In today’s world, office moves are inevitable. It may be due to a company restructuring or an increase in staff. Whatever the reason, packing up your belongings and finding a new place for them is never easy.
Moving your office can be quite a task on its own. It takes not only time and effort but also money to do it successfully. Don’t be overwhelmed, though! Here are seven tips that will help you get started with this big venture.
1. Be Well Prepared
When you know your office move is coming, make sure you plan well ahead. Things like making the necessary changes to the company website and stationery will save time and effort in setting up your new office.
You can also use this opportunity to take advantage of the situation and update equipment that is no longer working effectively or even obsolete; furniture, computers, printers, for example.
Make sure all these are in good condition when moving day comes around. This way, it will be easier for everyone involved to have things readily available upon arrival at your new workstation.
2. Clean Out Unnecessary Items
The actual task of packing can be quite daunting — deciding what stays or goes? What should I do while I am still here instead of just putting it away? What do I need for a successful move, and what can I live without?
Get rid of everything that doesn’t have a place in your new office. If you have items at home that no longer get used, see if they could be donated to the office, which will lessen your load when packing.
3. Hire Commercial Movers
If you’re moving into a larger office space, then moving the equipment alone can be quite costly. Sometimes it may even be cheaper to hire moving services than to rent or purchase moving trucks for this specific purpose.
These movers will come into your old office building and provide professional packing supplies as well as move everything to its new location on time and intact, so there’s no damage incurred during the office move.
4. Keep Personal Belongings to a Minimum
You don’t want the office move to turn into an exhausting mini-episode of Hoarders; nobody wants that, you included! If your company provides moving boxes for this purpose then use them up completely before bringing in your own supplies like bubble wrap and paper towels.
Avoid clutter at all costs by not packing personal items together with work-related ones. Keep food out of the office space too. The last thing you need is the lingering smell of takeout mixed with printer ink…
5. Don’t Forget About Furniture Arrangements
The furniture needs to be properly arranged so it fits in the new space while still being functional for everyone who will be working there.
It may be necessary to rearrange the layout of the furniture within the new office space, especially if you are switching from cubicles to an open area. This will allow for better flow, which can work wonders with collaboration and communication.
6. Keep Communication Open
This is probably one of the most important things on this list! Employees need to know that it’s OK to ask questions even if they seem silly or irrelevant — some might have missed out on all the announcements about moving due to being too busy during this time, so they simply don’t know what or how much is expected of them right now.
Many may not yet have moved into their new office spaces, so there could also be some confusion regarding who gets which room/cubicle… Talking it out is sometimes all it takes to clear up the confusion.
7. Be Flexible During Moving Day
Moving can be hectic, but there aren’t any specific rules for moving — not even your employees! All they need to know is what is expected of them during this time, so it’s best you provide some guidelines ahead of time, not on moving day.
A common question many employees will have right now is whether taking breaks is allowed during this event because most companies consider that downtime and reduce an employee’s hourly pay if they decide to do so instead of working.
It never hurts to allow for small breaks here and there just as long as everyone gets back on task with their duties in more than 15 minutes after asking for the time off.
Office moves can be a lot of work and involve many factors. In this article, you’ve learned some tips on how to make an office move go more smoothly for your employees and yourself. Good luck moving in!
