8 Essential Tips for a Successful Office Relocation

how to plan a fast and efficient office move

Moving an office can be complicated. You don’t want to deal with unproductive downtime but you do want your business to be up and running as soon as possible. Providing a stress-free transition for your employees, attending to your clients, making sure your IT is up to date – there’s so much to think about and make happen. Samba Moving has developed a timeline that will ensure your office move is not only efficient, but fast and organized. 

How Long Does it Take to Move Offices?

The length of time it will take to move your office will depend on the size of your business. If you’re moving a small office that’s run by one or two employees, you can expect to need about four months of planning to execute the move. Relocating a large corporate office with hundreds of employees can require up to a year of planning.

In addition to the size of your office, you’ll need to allow time to restore your old space according to your lease agreement. And if you want to make renovations to your new space, it’s best to complete the work before you move in. Be sure to read the details of your old lease agreement because it will specify how you are to restore the rooms or building in order to have your full deposit returned. Allow sufficient time to restore the spaces.

How Do You Plan an Office Move in NYC?

New York City is exciting and unique and that’s why so many residents wouldn’t dream of living or working anywhere else. Just as there are endless qualities that make NYC special, inevitably, some challenges will pop up when it’s time to move. How you plan for your office move will determine the outcome. While NYC is exciting and unique, you want your move to be more about efficiency and reducing stress. The excitement can happen after-hours!

This 8-step timeline will guide you toward an efficient, organized, and well-planned NYC office move:

1. Start With a Plan 

From the moment you know you’ll be moving, create a plan. It’s never too early to prepare, and even though planning takes some time, it will definitely pay off in the long run. 

  • Create a moving calendar. A calendar will help you stay organized throughout the move.
  • Schedule your move outside of normal business hours. 
    • Many NYC buildings restrict the number of trips allowed on the elevator during business hours. Plus, you don’t want to be competing with UPS, FedEx, and other logistics providers.
    • Take a look at the NYC events calendar and try to avoid moving on days when special events will clog the streets. Although the merrymakers will be having fun, you won’t.
  • Try to start your new lease a few days before your old lease ends. When you plan for an overlap, it will be easier to handle any unforeseen delays and you’ll have sufficient time for utilities and IT to be installed.
  • Include a review of your new floor plan and specify where desks, cubicles, couches, conference tables, shelving, and other furniture will be placed. 
  • Plan any needed renovations and if possible complete them before moving in. For example, you may need to upgrade your IT, update task lighting, or expand the employee lounge.

2. Hire a Moving Company

Hiring a professional office moving company that is experienced in NYC commercial moves is essential to the success of your move. It’s unfair to your employees to expect them to move your office. They aren’t trained to move and could risk injury.

3. Identify a Move Manager

All that planning takes time. That’s why a move manager is essential. While you can continue running your business, the move manager will handle all of the planning and communication. You can select someone in your office to take on the role of Move Manager or ask your mover to connect you with a person in their company. Professional movers often include a Move Manager in the scope of their commercial moving package.

The MM will stay in touch with your old and new property management companies to ensure service providers and the movers will have parking, and elevator access on your moving dates. The MM will act as a point person to help your employees understand their roles in the move and provide guidance on packing and handling the transition.

4. Update Your Employees

You count on your employees for success so be sure they can count on you during the move. Some employees may feel stress when faced with an office move. The move may affect their commute or convenience to their kids’ school. Address their concerns and provide them with as much information as possible to prevent confusion and unnecessary worry.

5. Update Your Clients

Create a smooth transition for your clients so they won’t be affected by your move. Let them know how long they can expect to do business at your old location, when you’ll be operating out of your new location, and provide contact information with your new address and phone number (if it changes). Provide your clients with the move manager’s contact information so they can always get their questions answered promptly.

6. Contact Your Service Providers

Allow plenty of time to notify all of your service providers of your ending and start dates so that you won’t face outages. This will ensure your employees can continue working and will provide a smooth transition of services from your old office to your new. In addition to phone, internet, electric, etc., remember to transition any special services you provide such as drinking water, coffee service, etc.

7. Start Purging

Getting rid of unused, worn out, and outdated items will make packing and moving so much easier. Provide decluttering tips for your employees and encourage recycling.

8. Pack

Provide plenty of boxes, tape, packing paper, and permanent markers so employees can pack their workstations. The MM can provide packing tips and encourage each and every box to be clearly labeled with the contents and also the location of where the movers should deliver the box.

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It’s true. The excitement of New York City is alluring. But don’t let your office move be a thrilling event. Keep it sane and safe, organized and efficient. Samba Moving will make sure your office move is fast, efficient, and well-planned. Get a free quote today!