When it comes to office relocation, there are many things to attend to all at once, which can be overwhelming. If you’re also preparing for office relocation, you’ll be trying to cause minimal disruption before, during, and even after the move. 

Moving your office to a new facility is exciting, but it can all go south very quickly if you’re not fully prepared for the move. For most companies, office relocation is a need and a clear sign of growth. 

68% of employees say that their office relocation affected them positively. In fact, it most often means that the company is moving to a new office with more space and comfort. However, employees have also reported downsides of relocation, such as distractions and loss of productivity.

As a facility manager or the person responsible for office relocation, it will fall upon you to ensure that the office relocation happens smoothly to make amove easier for the employees. This can be achieved with planning, preparation, and communication.

Moving to new offices can be an intimidating task, but it can be achieved by following these easy and simple steps. So, here’s a simple guide on how to move your office facilities without any unnecessary disruptions or stress.

Step One – The Initial Preparation

After you make the decision to relocate your offices, it’s time to start taking the first steps. Typically, this should be at least 3-6 months before the moving date. You should start by reviewing your commercial property lease, as leaving early may cost you the deposit.

After you’ve decided on a tentative timeline for moving, it’s time to put together a planning team that can delegate tasks and carries out the moving process. You should also start looking for an office moving company.

If you are in California, you should start by asking for a quote from the best commercial moving services near you. Hint: A professional and full-service moving company will offer you free quotes without any commitment. 

The quote will allow you to assess what’s the best service and value for your money. You should also figure out whether you need moving insurance for your important machinery and equipment.

Finally, you should also set up a moving budget to help prevent any overspending. Some moving companies even offer a free, no-obligation site survey to give you an accurate cost estimate, which can help you with the budgeting.

Step 2: Communication is Key

Once you’ve decided on a relocation date, it’s crucial that you let external and internal stakeholders know about the upcoming move. This typically includes your current property manager, as you’ll have to give an official notice before moving.

Moreover, you should also inform your team members about the new office and the moving date. Since your office address will change, it’s important that all the relevant parties are informed of the new office address, including your clients and service providers.

At this point, you should also make a reservation with your office moving company. Moreover, you should also communicate the responsibilities with the team members. You will also need to inform your IT department as moving IT equipment is a lot more complicated.

You can also consider hiring specialized services for moving your IT equipment safely and efficiently. 

Step 3: Preparation is Everything

You should start your preparation by considering the logistics of relocating all your office equipment from one location to another. For preparation, you’ll need a floor plan of the new space so you can measure the new space and plan how you’re going to place everything.

You should also start working on an inventory of the existing office furniture and make a list of any new furniture or equipment that is needed for the new office space. You should also consider placing orders for the new equipment and furniture in advance.

You should also consider the need for external storage as it might be required during the relocation. You can also look for a relocation company that also offers warehousing and storage services nearby.

Similarly, if you’re hiring a relocation company, you don’t have to worry about packing everything yourself. Moving companies like Valley Relocation in San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Jose will unplug, pack, move, and reinstall everything for you exactly where you want it.

However, you’ll need to provide them with the detailed floor plan of the new office space for your office movers and discuss your requirements. Once your movers understand the specifics, they’ll be able to carry out the relocation process smoothly and efficiently.

Typically, you can expect your office moving company to perform the following tasks:

• Disassembling and removing the office furniture from your old office
• Packing all the furniture and equipment and loading it for transportation
• Arrange E-Waste Recycling and donation drops
• Photographing all the products to be decommissioned
• Labeling all the items to be moved
• Sanitization and broom cleaning of the decommissioned office space.

Step 4: Moving and Settling In

If your preparation is complete, you’ll be feeling relaxed once the moving day arrives. To ensure things go even more smoothly, you should have a budget for refreshments for your movers. You should also be available to help the movers and ensure that everything goes smoothly.

You can also consider hiring facility services in California to close out your tenant’s lease and get your deposit back. These services typically include light maintenance services, cleaning, patch paint, and repair services and help you get your deposit back without any deductions.

Once the move is complete, you need to think about settling in. You’ll want to be operational as soon as possible. This requires setting up all the equipment, furniture, and even cubicles. 

Valley Relocation offers these services to help companies become functional as soon as possible by setting up all the equipment and furniture and assembling cubicles.

In the end, it’s important to remember that hiring professional experts is the best way to get the job done. To get more office moving tips, click here. Happy moving!

About the Author

This post is brought to you by the relocation experts at Valley Relocation in California, a full-service moving company. The Bay Area movers offer comprehensive relocation services, IT equipment and industrial machinery moving and storage, and specialized logistics. 

Check out Valley Relocation if you’re looking for commercial relocation and facilities support services in California. Contact now to get a free quote and learn more about their services.