At Container Self Store, we’ve taken care of our fair share of office equipment, furniture and documents whilst people move to their following location.

Whilst a business upscale is usually a celebratory time, it can come with stress and anxiety. So scroll through our handy office relocation guide and take some weight off your shoulders.

Is it Time for an Office Relocation?

There are numerous tell-tale signs that your business needs to upsize its office. Some of these include:

Overcrowding:
If there’s not enough place for staff to work, this should ring alarm bells. It’s also not practical if you’re hoping to employ more staff.
Storage space is running low:
Not only is lack of storage an organisation nightmare, but it’s also dangerous if the workplace becomes a maze of obstacles.
It’s time for a fresh start and a rebrand:
There comes a time when your surroundings start to feel tired. Giving your office a refresh can increase productivity and make a good impression on visitors, clients and potential employees.
The noise levels are out of control:
Concentration is essential to producing quality work. Being unable to hear yourself think is distracting and detrimental to workflow.
Meetings usually take place outside the office:
Unless you’re heading for a fun staff trip or a change of scenery, you should ideally be able to carry out all of your business within your office – isn’t that the purpose of having one? If you cannot host meetings in your office and regularly venture elsewhere, it’s probably time to upsize.

Moving an Office Checklist

We’ve created a handy timeline checklist for moving office. This way, you can keep track of the process, and nothing gets left behind.

12 Months Before Moving:

Start your research! Sign up with a commercial real estate agent and look at potential premises. Where is your ideal location? How much space would you like to have? What’s your overall budget?

As a starting point, list why you wanted or needed to upscale in the first place and use this to guide your requirements. Doing this avoids repeating the same mistakes.

Six Months Before Moving:

You should have decided on a location six months before your move.

Appoint a move manager to oversee each step of the office relocation process. Someone with commercial relocation or administrative skills would be ideal.

Consider enlisting specialist legal support from a property solicitor or similar.

Three Months Before Moving:

Get quotes from multiple removal companies to get the best deal. We’d recommend working with a firm that specialises in office moves, as they will be familiar with the requirements of your business.

If you have the budget, consider hiring a full-service moving company as they’ll do all the packing and loading for you.

Store your belongings in the transition process to avoid lost or damaged items. Moving office will likely require a 10ft storage container or a larger 20ft storage container since furniture and large equipment are involved.

Ensure you correctly estimate how long you’ll require the container so your items aren’t left stranded.

We even offer nifty 20ft Business Pods with electricity, heating and Wi-Fi. The pods are a comfy yet professional space to facilitate your work during the move.

It’s also time to consider decor and book with office furniture delivery companies. Finally, acquire a blueprint of your new office space to ensure an accurate layout.

One Month Before Moving:

Now’s a good time to alert or remind your staff, customers or clients about your move. Do this where appropriate and offer solutions or alternatives to possible disruptions.

In addition, double-check your bookings with removal and storage services.

Weeks Before Moving:

To ensure you meet your end-of-lease obligations, hire a cleaning company to clean your office thoroughly and professionally before you move out.

Assign a moving day schedule and tie up any loose ends to ensure everyone involved in the move is on the same page.

We’d also suggest you pass on essential contact details to those who may need them in an emergency.

Overall, creating an organised plan, a realistic budget, and hiring the assistance of trusted external services are the most critical steps of our moving an office checklist.

If you would like more information about our office storage services, please do not hesitate to contact us.

We offer a flexible service complete with containers, crates, and pallet spaces for whatever your storage requirements are.