Moving office checklist

The planning an office move checklist 

Stage 1: Planning the office move

You should start planning the office move up to six months before the moving date. There’s typically a three to 12-month delay between signing a commercial office lease and being able to move into the new space. That should give you plenty of time to prepare.

Give notice to your landlord

You’ll need to check how much notice you must give your current landlord before signing a lease for the new space. Depending on your deal, that will usually be between one and six months. You must then plan to give notice so the end date correlates with your moving date, and make sure you resolve any issues with your current office, such as repairs and dilapidations, before then. The clock is ticking.

Inform your staff  

Informing your employees of the move is another job to take care of early on, as it will give them as much time as possible to prepare. You may even choose to involve them in the office-finding process, as making sure the commute is manageable and finding a location with suitable amenities is vital for staff retention, attraction and morale. 

Establish an office relocation team

With so much to do, you can make your life easier by creating an office relocation team. You can lead the team or assign the role to a trusted deputy. Sit down with the office move manager three or four months before the move date to start planning the logistics and determine what external help, such as removal teams and tech relocation specialists, you’ll need.

Finalise the floor plan

You need to sit down and finalise how your new office space will look. That includes where the communal spaces, meeting rooms and private and collaborative working areas will be. You should also develop a layout for furniture placement and equipment setup.

Sell unneeded office equipment at auction

Once you’ve finalised your floorspace, this is the right time to think about what office equipment and furniture you’ll take with you and where you want to upgrade. Office equipment and IT auctions are a quick and effective way to sell anything you don’t need. If you’re on a budget, you can also buy used office equipment at auction at a significantly reduced price.

Stage 2: Preparing for the office move

Now you have a plan and know what you need and where everything’s going, it’s time to put the logistics in place to make it all happen. These are steps to start ticking off your office move checklist around three months before moving day.

Book a removal firm

Good office relocation firms can be booked long in advance, so now’s the time to get recommendations and make some calls.

Think about insurance

Something else to consider is insurance. Most removal firms will insure your equipment while it’s in transit, but you may need extra cover, such as a storage policy, to provide peace of mind and protect your assets.

Resolve any issues in your current workspace

You should also take steps to minimise your liability when your current lease expires. You can do that by fulfilling all the lease terms, including making necessary repairs, booking professional cleaners, and undoing any alterations you made to return the office to its original condition. 

Arrange storage

Selling office equipment at auction is an effective way to get rid of anything you don’t need, but there may also be items you want to keep but don’t need straightaway. If so, now’s the time to look for affordable storage solutions. Storage can be expensive, so it’s worth shopping around.

Create an inventory

As you get closer to the moving date, it’s a good idea to create an inventory to ensure everything arrives at your new workspace in one piece. It’s also worth labelling your furniture using a numbered or colour-coded system so you know exactly where it should go.

Order packaging supplies

Your removal firm may provide all the packaging materials you need, but if not, order boxes, tape, bubble wrap, storage containers, document files and anything else so you can start packing before the big day.

Finalise the details

The final job before the move is to make sure your office relocation team has the address of the new workspace, knows how to get there and has any parking permits and access codes they’ll need on moving day.

Stage 3: Making the move

Now all the plans are in place, the final step on your office relocation checklist is the move itself. Given the work you’ve put in so far, it should go smoothly, but there’s always the potential for hiccups, so it pays to be prepared.   

Ask employees to clear their desks

Your removal team will pack your office equipment and furniture on the day, but your employees must clear their desks and remove any personal items beforehand. Give them clear instructions so they know what to do with their belongings. 

Brief the team

Ensure your office relocation team know exactly where they must be, when, and their jobs on moving day. For example, how will they gain access to the new office, who will have a copy of the floor plan, who should they call if anything goes wrong, and where will the removals team unload? 

Do a final walkthrough of the old office

When your old workspace is empty, do a final walkthrough to check you haven’t left anything behind and document any damage you hadn’t seen. You should also return all the keys and access passes.

Unpack and set up

In the new workspace, the removal team should have left everything in the right areas according to your floor plan. That will make the job of unpacking much easier. Setting up IT systems, Wi-Fi and telephone lines should be a priority. Working with a specialist IT relocation team may be desirable depending on the size of your business and its complexity.

Notify relevant parties

Your final job is to inform all relevant parties, such as utility providers, clients and suppliers, of the move and update your company website with your new contact details.

The easy way to sell unwanted office equipment

At Eddisons Asset Auctions, our office equipment auctions are a quick and straightforward way to turn unwanted office equipment, laptops and furniture into cash. We take care of everything, from valuing your equipment and creating detailed listings to advertising your assets and arranging inspections so you can get on with the move. Find out more about how we sell your assets and get in touch for a free asset appraisal.