Instant offices

The Step-by-Step Office Moving Checklist

moving offices

• Step One – Things to Do Right Now

• If you’re moving to a new office, here’s what you need to do right now

• Notify your current landlord and give notice

• Get a detailed floor plan of your new space

• Measure your new office space

• Ensure all team members are informed of the move date

• Find and book a moving company

• Start a master list of people you need to send a change of address to

• Ensure your employee list is up to date

• Ensure your client list and service provider list is up to date

• Create an inventory of existing furniture

• Find and consult with a furniture company for any new furniture required

• Step Two – Before the Move 

• Everything you need for a simple goodbye

• Assign colour codes to each department. Marketing = purple, Accounts = green etc.

• Work on a detailed floor plan and allocate colour coded stickers to each department section

• Assign each employee a number, and add that corresponding number to their desk and equipment

• Clearly define and name communal spaces on your new floor plan

• Brief your IT department on the move and discuss what tech is needed for the day

• Get any official paperwork done and dusted, as well as permits and licenses 

• Book parking space and elevators for the moving day

• Place orders for new furniture and stationery

• Arrange for cleaning services at your current and new premises

• Finalise access codes and locks for new premises

• Send a detailed floor plan to your movers, or arrange a meeting at the new premises if need be

• Create a detailed moving day plan for staff to follow

• Draft a list of emergency contact numbers for everyone involved in the move, as well as elevator maintenance and building management

• Set a possible date for an office-warming party

• Arrange external storage facilities if needed

• Get your team involved

• Arrange a staff meeting to discuss moving day

• Propose a moving committee and assign a member of each team to oversee their department’s packing responsibilities

• Discuss packing procedures and layout

• Provide directions to the new location as well as instructions on parking, public transport etc.

• Give each staff member a moving pack that includes their allocated desk number, colour code, as well as some info about the new venue – maybe even include a quick guide to great food spots in the area as a nice touch.

• Laptops, screens, hard drives, keyboards – discuss a standardised way to label these and explain it to staff

•  Ensure everyone takes home personal belongings like iPads or laptops

• Discuss which representatives will stay at the current location until the last moving truck has left, and which will move to the new location to help

• Arrange for each department to empty and pack or tape closed their filing cabinets etc.

• At your new office space

• Print out colour coded signs to make department demarcation easy to see

• Label spaces with desk numbers

•  Ensure keys, access codes or tags, and security information is available

• Who to send a change of address notice to:

• Clients and partners

• Professional organisations you belong to

• Stationery services

• Banks and financial institutions

• Any food service companies

• Bottled water company

• Telephone company

• Service companies for photocopiers or printers

• Insurance

• Any accounts departments

• Your internet service provider

• Any additional services your company makes use of

• Step Three – On Moving Day

• Time for the smoothest office move of your life

• Keep your emergency number print out on hand

• Allocate a budget for refreshments for the moving team and internal representatives

• To make moving a bit easier arrange to have aircon on during the move

• Ensure all tech equipment, computers, phones etc. are moved first

• Ensure representatives are on hand to make sure all colour coded items are placed in the correct locations

• Ensure all desks are in the right places along with their numbered boxes

• Book a date for telephone lines and systems to become operational

• The day after moving day

• Add a special touch by leaving a welcome pack on each employee’s desk, which contains their name, job title, a welcome note and possibly even a pack of energy sweets, a snack or a drink to get them through day one

• Spot check the building and ensure all facilities are in order

• Ensure all areas are clearly defined and demarcated for staff to see

• Set up all computers and tech equipment

• Set up telephone lines and systems

• Create new phone list

• A few days after moving 

• Distribute new telephone lists and department locations

• Perform a detailed check of the premises

• Report any damage to the moving company if need be

• Make sure your insurance has been transferred

• Ensure old leases have been wrapped up

• Confirm deposits have been received from the old premises

• Collect all passes, keycards and keys for your old premises and have them sent back

• Hand out new passes, keycards and keys

• Check all invoices and payments

• Arrange for installation of new IT systems

• Finalise the change of address mailing list and send

• Set up a committee to plan an office-warming

• Do a client announcement or issue a press release