Your Ultimate Office Move Checklist for a Stress-Free Relocation

Before moving

☐ Review your lease and form a moving committee

Before creating a moving office checklist, you must review and prepare a few things. 

Review the lease you currently have with the commercial property owner. Most contracts state that you'll lose your deposit for moving earlier than the lease's end. Furthermore, it may also state you're responsible for any damage or repair to the office space during your stay.

Next, create a moving committee within your business. Various personnel from different departments should be present in the group.

☐ Create a moving budget

Next, you'll need to consider your budget for the new space, office equipment, and moving services. Sit down with your finance department to plan your budget. 

In choosing an office shifting company, consider the value they offer rather than going for the lowest bidder. Consult the IT and electronics team to call pro movers who can preserve and transport your office equipment well. 

☐ Review the new office floor plan

Acquire a detailed floor plan of the new office to quickly plan the layout and identify the areas designated for each department. Then, keep an inventory of the old office furniture and see whether they suit the new office or if you need new ones. 

Lastly, make a copy of the floor plan with a color-coded scheme to help office movers identify the new office's various areas and speed up the moving process during moving day.

☐ Go through the paperwork

Offices moving to another state may need to apply for new permits or licenses. Before you hire expert packers to pack your items effectively, sign a contract that details their role and responsibility during moving day.

Other things you’ll need to accomplish are:

• Booking parking space permits

• Request access to the supplier elevator for the entire moving schedule

• Decide on a uniform (e.g., blue shirt/black shirt) to watch over moving personnel and your properties

• Send out a list of emergency contact numbers (e.g., police, elevator maintenance, administrative office, and others) to the moving committee

☐ Take inventory of everything

Most offices have dozens of computer screens, keyboards, CPUs, cables, furniture, chairs, and other equipment that needs proper labeling. Use the color-coded office floor plan to label the equipment of various departments to aid movers in where to offload them during moving day.

☐ Notify all concerned parties

Relevant parties must know about your moving date and new address at least two to four months prior. Here is a list you can keep handy for this step:

• An official notice to the landlord and property manager

• Give employees or team members a notification with an explainer of their responsibilities before and during the move and directions to the new office from their old office

• A notice letter to local partners, clients, and other concerned parties

• A letter to the respective statutory body

• Correspondences with your bank and financial institution

• Notices to insurance, security, telephone, internet, food service, and photocopy and print services, and other utilities providers or suppliers used by your company

☐ Plan the best way to pack everything

Buy essential packing supplies, such as moving boxes, moving straps, bubble wrap, color dots for box labeling, packing paper, tape, scissors, and other materials one month before the move. 

A week before the move, start packing items in the common and lounge areas and ask employees to start packing their belongings. Hire furniture experts to help you disassemble and pack your furniture.

During the move

☐ Split your committee into two groups

Divide your committee into two groups: one in the old office and another at the new office. 

One group must wait for the corporate office relocation company to finish packing up and loading old office equipment and furniture in the old office, ensure all items are accounted for, and head with the movers to the new office. The other group at the new office should coordinate with the moving company and suppliers for any deliveries.

The new group should also place many copies and labels of the floor plan across the new office walls to aid movers in offloading equipment. They can use color-coded stickers or labels to identify each room and area in the new office.

☐ Check if the utilities are working well

Ask the group waiting in the new location to check if the electricity is working, no pipes are leaking, and the internet has been connected. Give them the phone numbers of the local providers and contractors to schedule any necessary repairs.

☐ Inspect and note any property damage

Check for any structural damage, mold growth, missing ceiling tiles, and dents on the walls before the moving team and the moving company arrives. Take note of these and report them to the landlord and building administration for repairs.

☐ Oversee the unloading process

Upon arrival, the committee should assign team members to oversee the moving company’s unloading and unpacking operations in the new office. Each team member should guide movers toward the correct department and where to put each box.

☐ Prepare some refreshments

A few members of the moving committee can get food and drinks for the moving team and other committee members. Everyone would probably be tired after all the carrying and unloading, and they need refreshments to boost their energy.

Settling in at the new office

☐ Set up your utilities

Test if the electricity, water, and landlines are working. Your committee's IT department should contact the telecommunications and internet companies to connect your internet and telecommunication lines after the movers offload everything. The IT representatives would also set up your network security and framework.

Other committee members should check the new office's plumbing and electric lines’ functionality and note any issues. They can report these to the property manager for repairs later. See also if your office's HVAC and ventilation systems are operational. 

☐ Unpack and restock supplies

Remove everything from their boxes carefully using box cutters and scissors. Unwrap any blankets or protective screens on computer screens, CPUs, chairs, and other furniture and place them according to your floor plan.

Next, see if you have enough office supplies after the move. Assign a team to replenish them a week or a few days before the new office opens its doors.

☐ Get comfortable 

Are you finally done with all the unloading and unpacking? Once everything is set up right and operational, call your cleaning company to tidy up the new office space. You can also consider throwing an office warming for the entire company before the scheduled new office work day!