How to Plan Your Office Moving Timeline

Office moving doesn’t happen overnight. In fact, it’s a process that extends over at least a six-month period, from initial planning to the day of your actual move. When you’re planning to relocate your Hialeah Gardens office to a new location, you’ll need to plan ahead and create a realistic timeline for the move. Because unexpected setbacks can happen, it’s a good idea to plan eight months ahead, if possible.

This sample timeline can give you an idea of what you’ll need to do, and when you should do it.

6-8 Months Before the Move

Around eight months before your projected office moving date, you’ll need to handle preliminary planning.

• Making a decision to move. Office moving starts with your decision to relocate your business. It may be because you need more space, or because your current location isn’t ideal. It could also be a cost-cutting measure.
• Figure out your space requirements. When you’re looking into commercial real estate in Hialeah Gardens, you’ll need an approximate idea of how much space you’ll need. A space that’s too large could leave you overpaying for space you don’t need, but a space that’s too small can make it harder to grow, expand, and hire new staff.
• Confirm an approximate moving budget. You’ll need to determine a reasonable budget for office moving. Paying a local commercial moving company isn’t the only cost you’ll need to account for.
• Confirm internal project management. Many business owners appoint one or more staff members to be in charge of the move. You’ll need to do this well ahead of time.
• Confirm the notice period for your current offices. You’ll need to give your current landlord notice of your move in advance. The time period for this can vary, but it should be included in your lease. If you need to leave earlier than your lease allows, you may have to pay a fee.
• Start searching for new offices. It can take up to two months to find a property that’s suitable for your business. Don’t feel pressured to rush into the first thing that comes available.
• Start looking for office planning companies. Many companies and consultants offer office planning services, which help you determine an ideal layout for your new location. This is a good time to start looking at your options. It’s optional, but it’s a service worth considering if you have the budget for it.

3-4 Months Before the Move

By this time, if you haven’t found and chosen a property already, you should narrow it down to two or three options at most.

• Begin lease negotiation. This generally takes anywhere from three to six weeks.
• Select an office planning company. If you’re working with an office planning service, you should have chosen a company by this point in the process.
• Confirm space layout. Confirm the layout you want with the office planning company.
• Narrow down your real estate options. Choose the two you like the most. It’s good to have a backup plan, in case one of them goes to someone else.
• Request designs and proposals from office planning companies. This is a good time to get proposals from office moving companies, and to chose which one you want to work with.

1-2 Months Before the Move

You’re on the home stretch now, but there are still things to be done.

• Contact a commercial moving company for quotes. This is around the time you should be looking for local office movers to transport your furniture and equipment from your old office to your new office. It’s a good idea to get an estimate from two or three different companies before you make a decision.
• Change your contact details. You need to update your address with your insurance company, the company that handles your website and marketing, your cleaning company, the post office, your telecom and utility companies, and anyone else you deal with.
• Plan your IT system relocation. This may be handled by in-house IT staff, by your office moving company, or by independent IT contractors.
• Relocate your photocopier. Believe it or not, this is often handled by a specialist company. Ask your moving company, and if they don’t do copiers, find a specialty company to move them for you.
• Make sure your new office has alarm and security systems in place. This can have a positive effect on your insurance rates, and your insurance may even require it.
• Get fire extinguishers. Your new office will need fire extinguishers in case of emergency.
• Sign your lease.
• Order new telephone and internet lines.
• Order new furniture, if you need it.
• Have a staff meeting. You may need to organize details of the move with your employees.
• Arrange a postal re-direct.
• Give notice on any 30-day accounts.
• Order new stationery and letterhead.

1 Week Before the Move

• Send a moving card to suppliers and customers. This will give people a heads-up that your business is moving. You may also want to call suppliers to confirm your address change and contracts.
• Confirm that the internet and phone service work in your new office. You don’t want to move in, only to find that there’s no connection.
• Order new keys or access cards.
• Start packing things. You and your staff can pack supplies and equipment. You can also pay movers to help you pack.

The Day of the Move

• Confirm de-activation of your old office’s phone and internet service. You don’t want to end up paying for what you’re not using.
• Change your address on your website and social media profiles. If you have a marketing company handling these, they’ll take care of it for you.
• Turn in your keys to your old landlord.

Office Movers in Hialeah Gardens

At Orange Movers, we help Hialeah Gardens businesses successfully move into new office space. To find out more about our services, call us any time, or fill out our contact form to get in touch with us today.