How Long Does it Take to Move an Office?

Office relocations are not as intimidating as they may seem. An improved workspace can sometimes make work even more engaging for your workforce. However, the main challenge of moving offices is that it requires careful planning. 

Whether you’re a startup, scale-up, small enterprise, or established business, a common concern revolves around how long it will take to move an office. 

It generally takes approximately six to twelve months for large corporations, roughly two to four months for medium-sized companies, and about a week for a startup’s relocation. However, the timeline for moving offices is not fixed. It varies based on the type of lease, the volume of items, team size, and how urgently you need to move. 

Packing heavy corporate machinery, migrating technologies, or conducting corporate cleanouts is something you can’t manage on your own. As a result, hiring a professional office moving company is an ideal way to carry out this relocation.

In this blog, we discuss an office moving timeline in more detail while also keeping the factors in mind. 

3 Factors to Consider Before Moving an Office

The transition to a new office location depends on various factors, including creating a realistic moving budget, flexibility, team size, and the type of office you choose. 

1. Team Size

Smaller companies with fewer than 50 employees face fewer logistical challenges, such as IT migration, workspace transportation, and software installation. 

In contrast, larger corporations usually need more time to customize their new spaces, anticipate specific layouts, and coordinate their setup. As a result, relocating a small office typically takes fewer weeks, while moving larger corporations can span from six to twelve months. 

2. Type of Office You Are Relocating To

When relocating your business, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Each office layout provides unique functionality that caters to your operations. 

Additionally, the timeframe for moving offices differs for the type you choose. 

How Long Does It Usually Take to Move Offices? – At a Glance

The typical time needed to plan an office move ranges from one to four months. This duration applies if your relocation involves moving to a managed office. If you move to a serviced office, the process can take less than a month, while a conventional lease typically takes 6 to 12 months. 

How long does it take to move into a traditional lease office?

Relocating your office to a traditional leased space requires more effort, customization, and a complex process. This is ideal for established businesses with larger teams and intricate setups. 

Since this type of office requires extensive planning, legal considerations, and a fit-out that aligns with your business needs for a longer duration, implementing the relocation typically takes about 6 to 12 months.   

How long does it take to move into a managed office?  

The managed office type offers a quicker option for mid-sized companies seeking shorter contracts and fewer customizations. Office moving timelines for these types range from 3 to 6 months. 

How long will it take to move to the serviced office?

If you are a start-up or an emerging business seeking a ready-to-use or “plug-and-play” option with simpler contracts and setups, opt for a serviced office. This choice provides greater flexibility and a quicker relocation time, say 1 to 4 weeks. 

How long does it take to relocate to the coworking space?

Moving your office to a co-working space doesn’t take much time. The setup costs are lower, the flexibility is greater, and transporting office supplies is easier in this type of environment. Relocating your business to this kind of office typically takes about 1 to 2 weeks. 

How long does it take when you hire professional movers for your office move?

A professional commercial moving company typically makes the process of office relocation much faster. 

• When moving start-ups to a new location, a professional moving company typically requires 1-2 days, which includes packing furniture, assembling and disassembling items, and transporting everything. Some office movers also manage the migration of IT and data within that same timeline. 
• For medium-sized moving companies, professional movers aim to transfer all the corporate machinery and set up at the new location within 3- 5 days. 
• For relocating a large company with over 500 employees, a moving company typically requires about a week to 15 days. The move usually occurs in smaller phases to ensure that there is no downtime in operations. 

3. The Urgency of the Move

Some corporations require a robust network infrastructure and IT systems, while others need more customized meeting rooms. 

Companies that need quicker office relocations with minimal downtime typically require a turnaround time of about one to two weeks. Others relocate in a phased manner, typically taking over three months to completely transport their office furniture and systems. 

Office Moving Timeline: Step-by-Step Guide

Office moving involves many steps, as the relocation doesn’t happen overnight. From planning the move and communicating with the staff to determining legalities, there is a lot to uncover. 

Let’s find out. 

Stage 1: Planning an Office Relocation (Approximately 1 month to 45 days)

One of the biggest questions a business owner asks is, “How long does it take to plan an office move?” 

On average, the time required to plan a relocation is between 1 month to 45 days. This period includes a thorough examination regarding workplace location, calculating moving costs for your office move, budgeting, and your business needs. 

For example, moving to a full-time office instead of a part-time or hybrid working environment involves different considerations that must be addressed. 

Stage 2: Scavenge a Good Location (3-4 months)

Finding an office location is a serious endeavor. The numerous showings, licensing, building requirements, and sufficient space to accommodate your staff are a few factors that influence your timeline. 

Suppose you are looking for office space in Toronto; you search for the nearest public transit, parking restrictions, amenities, rentals, and lease agreements. 

During this analysis, it takes you at least 8 weeks to tour the office spaces, discuss construction planning, read the lease, and select the best 2-3 locations. 

Stage 3: Negotiation for the Best Deal (2-3 weeks)

Office shifting centers on two key factors: moving costs and maintenance expenses. 

Once you have identified the ideal office location, negotiate the best possible deal. 

For instance, a standard leased office necessitates a detailed fit-out plan and a longer lease term, which demands more time to negotiate and finalize other details. 

On the other hand, a serviced office wouldn’t require much of your time to negotiate, as you pay by the desk. 

Stage 4: Legal Procedures (3-6 weeks)

Another important factor in relocating offices is addressing legalities. The timeline for legal processes and lease signings varies depending on the type of office. 

For example, coordinating with your solicitor for a traditional lease office requires significant time and effort, as it involves licensing and contract terms. This contrasts with a managed or serviced office, which entails fewer formalities.

Stage 5: Office Fit-Out (8-16 weeks)

The fit-out plan for a conventional office lease takes the longest time. Moving your office to this type of space requires constant customizations, restructuring, and the safe migration of network infrastructure.

In a serviced office, however, you can disregard the time spent on fit-out construction, as you can directly transport your belongings to the new location. 

Stage 6: The Final Move-Out (2-4 weeks)

The final step in your office moving plan involves migrating your IT systems, furniture, corporate machinery, files, and data transfers, determining the new decor, and establishing a new layout. For a serviced office, the moving time is shorter than that of a traditional leased office. 

Final Move-Out with Professional Office Movers 

When the final move-out process is done by professional office movers, you can rest assured that they take care of the move from start to end. Here are the benefits of hiring a moving company for your office moves:

• Office movers come well-equipped with the right moving supplies to pack fragile furniture items and specific corporate machinery. 
• For complex furniture pieces such as ergonomic chairs, desks, and printers, they obtain the necessary equipment to dismantle them and transport them safely onto the moving truck. 
• Once packed, they also handle move-out cleaning, ensuring the premises are free of clutter and perfectly clean. 
• Some movers also handle complex IT systems, documents, and the entire network infrastructure. 
• For transportation, they load your items onto a well-equipped truck with GPS tracking. 
• Finally, office moving companies set up your office in the new location and reassemble the furniture, ensuring everything is in place for operations to run efficiently. 

Final Thoughts

Relocating your office to a new location is certainly challenging. The time required to move an office varies based on several factors, such as the type of office, complex furniture and systems, and the size of your company. Most business owners and entrepreneurs aim to relocate their offices with minimal disruption to operations and reduced downtime. With that in mind, create a well-structured plan, select the right moving company, conduct multiple tours, explore potential office spaces, and negotiate a fair deal.

FAQs

1. What risks are involved in relocating an office?

The risks associated with office relocation include distorted plans, data loss or theft, compromised IT systems, downtime, and damaged office equipment. Some tips to mitigate these risks and ensure a safer office relocation are using technology effectively, hiring professional office relocation experts for heavy lifting, and planning ahead.  

2. How do you choose an office moving company in Toronto?

To find a good office moving company in Toronto, check and verify the moving services they offer, their online reputation, and their legitimate license as a reputable mover. 

3. What is the cost of hiring an office mover in Toronto?

The average office moving cost in Toronto ranges from $1,500 to over $ 30,000, depending on the size of the company, the complexity of the move, and the services involved. Factors also include IT relocation, furniture assembly and disassembly, storage services, and junk removal for commercial cleanouts.