8 Tips For Moving Into A New Office Space
Your office is one of the most important spaces you have for yourself. It’s where you do most of your work and therefore must contain all the necessities you need to do your job. Therefore, establishing a clutter-free environment can be challenging, especially when moving to a new space. And as tempting as it may be to just “wing it” when moving, planning for the move is a far wiser choice.
Moving into a new office space can become highly stressful very quickly. Most people mistake leaving it for the last minute and then cramming everything in boxes at the end. However, this approach only adds to the stress and wreaks havoc over the entire move. Your new office is likely better suited for your business needs, but you’ll still need a definite plan to make the transition seamless.
There are several reasons why someone might need to move offices. For example, cities like Bentonville, Arkansas, are among the fastest-growing cities in the United States. In addition, as a bustling commercial region, several companies are moving their operations here to scale their businesses.
If you are preparing to move into a new office space, follow these eight tips for a smooth transition.
1. Don’t delay your packing
You’ll likely find out your moving date a few weeks, if not months, in advance. So make the most of this time and start packing as soon as possible. Besides your essential everyday items, wrap up your belongings in boxes and label them clearly for when it’s time to move. Renting storage spaces is also an excellent option for storing your supplies until you need them. So, for instance, if you’re looking for Bentonville storage units, your best bet is to look for a local facility with good reviews that offers convenient access. Repeat the same for whichever city or state you’re in and make your storage hassle-free.
2. Set a budget
Poor planning and execution can quickly drain your wallet and make your move extremely costly. Limiting yourself to a budget can significantly mitigate overspending and keep you from losing considerable money. Set a realistic budget with a little cushion room to cover all the major moving expenses from it. Some of the more typical payments you’ll have to make include costs for moving supplies, renting professional movers, and other miscellaneous fees. Try to be as budget-friendly as possible so you can use some remaining amounts to set up your new place. It might help to research and gather quotations from different companies before hiring anyone.
3. Prepare a to-do list
To-do lists can be highly convenient when moving to a new office or space. With so many things to take care of, it’s easy to forget specific tasks, regardless of how urgent they might be. Preparing a list detailing everything you need to address before moving is best to avoid mishaps. Whether setting up your equipment or ordering new office furniture, add all tasks to your list. You can write these down in order of priority, so the most critical and time-sensitive chores are taken care of first. Alternatively, you might want to start with the simplest task first, leaving plenty of time to deal with the more complex jobs.
4. Follow a Schedule
Setting a timeline from the present day leading up to your move is essential to ease the entire process. Assign a date, week, or duration for each task so you can best prepare for the actual day. Although every individual’s timeline may vary, you can allot tasks under these time slots:
- Six months before moving
- Three months before moving
- One month before moving
- One week before moving
- The day before
- Moving day
5. Study the new layout
Your new building’s layout and design can be incredibly helpful in determining what you must add or remove to your office space. For example, if you have room for a bookshelf, you can set up all your books within the room. On the contrary, if you only have a small confined area, you might have to downsize and only bring the essentials. Additionally, the office blueprint can provide valuable information like the room’s dimensions so you can utilize the space and set up your things most effectively. You don’t want to end up lugging all your stuff to your new office only to find out there’s no place to keep them.
6. Review new building rules
Most corporate buildings have rules regarding moving and relocation that all tenants must follow. Before shifting your belongings, talk to your office manager or in charge to ensure you’re following the appropriate protocols and procedures. Some buildings have a specific timeframe during which they allow people to move in to avoid causing disturbances during business hours. You might also have to file a special request for the service elevator so you can easily bring your things to your office. Some buildings disallow occupants from repainting walls or drilling in frames that might damage the infrastructure. Be sure you know all these rules beforehand to avoid any problems or complications on moving day.
7. Declutter before moving
You don’t realize the amount of junk you’ve collected over the years until it’s time to pack it all up. Instead of carrying all the irrelevant material to your new office, sort through all your things to decide what you want to keep and what you want to throw away. Decluttering the office will save you the time and energy to move unnecessary items and keep your new space clean and clutter-free. If you want to place new furniture in your office, consider donating old furniture to a charity or someone else who may be interested. You’d be surprised to see how much space frees up once you get rid of all the mess.
8. Organize your new office from the get-go
Moving is the perfect time to re-organize your things and assign them proper places within your office. Documents, files, and other paperwork easily get misplaced because they all accumulate quickly. If you’re not careful, it won’t be long before your new office space becomes messy, making it impossible to find important documents or other records you might need. Therefore, to save your future self the trouble, use filing cabinets and proper organization tools to store all vital folders. Label drawers with relevant tags and only keep the relevant document in its designated place.
Conclusion
While moving to a new office space may seem daunting, it’s important not to lose sight of how exciting this can be. So follow these tips to make your move as efficient as possible without letting any essential task slip through the cracks.