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Ready to set up shop somewhere new? Whether your company has grown out of your current space or you’re tired of never having enough parking, moving office is definitely going to be an adventure. But don’t let office moving stress you out! With our office moving guide you’ll be hustling it up again in no time.
Before we go any further, let’s talk money. Moving an office is going to cost you a pretty penny, so that boost in sales last quarter is really going to come in handy. So, what are average office moving costs?
This depends on whether you’re hiring small office movers or commercial office movers. Moving a small office (less than 1,500 square feet) ranges between $1,000 – $5,000.
Larger office moves can run upwards of $30,000+ if the total space is 10,000 square feet and there’s a substantial amount of heavy furniture.
If you’re moving a legal office (loads of heavy paperwork) or a medical office (loads of heavy equipment), expect to be at the high end of these ranges.
As you’ve already seen, office moving and its associated cost is nothing to sneeze at. Because you only have one shot at moving office without catastrophe, choosing the right office movers might be the most important decision throughout the whole process.
What should you do? We always recommend doing thorough research on any office moving companies in your area and gathering price quotes from your top picks.
Getting started on an office move can quickly become overwhelming. There are much more moving parts (see what we did there?) than your typical move, so without guidance, it’s hard to know where to begin.
That’s why we’ve assembled this office moving checklist, which (with some effort) should help make your office moving go more smoothly than that one Christmas party (you know the one…).
It’s never too early to start planning an office move. In fact, if you’re planning a large office move, it might even be a significant point on your year plan.
Many aspects of office moving can’t be rushed because of how many people tend to be involved. Remember it’s not just you, but also your employees, a couple of landlords, utility companies, and your office movers —and don’t forget about your jungle of office plants!
By getting an early start you can sketch out the broad strokes of your plan and proceed calmly. Here’s where we’d recommend you begin:
Before committing to moving office, understand what expenses you’re getting into. This isn’t just buying office moving boxes, but the rent of your new location and any fees you’re liable for when ending your lease.
When it comes to office movers, knowing your budget will help you determine which services to buy (like cleanup and furniture assembly).
When should your office relocation take place? If you haven’t even signed for a new location yet, then you’re still a few months out from moving day (which is how far out the planning should begin 😉).
Think about what needs to happen and when. When to notify your employees? Or buy new furniture? Or complete an equipment inventory? This roadmap will be your lifeline when managing priorities.
If your team is anything like ours, we bet they’ll have some input on the office move. This could include input on locations, seating/floor plans, outdated equipment, or desired perks.
Keeping your teams aligned and making sure their voices are heard helps keep your team members happy. Trust us, at Sirelo we’re very, very happy with our new coffee machine.
With your target office moving date in mind, start sketching out the major tasks that will need to be completed (according to the timeline you just made). Shifting gears into the concrete from the merely possible is what you need to get the engines going on your office move.
Here is where you start making decisions and distributing responsibilities throughout your organization. This might feel like the hardest part (things are getting too real!), but we know you’ll persevere.
Moving office should be all about teamwork (and, as the saying goes, to make the dream work). Delegating different office moving tasks to several employees will ensure you keep to your timeline.
Sirelo Tip! Q: How to stay organized? A: Centralize your documentation, where all office moving plans, communications, and receipts are stored. With everything in one place, it’s harder for your office relocation to go off track —especially for larger offices.
Even though office moving is such an undertaking, you still have a business to run! Those responsible for the office moving plan should budget their time so that they can still perform. When planning, make sure the office moving schedule doesn’t conflict with any critical team deadlines.
A big part of moving is knowing what to move and what to let go. Whether you’re moving office or moving house, everyone accumulates unneeded or outdated items (like all those old holiday decorations). Our downsizing guide is focused on home moving, but many of the principles still apply.
Because much of the cost of office moving depends on the volume of the move, the less you move the cheaper!
Setting up the technical infrastructure of any office is essential. This can simply mean internet connection, or more complex security measures. Sometimes merely transporting electronic equipment is an order of magnitude tougher than desks and chairs.
It can be so tough that you might want to check with your office movers if they have experience with it. Better to be ahead of this one!
With the weeks counting down, maybe you’re starting to get the pre-move jitters. Don’t sweat! If you’ve followed us up to now, you have a strong action plan and (hopefully) reliable employees seeing to the details.
Now is when the preparations really click into place, since you’ve already found a new office, downsized, delegated, and have wrangled quality office movers. So, what’s next?
Making sure any services your business might need are set up properly deserves a guide unto itself. Luckily, we have just such a guide!
Along with changing your address and having all mail forwarded, running through all the necessary changeovers ahead of time will let you focus on the actual office moving.
This should be obvious, right? Well, office moving seldom stops at moving boxes. Proper packaging for your furniture and equipment sometimes demands real attention. Protective padding, custom-shaped boxes, and wall/banister covers will be needed to keep your stuff free of damage when moving office.
This is especially important for medical office moving, where heavy (and pricey!) equipment needs to come along.
Even though everyone should know the office moving schedule by now, added reminders never hurt. Consider also your external communications, notifying any partners or clients of your change of address.
Sirelo Tip! Sending out a newsletter announcing your shiny new office is a great way to show the personal side of your business to customers.
Gametime! You’ve followed your plan to a T, agonizing over all those little details and that one temp that never seems to pull their weight.
The office movers are soon to arrive, so now is the time to go over all your preparations for any last-minute fixes. Before your office move gets too chaotic, here are our key points:
Does every team member have their favorite (or designated) spot? Having a floor plan ready on moving day detailing where your furniture/equipment should go makes life easier for the office movers.
Just make sure all is in place before the office movers leave, or else you’ll be left with a mountain of desks in need of homes.
By office moving day, you should only have to do a last-minute check here. To make sure this goes well leading up to moving office, be transparent with your team about the office moving schedule and sending helpful reminders to pack up.
Remember, labels can be as important as packaging. Otherwise, nothing will find its way to its spot on the floor plan or something important might end up buried in a back room (to never be seen again 😨).
Imagine everyone shows up at the new office on Monday and the lights don’t work… Awkward.
On office moving day, go through the utility checklist with the building manager. While it could be as simple as checking that the billing is setup, it doesn’t hurt to double-check that everything actually works.
Sirelo Tip! If you can, do the same with the building manager at your old office. That way, nothing can come back to bite you and your company in the future.
Things have a way of getting a bit smashed up during large, complicated office moves. Especially if your company works with expensive equipment, make sure to test everything as soon as possible.
Inventorying the damage is your fastest way to filing a claim with your office movers and having everything you need to get back to work.
Once you’re through moving office, things might seem a bit surreal. Things might take some getting used to, and it may even feel like you’ve stumbled into someone else’s office. Spooky!
However, you’ll be wise to remember the lasting effect office moving can have on your business (hopefully for the better). As things settle down, keep these last items in mind:
Now you should be all set for moving office wherever and whenever you choose. Keep this guide handy as you fill out your office moving action plan, and don’t be afraid to ask for help from your team if things start to get chaotic. Need more assistance with your move? Check the links below for some helpful tips. Good luck!
