Checklist for Your Upcoming Office Move


Preparing for a big office move? We’ve included a list of items that you need to tackle prior to your office relocation.

  • Have movers come out to premises and do a walkthrough to determine relocation costs. Give a basic idea of what items need to be moved and equipment or furniture that has to be taken down or apart in one location and put back together in another location.
  • Schedule time for freight elevators and docks at old and new locations.
  • Identify and secure insurance requirements.
  • Have phone and data brokers arrange for telecom to be set up at the new location and canceled at the current location.
  • Contact furniture vendors to make sure all needs are taken care of.
  • Any sensitive items such as bank statements, contracts, invoices, client information, etc. need to be separated and either filed in another area of the office or shredded if need be.
  • Prepare an inventory of everything being moved.
  • Prepare change of address–notify post office, prepare business cards and stationery, send move notification to clients and vendors, change periodicals, subscriptions, and bill pays to new address.
  • Throw out all materials not essential to be relocated. You may need to arrange for additional trash removal, charitable donation pick up, or coordinating off-site storage.
  • Communicate clearly with staff and movers so everyone is on the same page with how to prepare and label the belongings and what to expect with the new location.
  • Decommission old space. Get rid of unwanted furniture and equipment. Bring space back to what the lease terms specify–broom clean condition is typical.

Like anything else, you should have a good team around you to help facilitate this process. Your broker should have key contacts in each of these areas that they can introduce. Always be open and honest about questions and concerns you have throughout the process.


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