As companies prepare for the future, an office relocation is proving to be an effective strategy for getting into better, cheaper and more appropriate office space. It can enable a business to consolidate, reduce excessive overheads and build a stronger platform from which to grow.

Getting an office move right is a great opportunity to affect positive change management, improvement in business performance, increased morale and momentum - however, getting it wrong can have the opposite effect.

This Office Relocation Planning Guide covers the three most important issues that a business needs to address when embarking on a relocation project.

1. Understanding what is involved with an office relocation

An office relocation is simply a process - and like any process it can be broken down into a series of simple tasks and checks. The intelligent use of an Office Relocation Checklist will not only help with the planning, but also act as the road map to carry out the many tasks involved with the office relocation project.

2. Start Early

There's a lot to do, so the earlier a company can start the office relocation planning process the greater the chance of achieving the smooth office move that the business expects. It's impossible to plan too far ahead. Once the Office Move Project Leader has been appointed - work should start. All things being equal, best practice says that companies should start reviewing their options 9-18 months prior to lease expiration, regardless of whether they are considering renewing, renegotiation or relocating office. It is vital to allow enough lead-time to increase the amount of leverage and competition between the various options, which can result in substantial savings for the tenant.

3. Get Professional Help

Not engaging the help of external relocation advisors is false economy and, as a result, many office moves end up being a time-consuming & stressful job fraught with difficulty. What's worse, is the fact that companies who choose not to engage external professional help for the key stages of their office relocation run the risk of making expensive mistakes that could have been avoided. The main areas where external expertise is required include:

Property Agents: to help find the most suitable office property and then negotiate the best office lease

Property Solicitors: to advise on exit strategy from current office and to ensure a company's best interests are maintained during the negotiation and signing of the new lease.

Office Fit-Out: space planning, office design and fit-out of the new office.

IT Relocation: to maintain & enhance business communications throughout the relocation process (and beyond), upgrade to better systems; change to more appropriate Telecoms solutions and/or cost effective call plans.

Office Removals: to perform the physical move from old to new office and offer storage/archiving facilities.

Planning is everything when it comes to moving office, so make sure you follow these tips for a smooth and successful office relocation.