What Details You Must Put into Your Office Relocation Checklist
Office relocation happens all the time. No matter what the reason is (be it due to limited office space, or cost consideration, or company location), office relocation is always the cause of celebration as it symbolises an opportunity to start anew. While office relocation will give your company a face-lift in terms of location and working environment, it could be a daunting task without proper planning.
Plan Your Office Relocation Checklist as Early as Possible
Yes, early planning will help you to foresee and monitor the relocation progress. First thing first, you should have an office relocation plan in place. While you may end up with a laundry list of relocation to-do-task, bear in mind that the ultimate goal is to minimise downtime and make sure employees can get back to work as soon as possible. Office relocation checklist is not rocket science – you can find a good list of considerations for your moving planning here.
Checklist 1: What to Do 6-12 Months Before Relocation
- Scout for ideal new locations
- Go for new premise viewing
- Decide the new office location after the evaluation (including office plan and space requirements)
- Notify the landlord about the termination of present tenure (if you’re renting the premise)
- Notify staff of relocation’s date and the whereabouts of new office
- Look for a designer for a new office
- Decide the relocation budget
Checklist 2: What to Do 3 Months Before Relocation
- Sign and confirm the new rental agreement
- Develop a timeline and action plan for major tasks and requirements.
- Sort out the old furniture and decide which are to be prepared for sale or disposal (if and where applicable)
- Order new furniture for new office
- Have a master change-of-address list in place
Checklist 3: What to Do 2 Months Before Relocation
- Get ready to transfer old phone lines – start the application of new phone lines if need be.
- Update website with the revised address (you may add the new map on your website)
- Send out a communication to all clients – to notify on relocation
Checklist 4: What to Do 1 Month Before Relocation
- Brief employees about the expected moving date, relocation plan and delegate responsibilities like packing and unpacking, cleaning of storage and common areas, and colour coding or labelling tasks
- Schedule staff for unpacking and packing (including cabinets, storerooms, file rooms, etc.)
Checklist 5: What to Do 2 Weeks Before Relocation
- Change all contact details (address and phone numbers) on all correspondence materials.
- Prepare to set up a new phone line/transfer old phone line
- Make an arrangement of protecting and covering elevators and open surfaces at the old office to minimize possible damage caused by relocation
- Colour-code and label all items and furniture for easy recognition and arrangement when on moving day
Checklist 6: What to Do 3 Days Before Relocation
- Have a staff briefing on moving day
- Send out communication (i.e. emails) to inform all stakeholders and customers of the change in address
Checklist 7: What to Do on Moving Day
- Make sure you an emergency contact list in place (get a printed version if need be)
- Arrange refreshments for the staff (moving team and internal representatives)
- Make sure that all tech equipment, computers, phones, etc. are move-first items
- Install phone lines and internet connection at the new office
Checklist 8: What to Do After Moving Day
Old Office:
- Clean up the premise
- Tear down fixtures or partitions
- Dispose of remaining old furniture
- Return the office to its original state (if applicable)
New office:
- Do a detailed walk-through of the new premises and ensure it is fit and proper for the operation
- Add a celebratory note by organising an office-warming
Conclusion
While many people might find office relocation is a time-consuming and costly task, office relocation will not feel like cruising around the block if you have a detailed office relocation checklist in relocation plan in place. If you manage and plan the relocation properly, both your company and your employee will see this as a rewarding experience. But let’s be real here — this can be daunting, stressful, and laborious especially if you’re already preoccupied with tons of paperwork. Therefore, you’d definitely need to hire someone who provides office relocation services professionally. Contact us if you’re interested.
