Moving Office
Are you stressed about having to plan and manage an office move? You're not alone. Moving house is the 3rd most stressful life event, and moving office is no less challenging.
Office relocations are complex and challenging projects. There is a lot of pressure, and if you haven't prepared properly, it can be a very stressful experience. Costs can spiral upwards, essential equipment can get lost, and staff can oppose the change. Even worse, your business may face a significant period of downtime when it can barely operate.
However, that doesn’t mean you're powerless to make your upcoming office relocation less nerve-wracking. With careful planning and expert help, you can make your projects much less stressful and more successful.
At Zentura, we’ve been helping companies in the UK create and move offices for nearly 15 years. In this article, we’ll talk you through 5 essential steps you need to follow to make your office move less stressful for you and your team. By the end, you'll be equipped to plan and deliver an office move with minimal stress and maximum success.
Plan Carefully
Planning thoroughly is the best thing you can do to reduce the stress of your office relocation. A detailed plan allows you to know what needs to happen, why and when. As a result, it's much less stressful.
Your project plan needs to include 5 key items. These are your overall workspace strategy, project objectives, key milestones, new space requirements, and commercial feasibility analysis. This should all be done before you even think about potential locations or design features. By clarifying your key project drivers and success criteria, you can remain focussed on these throughout the project.
To learn more about planning for your office relocation, download our office relocation guide. In there, you’ll find an entire section explaining exactly what needs to be included in your project plan, and how you can create the best office relocation plan for your project.
Allow Plenty of Time
One of the most common mistakes we see companies make when planning an office relocation is not allowing enough time. As a result, they have to rush subsequent stages. This increases the stress and risk of the entire project
There is much more to moving office than many companies think. Before you can even start researching new offices and design ideas, you have to create a workspace strategy and a detailed project plan. Finding the right space and negotiating the best deal can also take more time than most companies allow.
Depending on the size of your office and the complexity of your project scope, your office relocation will probably take from 6-18 months. To find out how long you’ll need to allow for your office relocation, read How Long Does It Take to Move Office?
Secure Enough Budget
Office relocations are expensive projects. Trying to run an office relocation project without enough funds will likely compromise the success of the project. You may have to cut corners on key areas of your project, such as the quality of your new location or the specification of your fit out.
Real estate is one of the highest overhead costs for most companies. The fit out of your new office will also require significant investment. Depending on the size of your office and the specification of the fit out, your project will likely cost £65-160 per square foot.
To learn about what your office relocation might cost, check out our article on office relocation costs in 2024. There, we’ll break down each stage of the office relocation process, and what it will cost. Making sure you have sufficient financial backing from your company is essential to keeping your office relocation project as hassle-free as possible.
Communicate Well
There are a lot of people involved in an office move. In addition to your staff, you also have estate agents, surveyors, designers, contractors, and local authorities. You need to communicate effectively with all these people for your project to be a success.
Communicating well with your staff is particularly important. Such a huge change to their working lives will create a lot of uncertainty for them. If you don’t communicate effectively, your people will create a lot of stress for you with queries and concerns.
To minimise the stress caused by poor communication, explain what is changing, why it is changing, and when it is changing. This will also give them time to raise any concerns or suggestions, which you can then work into your plan. Learn more by reading 6 Steps to Successful Change Management in Office Fit Out.
Rely on Experts
One of the most common mistakes we see our clients make is trying to do too much themselves. There is a huge amount of work that is required for a successful office relocation. Without effective delegation internally and externally, your project will become very stressful.
There are many different areas of knowledge required to manage an office fit out, from workspace strategy to contract law to IT recommissioning. It’s simply not possible to be an expert in all these areas. You’ll need to delegate responsibility to qualified third parties such as estate agents, solicitors, and interior designers.
You will also need to delegate within your team. Even making full use of third-party experts, there will be a lot of work required to brief, feedback on, and manage their work. By delegating to your internal team, you will reduce the stress and pressure you're facing. To learn more, read Who Do I Need to Involve in My Office Fit Out?
Planning Your Office Relocation
Moving your company from one office to another is a huge project. However, by planning carefully, securing enough time and budget, communicating well, and delegating tasks, you will be able to make your office relocation much less stressful and more enjoyable. As a result, your project is much more likely to be a success, both for you and your company.
Having read this article, you're now equipped to plan and deliver your upcoming office relocation with minimal stress and maximum success.
To learn more about planning for your office move, download our ultimate office relocation guide. There, we’ve explained everything you need to know about what office relocation involves, what it costs, and how long it will take. Download your copy here.
For more help running a successful office move, read 6 Steps to Successful Change Management in Office Fit Out, How to Minimise Office Relocation Downtime, and You've Been Asked to Manage Your Office Relocation. What Next?
