affect many of your staff members, so let your team know as soon as you decide your business needs to move. This can be done in a group meeting, but it may also be a good idea to have individual meetings with staff if possible.

Talking to each of your staff members can provide you with valuable insight into potential layouts and setups at your new office. Ideas to make working more efficient, comfortable and collaborative can all stem from your team members, so make sure to take their ideas into account when planning the layout of your new office.

It’s also good to tell team members early about the move so they can prepare new transport methods and routes if necessary. They may also be able to contribute moving supplies to assist with the transition, such as boxes, tape and other storage accessories.

Check Your Lease Obligations

The space you have been leasing for your business may feel like home, but you’ll still need to check your lease agreement to see what needs to be done so you can leave the space without issue. 

Points to look out for include:

• How much notice do you need to give your landlord before you vacate?
• Are you terminating your lease early, and is there an agreement that allows you to do so?
• What needs to be done to restore the space before you depart?

By checking your lease over early, you can ensure that you break with your landlord on good terms and there are no hidden surprises on moving day.

Select Someone To Organise The Move

You won’t want to have all the different parts of your move being handled by too many people, so it’s a good idea to have a single person available to handle all the major aspects of your office relocation.

This could be the business owner, a trusted member of staff or even an outside third party hired to organise the move on your behalf. This will give everyone a single point of reference regarding any questions or issues with the move, and it also means it’s easier to coordinate should you choose to use professional office relocation services –you don’t want an outside service to have to talk to more than one person regarding your move.

Plan The Date And Inform The Relevant Parties

Once you have set the date of your move, it’s time to start spreading the word and planning what you need to do in the lead-up to moving day.

Inform all your staff of moving day so they can prepare their personal items. Any staff who will be helping with more important parts of the move can also start to plan their roles for the date.

Your landlord should be informed of the moving date so things like utilities can be organised and you can plan your final exit of the building where you hand over keys and other specialty accessories.

Measure Current Furniture, Accessories And Study New Layout

Depending on your new location, not everything you have in your current office may be suitable for the new one. This includes furniture like desks, cabinets and tables, as well as large appliances such as fridges, dishwashers and televisions. 

Make sure you have a blueprint of your new office space’s layout with accurate measurements so you can plan how you will be designing the space. This is where the feedback from your staff may also come in handy!

If you are planning on buying new furniture or appliances after the move, ensure you measure them carefully so you’ll know if they’ll fit in your new office.

Make An Inventory List

You’ll need to make a comprehensive list of everything coming with you in the move so you can keep track of it all. This will help you make sure everything has been packed when you leave your old location and can also assist you in determining if anything becomes displaced during the moving process.

Things you’ll need to list include:

• Work desks and office chairs.
• Computer hardrives, screens and laptops.
• Computer mice and keyboards, headsets, cameras and docks.
• Kitchen tables and chairs.
• Large appliances like fridges and washing machines.
• Small kitchen appliances like toasters, kettles, sandwich presses and microwaves.
• Kitchen cutlery, plates, cups and linens.
• Decorations like signs, plants, pictures and desk weights.

Organise Internet And Phones For Your New Office

One of the most important factors for modern businesses is to have quality internet connections and working phones. If you’re choosing to stay with your current provider, you’ll need to inform them of your move so they can make sure you’re connected at your new location.

If you’re going to use a new internet or phone service, make sure to organise it well in advance so they start working the day you move in.

Organise Changeover For Media

You’ll want to make sure your customers know where to find you! Update your address wherever it is represented, such as on your website, signage, business cards and any social media profiles.

If you’re the type of business that keeps in touch with your clients frequently via email, it may be worth sending out a mass email alerting them to your move. This will be particularly important if you are an appointment-based company where customers travel to your premises, so they’ll know to find you at your new address.

Gather Your Moving Supplies

When moving day comes close, you’ll want to have the right supplies on hand.

Moving supplies can include:

• Cardboard boxes
• Bubble wrap
• Butcher paper
• Air pillows
• Packing tape
• Box dividers
• Packing peanuts
• Cling wrap
  

Does collecting any of these supplies sound like a pain? Quality movers like Hard & Fast Removals will provide these essential items for you, should you hire us as your office movers! We know what quality supplies are essential for moving safely and will use them as part of our office moving process.

Do you need to hire office removalists for Sydney, North Beaches or Mount Druitt? Hard & Fast is the team to trust with your move!

Organise New And Old Keycards

Modern offices often use keycards and fobs to allow access to and from the premises. Make sure to return all of them to the landlord so they don’t need to worry about missing cards and people they don’t know having access to the building.

If your new location also requires the use of these accessories to enter and exit, make sure you will have enough to give your staff on day one of new operations. Ensure you have access to the office itself as well as extra spaces like garages and rooftops.

Start Packing

Start packing as early as you can so moving day isn’t too stressful. Smaller, lesser-used items can be packed first (like decorations and specialist equipment), and save things you use every day (like computers and large kitchen appliances) until last.

Make sure to use smart packing practices when loading your things into boxes. This includes lining the box with cushioning like bubble wrap or butcher paper and packing empty spaces with filler like air cushions or packing peanuts. You can also wrap items with sharp edges, awkward shapes  or loose parts with cling wrap to keep them all in one piece.

Connect IT Quickly

You’ll want to sort out your IT quickly once you arrive at your new location. Computers and the internet are how many companies conduct business, so make sure yours are working correctly as soon as they have been unloaded into their new home.

Make sure to test each PC and ensure it functions correctly and can connect to your internet provider. Do the same with phones if you take calls as part of your business, as well as any other technology like smartboards, projectors and television screens.