5 Office Relocation Tips + FREE Office Moving Checklist

 

 

The future of work might look remote for many industries, but that doesn’t mean physical office locations are obsolete. And for whatever reason, there may come a time when moving your office becomes a necessity.

If you find yourself in the position of relocating your office, there can be a lot of factors at play. For instance, how much will office relocation cost? And how do you go about relocating an entire corporate location?

With these questions in mind, we’ve compiled this guide to planning a relocation, including considerations for a large-scale move.

In this post, discover:

• What is an office relocation?
• What are the considerations for an office relocation?
• 5 tips for relocating your office

 

 

What is an office relocation?

An office relocation is when a building owner, property manager, or corporate tenant finds the current location is no longer suitable and decides to move the office and its employees to a new location. Most office moves don’t happen spontaneously; employees are often alerted to upcoming changes.

Common reasons for an office move might include:

• Unsustainable rent prices
• Company growth
• Expiration of current lease
• Facilities no longer meet demand
• Building renovations
• Employee relocation
• Office downsizing
• Better brand fit
• Lack of security

 

What are the considerations for an office relocation?

The decision to relocate your office shouldn’t be taken lightly, and there are a few things to consider:

• Cost. Office relocation costs should be considered. For instance, hiring movers, paying for new office equipment, and potentially increasing rent can all drain your business’s account. Meeting with a financier during every step can help mitigate costs and inform everyone about budgetary needs.
• Location. The location of your office move is perhaps the most important consideration because it can have the largest impact on operations and employees. When scouting for a new office location, make sure you look at areas known for safety and that are closer to transportation areas to make it easier for commuters.
• Timing. Is now a good time to consider a large-scale move? Is there a more advantageous time to move your corporate office? Assign a project manager early on who can help solve these questions by reviewing the data and assembling teams to help with each aspect of the relocation.
• Impact. Considering the impact such a move will have on the company, its clients, and its employees is critical. Some moves will likely impact all three positively, but planning for negative impacts is important in controlling potential fallout.

 

Discover these five office automation for your new location:

 

5 tips for relocating your office

As mentioned above, there are many reasons why you might want to relocate your office. And, with the right plan, you can do it as minimally disruptive as possible.

Here are five tips to help you smoothly relocate your office and tenants:

1. Inform employees of the move
2. Assign people their roles
3. Prepare the new location
4. Hire someone to move the office
5. Update contact information

 

1. Inform employees of the move

The sooner your employees know about the relocation, the more prepared they’ll feel about the ultimate change. Furthermore, keeping them informed of each step along the way gives them enough time to ask questions and figure out their new commutes.

Remember that your employees will want to know how flexible you’ll be about their new routines, especially for some employees whose homes might now be farther away from their offices. You can support your employees by giving everyone a forum to ask questions, adopting a period of flexible work hours, or offering commute stipends.

 

2. Assign people their roles

Experts have pointed out that clarifying roles and responsibilities when taking on large projects such as office relocation is the best way to succeed.

One way to clarify project management roles is to use the DARCI grid:

• Decider. First, you need to define the ultimate decider. This person will have the final say and approval and should have the most decision-making power.
• Accountable person. When your project is as large-scale as a corporate office relocation, there will likely need to be more than one accountable person. In this case, choosing an accountable person for each task helps divvy up the workload. Each accountable person heads their team and is responsible for how their team achieves its objectives.
• Responsible person. The responsible person(s) will complete the tasks and report to the accountable team member heading their task.
• Consulted person. The one who will answer questions from teams and provide feedback. They can be the Decider or simply advisers.
• Informed person. Lastly, the informed person will keep notes and pass on communications. In most cases, this person doesn’t have decision-making authority but does report to the Decider.

 

3. Prepare the new location

Before moving into your new location, you must be fully prepared to ensure office space utilization is at its peak.

For instance, here are some things to make sure are complete before officially opening the new office location:

• Ensure all decor—including paint, flooring, and lighting—is complete before moving employees in. Moreover, limit post-move construction or installations, as they could distract people trying to work in a new place.
• Ensure that security and access control systems are installed and fully functional so employees and visitors can move freely around the property without being locked out.
• All systems, software, and WiFi should be up and running ahead of time, and all bugs should be fixed before teams set foot in the new office.
• If applicable, have desks, cubicles, and meeting rooms assigned to help alleviate confusion during the first few weeks.

 

4. Hire someone to move the office

Hiring office movers from a relocation company can help make the transition easier. They can move your office furniture and help organize and facilitate the transfer of all computers and systems.

What’s more, hiring a data and technology moving specialist may benefit your company. These professionals are skilled at relocating data servers and IT infrastructures with as little disruption as possible.

 

5. Update contact information

Finally, once your office’s relocation is complete, you should update your contact information with your new address. Moreover, it would be best to begin alerting clients about your move with an office relocation announcement. This email announcement should include your new address and changed phone numbers. Further, reassure clients and customers that your office move won’t impact their ability to work with your business.