11 Office Moving Tips from Experts for a Smooth Relocation

Relocating an office can often take time and effort for any business owner. 

Planning the move and packing your office space are the key factors our moving experts suggest for a seamless and efficient transition. 

This comprehensive guide will walk you through the essential steps and strategies to prepare your office for a local relocation. 

Also, each aspect of the packing process will be covered, from developing a moving plan to handling sensitive documents and coordinating with professional movers. We aim to provide practical tips and insights from our extensive experience. 

By the end of this guide, you will be well-equipped with the knowledge to pack your office effectively, ensuring a successful relocation to your new business premises.

Let’s Jump in!

1. Develop an Office Moving Strategy

Creating a comprehensive moving strategy is paramount. So, establish a realistic timeline, mark critical milestones, and deadlines to ensure a smooth transition. 

Here are some tips for developing an office moving strategy:

• Consider all aspects of the move, from packing to the actual moving day, and allocate ample time for each phase. 
• Assigning clear packing responsibilities among your staff. 
• Delegate tasks based on department or area of the office to maintain organization and accountability. This approach evenly distributes the workload and involves your team in the moving process, making it collaborative.
• Also, the professional moving experts at Let’s Get Moving have created a moving checklist to assist you further.

2. Create an Inventory Management System

A thorough inventory management process is the backbone of efficient packing and relocation. 

Inventory management before an office move includes everything from large items like desks and chairs to smaller essentials like computers, printers, and stationery.

When done right, a detailed inventory list ensures nothing important is left behind and nothing extra arrives at the new office. 

Here are some tips for creating an inventory management system before a business move:

• Start by documenting all office equipment and supplies. 
• Evaluate each item’s necessity and condition and decide whether to move, discard, or donate the item.
• You can use apps to keep track of office space inventory; some home inventory apps are less complicated than the ones for commercial use, such as those used for warehousing. 
• This way, if anything goes missing, you can locate its whereabouts better. 

3. Establish Your Moving Budget As Early As Possible

Moving offices can be expensive, and it helps to create a moving budget before calling the moving company to organize your move.

At Let’s Get Moving, we work with a customer’s budget to give them the best possible estimate of costs. We can also help suggest ways to cut down on moving costs, like proposing a moving day when we offer better rates, like on weekdays between the 4th and 26th of the month.

Call us at 1-877-245-3254 to discuss your budget and get a free estimate for your office moving services.

Many businesses will have employees help with some of the packing and unpacking, which can also reduce costs enough to stay within budget.

4. Gather the Right Office Packing Supplies

Proper packing sets the stage for a straightforward and organized unpacking process at your new location. 

Spending money on quality packing supplies is an investment in the safety of your office equipment, ensuring everything arrives at your new location in the same condition it left.

So, start packing for an office relocation by choosing suitable materials.

You’ll need:

• Moving Boxes: 

For an office move, you will need various boxes in different sizes to accommodate everything from bulky office equipment to small supplies. 

Sturdy, corrugated boxes are ideal for heavier items, while smaller boxes are perfect for books, documents, and fragile items.

• Bubble wrap and packing peanuts:

• Anti-static bubble wrap: 

This product is stellar for electronics such as computers and laptops to prevent static electricity that can damage sensitive components.

• Silica gel packets:

You can also use silica gel inside boxes with electronics. It can absorb moisture and further protect against humidity-related damage.

• Strong packing tape: 

Strong packing tape will keep the boxes close while you move. Also, you will need durable labels or markers for clear identification. 

• Stretch wrap: 

For securing drawers and protecting furniture surfaces.

• Custom crates: 

Using crates is excellent for high-value items like servers, large printers, or specialized machinery. These crates should fit the equipment precisely, protecting against shocks and vibrations during the move.

For more packing tips, read our article on how to pack for a move, which includes a comprehensive list of packing supplies, items you can’t take, and tips that could help you pack an office kitchen before moving.

5. Adhere to Data Safety and Backing Up Information Best Practices

Packaging electronics like computers, monitors, and servers is the key to careful preparation and secure move. However, the safe movement of hardware and devices is part of the story. 

It is also vital to ensure the safety of the data saved on your moving devices, such as backing up all essential files from computers and servers. 

To help elaborate on best practices for data security while moving, we asked some experts in IT and cybersecurity.

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“Regarding moving systems containing sensitive information, I would make three common recommendations. 

First, ensure the data is encrypted; this will help to protect the data if anything gets lost or stolen during the move. 

Second, have up-to-date backups, test them, and transport them separately to ensure that you can restore them in the event of damaged hardware. 

Finally, have an employee escort the equipment to ensure it is not tampered with.

In addition, some considerations organizations should make is what their course of action will be if the core equipment is damaged and where they can restore it to the cloud or new hardware. 

How long will it take to recover? These questions impact how you move equipment; for example, moving it separately from the primary equipment may be best if you have redundant hardware. 

Overall, all site moves are risky activities, so organizations conduct a risk assessment to understand which mitigation step needs to happen.” 

—John Earle, President of Protocol 86

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If you are using movers to help with your office relocation, many experts will advise vetting their expertise with IT relocation:

“The most critical aspect of your business move is the safe and secure relocation of your IT infrastructure and sensitive documents. Hiring professional movers with proven experience in IT relocation is crucial for first-time business movers. They possess the tools, expertise, and procedures for secure handling of your sensitive data.

You must find movers certified by recognized organizations like the National Association of Information Destruction (NAID) or the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). These certifications demonstrate their commitment to secure data handling practices.

Interview potential movers about their IT relocation procedures, insurance coverage, and security protocols before you hire them. For peace of mind, allocate one person from the business to oversee every step of the move and maintain communication with movers.”

—Paul Schepens is the operations manager at Schepens Removals, managing their business relocations in the UK and internationally.

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Securing your data against loss or damage means you can immediately resume business operations in your new office. 

6. Use Caution Packing Sensitive Materials For  Confidential Documents

When packing sensitive materials, such as confidential files, it’s paramount to prioritize security and discretion.

• Sort documents: 

Begin by sorting and organizing the documents you need to keep and shredding any outdated or unnecessary papers.

Use sturdy, lockable file boxes for transporting important documents, and consider tamper-evident seals for added security. 

• Destroy old items: 

Pack only necessary sensitive documents and shred the rest to lessen the number of items you ultimately move.

• What to leave: 

Leave non-sensitive files and folders in their filing cabinets — your movers can shrink-wrap the whole cabinet for moving.

• Use secure transportation: 

A professional moving service specializing in confidential materials for susceptible files should provide tracking and chain of custody records.

This ensures your documents are monitored and protected throughout the move. 

By adhering to these best practices, you can ensure that your confidential materials maintain the integrity and privacy of your essential business information.

7. Use This Method for Packing Shared Areas and Workstations

Adequate labelling and grouping of items by department will help to facilitate a smooth office move. Use the steps outlined here to label and group items while packing. 

• Provide clear guidelines to employees: 

Are your employees helping you with the packing, moving and unpacking process? Ensure consistent communication of your packing and moving day expectations for everyone involved.

Use a calendar to schedule moving-related activities and shared lists to itemize and track office equipment as it is being packed, moved and unpacked.

• Categorize all shared space items: 

Unplug, clean, and securely pack kitchen appliances, dishes, glassware, TVs, lamps, mirrors, etc.

• Send personal items home: 

Have employees take home items like photos or plants at home to avoid damage.

• Carefully wrap electronics: 

Use the above materials to wrap keyboards, cursors, projectors, screens and monitors. They should be carefully wrapped and packed in labelled boxes.

• Disassemble furniture: 

Disassembled furniture is more accessible to move. Start with chairs and tables that aren’t used daily. 

• Use a colour-coding system: 

Assign colours to different departments or areas, making identifying where each box goes easy.

• Number and add descriptions to each box: 

Keep a detailed inventory list for tracking. This method streamlines the unpacking process and helps quickly locate specific items when needed.

8. Arrange for All Utilities to Be Cut off to the Old Premises

Before the actual moving day, it’s a good idea to notify your phone and internet supplier, as all your utilities will need to be transferred to your new location. It’s always best to let your supplier know beforehand; then, you minimize any stress that comes with switching.

9. Coordinate with a Professional Moving Company

Using professional movers for your office move is an excellent option if you have the budget but make sure you choose the right moving company. 

Office moves can be large and complex, which is why we always advise discussing and finalizing the moving day logistics well in advance, including: 

• Arrival time
• Order of moving items
• Special requirements
• Packing systems and labelling so the Toronto movers can understand how your boxes are organized and can handle them accordingly.

At Let’s Get Moving, we understand the complexities of office relocations and are here to make your transition as smooth as possible. To do this, we offer our office relocation clients the following services: 

• Office packing
• Office relocation logistics
• Office unpacking
• Junk removal
• Short-term storage of office furniture and equipment
• Moving fragile equipment 

Contact us at 1-877-245-3254 for local moving services, expert packing services, efficient moving solutions, and tailored consultations to ensure your office relocation succeeds.

10. Check for Insurance and Liability

Most moving companies provide insurance coverage for damaged items during the move. 

Here’s how to ensure the professional movers you choose to offer the insurance and liability you need:

• Understand the moving insurance coverage and liability options your moving company provides. 
• Ensure that your office equipment and materials have insurance against damage or loss during the move. 
• Discuss different insurance options and choose one that best fits your needs, providing peace of mind that your assets are protected.
• Document the condition of your equipment before packing. If anything gets lost or damaged, consider investing in insurance to protect the stuff.

11. Arrange Storage if Required

One often overlooked part of commercial moving is the need for temporary, off-site storage for items that won’t go to the new space on the day of the move. 

If your business has a lot of equipment and furniture to move, and you don’t know if it will all fit in the new office, you may want to look for a moving company that provides storage services. 

The company can help you determine whether your move (based on the number and weight of the items and the total volume of furniture and boxes) requires temporary storage. 

Conclusion

Moving offices requires meticulous pre-move planning tailored to your needs, whether a burgeoning startup or an established enterprise expanding to new horizons.

The foundation of a successful office move lies in two critical aspects: developing a robust moving strategy and effective inventory management.

Follow the strategy and execution steps above for a hassle-free and organized office relocation.