Moving Office
If you're considering moving office, you'll know there's a lot to think about. New spaces to view, lease terms to consider, a new office design, the relocation of all your people and equipment… the list goes on. Just the thought of moving office can be overwhelming.
That's understandable. Moving your office is a big project, and it comes with significant opportunities (and risks). In this article, we'll go through 6 of the most important things you need to think about before you start moving office. By the end, you'll be better educated about what goes into a successful office move, and you'll be ready to get started on your own office relocation.
1) Detailed Planning
Detailed planning is a crucial part of a successful office relocation. This should include your overall workspace strategy, project objectives, key deadlines, new space requirements, and budget. This plan will be your go-to guide throughout your project, keeping it on track and making sure it is a success.
A workspace strategy aligns your company’s office(s) with your company strategy, culture, and processes. Project objectives take the overall strategy and distill it into key deliverables for this project. This can be both financial (e.g., reducing real estate costs) and operational (e.g., enabling hybrid working). New space requirements are the key features that your new office will have to have. This includes location, size, and amenities.
Deadlines and budgeting are so important that we’ll cover them in more detail later on. It's important that you dedicate sufficient time and resources to planning your office move. While a good plan doesn’t guarantee a successful relocation, poor planning does make project success impossible.
2) Setting Deadlines
Key deadlines are the milestones that you have to hit for your project to be a success. The obvious starting point is your current lease expiry. Other major points are selecting a design & build company, starting the works, and the final relocation.
The expiry date for your current lease is the most important deadline because this is the date by which you have to have moved your office. The start date of your new lease is also important, as you will need to allow sufficient time to fit out the new space and move your staff and equipment. Based on these two key dates, all other deadlines can be set.
Though you want to complete your office move as quickly as possible, you need to make sure the timelines are realistic. Otherwise, you are setting your project up for failure. It is also helpful to allow plenty of time for the planning and design phase, as getting this right will make your project quicker overall.
3) Budgeting
The biggest constraint of nearly every project is budget. When considering such a big cost, it’s tempting to reduce it as much as possible. However, it’s important to consider an office relocation as an investment. Whilst it’s important to keep costs low, you need to focus on maximising the performance of your staff and real estate.
There is much more to office relocation costs than the lease agreement. Other costs you will incur include finding a new space, survey & legal costs, dilapidations, office fit out, and relocation. The two most important are lease costs and fit out costs, as these are not only the biggest costs - they also have an ongoing impact.
There are so many variables, and each company’s situation is different. With such a complex process, it can be difficult to gauge what kind of monetary commitment you’re making. To learn more about what your office relocation may cost, read Cost of London Office Relocation in 2024.
4) Performance Design
Your office is much more than a place for your people to work. When designed and managed well, your office can be a productive and collaborative place that brings your culture to life and maximises the performance of your company. This is a crucial part of your office move, so you need to consider this thoroughly before you begin your project.
To do this, your new office needs to match the way your people work. It should include a variety of collaborative, focussed, and breakout areas to suit the varied ways your staff work. Effective noise management will minimise distractions, and daylight-balanced lighting will reduce eye strain. Biophilia will also improve air quality and staff wellbeing.
All these factors and more will contribute to a high-performance office design that will make your workspace relocation the success you need it to be. To learn more about how you can maximise the performance of your company through workspace, read “How to Maximise Staff Productivity with Office Design”.
5) Change Management
Office relocation involves a lot of change for your people. Not only are they working in a new location, but the design of their new office will likely be very different too. Depending on your workspace strategy, your office relocation may also completely change the way they work.
Careful planning and good communication are essential to ensure your people support the change and make the most of the opportunity that your office relocation provides. You need to explain exactly what will change in the new office, as well as the reasons for the changes. Listening to and addressing staff concerns is also essential.
Moving office will be a significant change in the working lives of your people, so it's essential that you support them through it. By planning and communicating well, you can ensure your people understand the reasons for the change. By providing them with a workspace that matches the way they work, you can eliminate the risk of reduced performance in your new office.
6) Minimising Downtime
While running an office relocation project inevitably takes time, it’s imperative that it causes as little disruption as possible. If your office relocation is not well organised it could take days to transfer between locations. Existing and new offices could be disorganised for weeks. This would severely reduce the productivity of your staff, and cause serious issues for your business.
To minimise the disruption caused by your office move, you need to work with an experienced design & build company that can manage as much of the process as possible. As they do this professionally, they are a lot more efficient and reduce the time needed to manage the project from your side.
It’s also important to have a detailed plan for moving your staff, furniture, and equipment from your existing to your new office. Ensuring you are well prepared will mean the time your people can’t work will be minimised, and your business will suffer as little disruption as possible.
Planning Your Office Relocation
There is a lot to think about when planning your office relocation. Careful planning and setting deadlines will provide you with the groundwork to deliver a successful project. Creating a design that maximises the performance of your people will ensure your office move generates ROI.
Finally, supporting your people through the change and minimising downtime will make the move to your new office as seamless as possible. By considering and managing these 6 key factors, you will be giving yourself the best possible chance of success.
To take the next step, download The Ultimate Office Relocation Guide. It's one comprehensive guide that will help you understand everything that goes into an office relocation, what it costs, and how long it will take. To learn more about what goes into an office move, read Step by Step: The Office Relocation Process.
