Relocating your office requires a mile-long to-do list – and it can be stressful to keep track of everything you need to get done. Rightsize understands the strain of operating business as usual while also putting pieces in place to ensure your move is successful.
To ease your worries, we’ve curated a helpful cheat sheet with important things to remember when planning for moving day.
It will take more time than you think.
It’s easy to underestimate how long the moving process will really take. Minimize the last-minute scramble by breaking the project into smaller tasks and estimating how much time each one requires. Mark moving day on your calendar, and add a cushion of a few days (or even longer if you can) to allow for plans going awry. For example, if you’re moving on the 15th, aim to have all of the major tasks completed by the 11th. Working backwards from this date, add each of your tasks to specific days on your calendar, with reminders.
Coordination is key.
A seamless move is one that allows you to relocate your business from one space to another, getting your company up and running again with as little wasted time as possible. For this to happen, you need to coordinate a tight timeline with multiple people. Start by giving your current landlord notice, letting him or her know the date you’re leaving and the hours you’ll need access to freight elevators or a loading zone. Double-check with your new landlord that this timeframe also works for moving in. Fill your staff in on the plan, and delegate responsibilities for the move.
Not everything has to come with you.
Moving offices is a good opportunity to take stock of what furniture and equipment you have, and what you need. Make a master list of all the furniture and office equipment you have in your current space, and evaluate what you want to take with you to your new office. What have you outgrown? What needs to be updated or replaced? What do you absolutely need to keep?
Your new space will be (and should be) different.
Now is the best possible time to think strategically about your new office layout. What do you want to improve from your old office? What changes or growth will affect your space? Work with a vendor with expertise in space planning, like Rightsize, to determine how to optimize your new office. It’s important to take into account your existing furniture, as well as any new additions. Rightsize helps clients plan customized furniture solutions, blending new, pre-owned and refurbished items. Order any furniture and equipment with plenty of lead time so it will arrive on time for moving day.
You have to trust your moving company.
It is crucial to find a reputable, licensed and insured moving company to handle your office move. You need a company that can manage the process, from start to finish, including facility decommissioning and reconstructing furniture in your new space. Rightsize coordinates in-house resources and Value-Added Service Partners (VASPs) to get everything running smoothly in your new office, from commercial storage and moving services, to electrical and IT setup.
You need a plan for items you’re getting rid of.
It’s a surefire rule of any big move: you always have more stuff than you know what to do with. When you have an extra desk or two to dispose of, it might not seem like a huge deal. But when you have rooms full of old furniture or office equipment you no longer need, you don’t want to dump them in a landfill; you must have a plan to remove them responsibly. Rightsize specializes in facility decommissioning: restoring a space to its original condition, and breaking down office furniture to resell, refurbish or recycle sustainably.
Planning a move? Learn more about Rightsize’s turnkey facility services.
