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How to manage an moving offices or relocating Planning an office move or relocation? Good, moving to a new office is an exciting thing. There’s something rejuvenating about a change of scenery. However, if you’re the one responsible for running it all, it can very overwhelming. When making an office move or relocation, firstly, give yourself plenty of time. In addition, you should decide who’s going to be involved and start to outline the key requirements. Select a team and assign clear roles and responsibilities such as: Who is Senior enough to make decisions Experienced at multi-tasking Good motivator Knows your business inside-out Great communicator Highly organised Good at sticking to a budget Sharing the roles and responsibilities Involving others and keeping people in the loop will prevent surprises and delays further down the line. For example, there’s no reason to approve a new office design unless the MD has seen it, they are bound to change it. Therefore, ensure all departments are aware what’s happening such as: Managing Director Facilities Director Office Manager IT Director Operations Director Marketing Human Resources Secretaries and Personal Assistants Location, location, location You could find what you consider to be the perfect office, but if the location isn’t right, then it just won’t work for your company. Consider the following criteria when selecting locations as your new base: Good public transport links Easy access for clients to visit Easy for you to visit clients Good commute for existing employees’ Local amenities (shops, restaurants, pharmacies, etc.) Good access to major roadways Excellent access to major airports Parking Set a budget for your office move An office move or relocation project can be one of the most expensive events in the life of a business. Moving forward without a clear idea of budgets is defiantly NOT a good idea. All reputable suppliers will provide full cost estimates, free of charge. This will enable you to communicate with the rest of your business the real financial impact of your move. A breakdown of the typical costs you may encounter include: Occupancy costs (such as rent, energy, maintenance, etc.) Transaction fees (for property agents, lawyers) Insurance costs Fire plan assessment Planning permission fees Cost of new furniture Removal & storage costs Printing costs Telecoms – equipment and installation Marketing costs – new stationery etc… Website update of new address, plus mail redirection Contingency (it is not uncommon to budget an extra 20% for contingencies and changes) The Office Move Checklist The bulk of costs will fall into the fit out and design category of your relocation. It makes sense to engage a good office design at the early stages so you can plan. Make sure you don’t leave anything out, because if you end up with too little space, you’ll have to move again. Too much space and you’re throwing money away, every month. Confirm and agree activity schedule for the move Order crates and pack items you do not use daily Label crates with department and names or desk numbers – always label crates to the new position Label all furniture required to move. If it’s not labelled it won’t get moved Secure destruction of any unwanted filing install any new furniture and or IT into the new offices before the move commences Liaise with building management regarding access at all locations. Confirm any special requirements such as lift and loading bay access and procedures Arrange with the office move company should any parking be required Review RAMS (risk assessment, method statements) with the office moving company, sign off and pass to the building management team Pass on removal team names to the building management team and any vehicle registration plates as required Hopefully the information above will help if you are planning an office move. Each company has individual requirements, but the one common factor is that ‘good planning’ is essential. Are you planning to move in 2024? Or perhaps you’re planning to upgrade or downsize in 2025? Speak to a member of our team to find out how we can take the stress out of moving home.