Your Ultimate Office Relocation Checklist

 

Moving offices can be a daunting task. As well as moving larger items such as desks, tables and chairs you also need to give some serious thought on how you are going to move documents, IT equipment and any confidential customer information. This office relocation checklist will break down each stage of the relocation to ensure you don’t miss anything or leave anything behind. Let’s get started….  

Before You Move

• Decide on a date when you will begin the relocation and make sure everyone in the company is aware of it and what they need to do on the day.
• Make sure your new office has enough space to fit everything including employees, desks, furniture, IT infrastructure and has sufficient storage space.
• Design a floor plan of the new premises and sketch out where everything will be placed such as workstations, phone lines, storage and any other furniture.
• Hire a removals company and thoroughly prep them on what they will need to do on the day.

 

IT and Technology Checklist

• Complete a thorough inventory of everything IT related such as cables, telephones, PC’s and monitors.
• Inform the removal company that you will be moving delicate IT equipment that must not be damaged during the move.
• Make sure any confidential data stored on hard drives is stored appropriately, for example, customer data should be locked in a secure box during transport.
• Make sure someone is on hand at the new premises to begin setting up the new IT network as soon as possible.

 

Office Furniture Checklist

• Decide what furniture you are going to keep and what furniture you are getting rid of.
• Delegate someone to remove any furniture that you are not taking to the new premises so it doesn’t get mixed up with the furniture you are taking.
• Complete a full inventory of the furniture and cross reference this with the floor plan you created earlier so you know exactly where it has to go.
• Make a list of any new furniture that is required at the new premises and delegate someone to purchase this so it arrives on the same day as you move. You want to be up and running as soon as possible.

 

Document Storage Checklist

• Make sure you have enough files or boxes to store any loose documents. If you need more make sure you buy them beforehand so you are ready on moving day.
• Make sure everyone is familiar with the floor plan at the new premises and they know where all the documents and files will be stored.
• If you are using a removal company make them aware of any boxes containing confidential information to ensure they are handled appropriately, for example, stored securely not left unattended.

 

On Arrival Checklist

• Make sure everyone involved with the move has an up to date copy of the floor plan so everybody knows exactly where everything must go.
• Instruct the removal company to unload desks, furniture and chairs first so you can begin setting up workstations.
• Unload IT equipment and make sure each workstation has a computer terminal, phone, phone line and relevant cables and power leads to get the equipment up and running.
• Lastly, unload files and documents and make sure they are stored in the correct place according to the floor plan.
• Make sure you have an IT professional with you on the day to tackle any IT or technology related issues.

 

Other Important Considerations

• Order new stationary complete with the new company address before you move. The same goes for business cards, email signatures and any company signage that will be displayed outside the premises.
• Update your company website with new contact information and the new company address.
• Make sure you notify the post office so you continue to receive business correspondence.
• Make changes to any advertising to reflect your new company address and contact details.

Relocating to a new office is a big task but if you follow the steps in this checklist it should be a little easier for you. Always remember to have someone from the company overseeing your removals team in case they have any questions or need clarification on where something needs to go. It might also be a good idea to cancel any meetings for a few days until you are settled and up and running again in your new premises!