Moving to a new office can be an exciting step and with careful planning this process can progress efficiently and cost-effectively. With an increase in remote working, many companies are choosing to downsize their office space to make savings. There is a wide range of other reasons for office relocations including a move to a more central location or coming to the end of a lease period. Whatever the reason you are choosing to move to a new office, using a specialist office relocation company provides peace of mind that the move-in process will keep on track with the required timeframe.
If you are planning to move offices there is a number of key steps you can take to ensure that this move is carried out efficiently and cost-effectively. Moving offices can provide a good opportunity to upgrade and change some items which will also save money in the moving process. The shift to remote and hybrid working has led to changes in requirements for office equipment. Taking the time to reconcile office equipment and deciding which items you will no longer need will not only save time throughout the moving process but will also save time once you are in your new office.
There is also a number of practical steps to consider when moving into a new office. One key step is ensuring that telephones and WiFi are set up. It is often useful to work alongside an IT support company to ensure that tech is set up in the new office. If your lease overlaps with your old office, setting up WiFi and identifying any requirements for WiFi boosters throughout the building can help save time to get up and running once the move is completed.
Read more for some further information on the key steps to planning an office move.
Putting Together A Removal Checklist
One helpful step in planning an office move is to put together a removal checklist. Our commercial removal checklist at Essex Removals can provide a useful starting point in planning your move. Creating a checklist in a shared folder with other staff who are managing the move provides a space to add useful reminders. As moving house or office is usually a very busy and often stressful period of time, noting down reminders for tasks that may seem obvious can be invaluable to ensure that nothing gets missed.
When putting together an overall checklist for all tasks to complete when moving offices it can be useful to include deadlines for each task. By including this in a calendar app such as Google calendar this will provide notifications as the deadline approaches. Implementing systems to use apps that are available can be a big help when planning a move. Planning the full range of required steps early on also provides the option to delegate different jobs within staff who are handling the move creating a more manageable process.
Choosing A Move-In Date
If you are moving between leased business premises it can often be a good idea to allow a week or so of overlap in the lease periods providing more flexibility in moving in. This allows for a clearer plan to be established and a more flexible timeframe for the move. One the move-in week has been decided it can be helpful to ask staff who are not helping manage the move to work remotely to allow continuity whilst the move is ongoing. Although this is sometimes not possible with rental contracts, choosing to move at quieter times for your business during the year can make a significant difference.
If you see an office you would like to move into with several months left on your current rental contract it can be useful to call your letting agent or landlord to explore which options, if any, are available to leave the contract early. Negotiating a break clause in rental contracts provides useful flexibility and manoeuvrability for your business as your organisation’s requirements for office space continue to change and evolve.
Office Plan
One of the key benefits of having some overlap in the lease periods is that this provides the option to work out a clear office plan. There is a number of key benefits to creating an office plan before move-in day. This provides the chance to see how existing furniture will fit within the office space and decide whether it will be necessary to purchase new furniture. The right office plan can help improve operational efficiency within an organisation so it is worth taking some time to consider the advantages and limitations of different options.
Utility Bills
One of the key practical steps that can lead to significant savings once you have moved into your new office is researching the different options for utility bills. Utilising resources on price comparison sites is a useful step in addition to getting in touch with energy providers to explore options that are available for businesses. Another key step is taking out contents insurance for office equipment as you move to the new office.
Filing
For offices with a paper filing system, clearly labelling boxes for folders and files will make organising files significantly easier at the new office. As many businesses move towards paperless filing systems, an office move can be a good opportunity to sort through files and reconcile the system. This opportunity to review existing systems and make changes to current approaches to working can lead to significant improvements in efficiency once you have moved to your new office.
Office Furniture
If the office you are moving to is not furnished it can be worth deciding whether to put aside some budget for new office furniture. Many furniture companies offer services to build new furniture for customers at the delivery site so this can be a good option to save time. One option when moving to a new office is to keep the core pieces of furniture and choose a number of useful and practical additional pieces of furniture as a cost-effective approach to refreshing your new office space.
Telephones And WiFi
Setting up an efficient IT system at a new office can be challenging and if your organisation does not have an IT team it is worth working alongside an experienced IT company to ensure a smooth transition. Whilst many of these tasks on your move-in checklist can be time consuming, taking time to carefully plan and organise each of these steps can help save significant time and money once you have moved in. Moving to a new office can also provide an opportunity to improve systems and efficiency so time spent planning is a clear investment in your new workspace.
Working With An Office Removal Company In Essex
Choosing an experienced office removal company to work with can make a significant difference in the process. Getting in touch with an office removal company can also be a useful opportunity to discuss the different steps required in a move. Experienced removal companies can provide assistance taking apart and rebuilding furniture at each site as well as providing help project managing the move.
One factor to consider when choosing a removal company for your office items is insurance. From a financial standpoint it is important that your items are ensured throughout the course of the removal. Other key factors include industry experience, custom satisfaction and the range of services. Calling trusted local removal companies to receive quotes whilst you are planning your move is a useful step in gaining clarity on the budget for the project.
Get In Touch With Essex Removals For Your Next Move
Our experienced team at Essex Removals can provide professional office removals in Essex, South London and the South East of England. Providing an efficient and cost-effective office removal service in Essex, we can help ensure that your office move goes smoothly. Our office removal service includes free insurance with coverage up to £50,000. To find out more about the range of services we can provide to help you with your next move, get in touch with our team today by calling 01708 722 277 or emailing info@essexremovals.com.
