How to manage an office move

Along with holidays and weddings, moving is one of the most stressful things you can do - and with IT, phone lines and air conditioning to sort out, an office move can be even more so. The key to a smooth transition is organisation: this guide will help you to make sure you stay organised before, during, and after the move.

• Finding a new premises
• Before you move
• When you arrive

Finding new premises

There are two ways you can go about finding new premises: yourself, by looking through newspapers and the internet, as well as estate agents and local trade associations. Appointing a commercial agent or surveyor is the other way of doing it. They will keep you up to date on suitable premises available in your area, saving you a great deal of time.

• Look at adverts in newspapers, the internet and estate agents
• Contact trade associations
• Hire a commercial agent or surveyor

Before you move

Start to compile a checklist of your requirements six months before you move, and appoint a member of the moving team to oversee the checklist and make sure everything is planned out. Decide whether you want your employees to do the packing, or if you'd rather have your professional movers overseeing it - be aware that if you ask employees to do it, you risk compensation claims if they injure themselves.

• Start to compile a checklist six months before you move
• Appoint someone to oversee the move
• Be aware that you risk compensation claims if you ask employees to help out

When you arrive

To keep the levels of confusion to a minimum, stagger your move so only the employees who are needed are in the new premises. Make sure the phone lines and internet are ready before you move the majority of your staff to minimise business interruption, and try to unpack as quickly as possible.

• Stagger the move
• Make sure phone lines and internet access are ready
• Unpack as quickly as possible

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