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Home Checklists Managing an office relocation
Checklist contents
Everything you need to know about an office relocation; from the first stages of the project to the day of the office move.
About 12 months before you're planning to move, you should decide who's going to be involved, and start to outline your key requirements. Select a team and assign clear roles and responsibilities.
Involving others and keeping people in the loop will prevent surprises and delays further down the line. They probably know more about what's going on in your organisation than anyone else.
Relocation tip! Don't forget your admin staff. They probably know more about what's going on than anyone else.
In some instances, involving your staff is the law. The Information & Consultation of Employees Regulations 2004 state that any changes directly affecting staff should be discussed with them. Unions should also be engaged as soon as possible.
You could find what you consider to be the perfect office, but if the location isn't right, then it just won't work for your company. Consider the following criteria when selecting locations for your new base:
A relocation project can be one of the most expensive events in the life of a business. Moving forward without a clear idea of budgets is like sailing without a compass. All reputable suppliers will provide full cost estimates, free of charge. This will enable you to communicate with the rest of your business the real financial impact of your move.
You're spending enough money for there to be plenty of opportunities for tax breaks.
Make sure you're talking to the best people in the business.
For more information, see our checklist 'Choosing the right office design and fit out partner'.
The bulk of your costs will fall into the fit out and design category of your relocation. It makes sense to engage with a good office design / fit out consultancy at the early stages so you can plan ahead.
If you haven't selected your space, your office design consultancy can help you by calculating the amount of space you need - including all services and storage. Make sure you don't leave anything out, because if you end up with too little space, you'll have to move too soon. Too much space and you're throwing money away, every month.
If you've found your space, your office design / fit out partner can really help by surveying your new building, coming up with cost estimates and helping you visualise your new space. That way, you'll avoid any surprises later on.
Make sure you hire a design / fit out company that offers a complete 'turnkey' solution. It will save you time, money, and the hassle of having to manage multiple parties.
A thorough feasibility study could save you thousands. Not only will it help you to determine how much space you need and how to accommodate your people, it will also help you plan for future growth (avoiding the need for an unplanned costly expansion or move). A good office design consultancy should do this for you.
Often overlooked, storage can make the difference between happy staff and grumbling workers. Office relocation is an opportune time to reassess and calculate your storage needs.
For a step-by-step guide to producing a sustainable office interior, see our Sustainable Office Design Checklist.
Confusion at the time of relocation can cause anxiety amongst staff. It will pay dividends to keep everyone involved and create buy-in for the move.
A close look at your building can save you thousands down the road. For example, the heating and ventilation system may look good, but it may need a major upgrade. A good design and fit out company could survey your new space and at the same time estimate costs and timescales.
It it also critical to get some indicative designs drawn up at this point. It's the only way you can accurately estimate fit out costs.
Make sure you don't overpay on your rates. Information is available from the Valuation Office Agency website
Relocation tip! Ask your future landlord if there are any major upgrades planned to the building. This is important, as you may have to pay for them in your future service charges!
It's not just about cost. There are things like health and safety and ergonomics to think about.
What sort of systems are already in place? Will all your equipment work properly?
Health and safety are of paramount importance because you are responsible, even if you hire contractors. Make sure you work with companies with excellent health and safety credentials and processes.
Relocation tip! Try to hire a contractor with an in-house health, safety and wellbeing team. Some outsource this function, which puts health and safety 'on the clock' and can impact the safety and wellbeing of those working on your project.
Make sure all your clients and suppliers know where and when you are moving.
Relocation tip! By law, you are required to keep a record of any waste that leaves the site. You are also responsible if one of your contractors doesn't dispose of waste properly (like dumping paint down the sewer drain). So make sure your contractor has excellent environmental credentials.
There's no point paying to move anything you're not going to need.