An office move can often be filled with uncertainty about what you should and shouldn’t be doing throughout the moving office process– especially if it’s your first time.

Organising an office move is a huge responsibility. It requires accurate co-ordination of budgets, meeting deadlines, as well as organising a whole host of people and companies to bring the moving office project together successfully.

Knowing what the best practice right and wrongs are of moving office will not only help you organise and manage the office move project better, it can also provide you with confidence that your relocation project is on the right track for a smooth and successful transition.

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Plan ahead and start organising your office move as early as possible. Best practice states anywhere between 9-18 months prior to your current office lease expiring should give you enough time to get everything organised.

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Take professional advice from property agents, solicitors, office designers and removal companies for the component stages of the office move. They are experts in their field and their advice will ensure you end up in the right office space, on the right terms, with the right layout and design - and all this having happened on time with all your furniture in its right place.

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Get your hands on a Moving Office Checklist that will outline all the tasks you need to undertake and guide you through the process to ensure your office is moved with minimum disruption to the business.

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Create an internal Office Relocation Project Team with your colleagues to ensure you have the right support from others within your company and make the project a successful team effort.

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Keep your staff up-to-date. They’ll need to be regularly communicated with so they know what's going on and be kept informed at each important stage of the process.

DON’T

Start planning your office move until you have checked the Exit Clause in your office lease. You are legally bound by a notice period and it needs to be exercised within the appropriate timeframe and in the correct way.

DON’T

Underestimate your future growth plans and where your business will be in 5-10 years time. This will influence the size of the office space you chose, IT & Telecoms requirements as well as the office design and fit-out elements.

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Move office without planning a realistic budget. It will enable you to keep-a-track of costs and ensure you don't spend anymore than you really need to.

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Sign anything (i.e. the Office Lease) until you have taken professional legal advice from a Property Solicitor, and that you understand each clause and the implications it has on your business.

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Take all your clutter with you! Have a good old clear out, archive historical files, and recycle what you don’t use. It will help to reduce the amount of office space you need and free up more office space for more important issues such as additional staff and new technology.