Working from home is a blessing in disguise. However, when it comes to office relocation, things might become cumbersome. It takes time to plan a relocation, pack your office equipment, and transport it to a new location. You also require rigorous planning, a step-by-step approach, a flawless transfer process, and pre-planned placement of your equipment in the new workspace.
Packing entails sorting through your bulky furniture and office equipment, stationery, files, and gadgets and locating a temporary storage space for all non-urgent items. The real challenge is to accomplish all of this in a short amount of time without disrupting your work routine. If you intend to relocate your office soon, here are some helpful hints to make the process go as smoothly as possible:
1. Layout Your Plan Beforehand
Moving an office doesn’t happen overnight and requires extensive planning, organizing, and management. It’s always best to move things in stages. Begin by considering your job schedule and moving date, and then sketch out what you must do within the timeframe.
2. Try Self Storage Units for Non-Essentials
One of the most crucial aspects to consider when planning your move is where you will store your office equipment and furnishings. You must deliver the essential elements of your office to the new location directly, or you can begin by putting your home office furniture and equipment into storage. If you have a lot of office stuff and want to keep unnecessary things out of the way until you finally set up your space, then you need a self-storage space. You can easily find one. For instance, if you live in or near Lincoln, you can google Lincoln NE self-storage units to get a listing of self-storage options.
Self-storage is a cost-effective option to keep your stuff safe for as long as you need. Using self-storage can make many things more manageable. It can relieve stress on moving days by providing a place to store items you haven’t decided what to do with yet. When you consider the opportunity cost of losing your belongings, renting a self-storage container presents the most cost-effective option for individuals looking for a minimum investment in exchange for ideal space.
3. Create a Checklist
Create a complete list of all the office stuff you want to move by sorting through the objects based on need and priority. Make a separate list of non-essential items. Your essential items list will have everything you need urgently to resume your office work. Likewise, the list of non-essential items will have everything you can store in the self-storage units for some time until you plan your space.
4. Separate Important Items
After you’ve completed the checklist, it’s time to organize the objects according to the list. Organize two separate boxes and label them accordingly. For example, items that you may need to relocate to self-storage units or other storage locations within or outside the house should be labeled “move to storage.” At the same time, the office essentials should be marked with an appropriate tag, like “office supplies,” etc.
Sort through the critical items and place them in their respective boxes. For example, place office materials in the “office supplies” box. This system will help you arrange your office stuff faster when you unpack your things in the new workplace. Remember to make good use of this time and take this opportunity to get rid of extraneous items. It has a twofold benefit of freeing up some space in your new office, and you will also get rid of the additional expense of transporting extra stuff unnecessarily.
5. Take Backup of Important Files
You never know what may happen to your equipment and data during a move, and you need to ensure that your most crucial data will survive the journey. Back up essential work data and documents before moving your home office. Create a copy of important files on your computer. To do this, you can use an external or portable hard disk or cloud storage. This backup will reduce the stress of losing data during the move. The best part of using cloud storage is that you can access the file anywhere and on any device without needing a portable hard disk or even your personal computer. In case your laptop or office computer is not instantly available, you can still access essential data with your mobile or any other device connected to the internet.
6. Add New Address to Business Documents
Your customers, banks, suppliers, or other stakeholders may not know of the address change. As soon as you know your new address, update all your documents before you even move out. You may require new business cards, envelopes, and letterhead pads printed well before your move. It is vital to keep your clients informed, especially if they mail items to you regularly. It is preferable to start using your updated documentation beforehand.
7. Inform your customers
Notify your customers that you will be unavailable for the week you plan to move. Explain any method they can use to get in touch with you, if necessary, and tell them that you will resume receiving voicemail and email on your first day back. Notify your customers of your new address, phone number, and fax number, if necessary.
8. Moving Your Office Furniture
While relocating your home office, choosing which furniture you may require and which pieces may not fit into the new space is better. The bulky office furniture takes up significant space in the moving trucks and may cost you even more than the initial cost you spent in buying the item. It might be easier to purchase new easy-to-assemble furniture instead of porting bulky furniture items. Give away heavy or useless furniture to a friend, donate, or sell it on the internet.
If you decide to move your furniture, disassemble large items like bookcases, file cabinets, and desks. Wrap each item in bubble wraps or moving blankets to prevent scratches and damage. If you’re unsure how to do this, consult the furniture manual or employ a professional moving firm.
9. Design Your New Workplace Beforehand
While designing your new office space ahead of time is something you can enjoy, it also saves time during relocation and helps you plan the office area for each item well in time. Take the opportunity to be creative. Explore different options for your home office design. Remember that you want a work environment that is fully functional and visually appealing. It should have enough room to work comfortably and motivate you to work more efficiently.
10. Handle Your Documents, Books, and Files Properly
Recycle the documents that are no longer useful to you. It is preferable to destroy those documents rather than throw them in the trash bin because doing so eliminates the potential of someone gaining access to sensitive information about you or your business. Books are heavy, so go through your home office book collection and set aside the older versions you may not need again. You can donate unwanted books to your local library.
11. Make Your Reservation Early
Book in advance whether you’re hiring movers, renting supplies, or hiring experts like painters or cleaners to work on your new home office. If you wait too long, you may end up spending more. Alternatively, you may find that the experts you wanted to hire are fully booked or that the moving company or truck is unavailable because it is the busy season. Remember that even minor delays in shifting your home office might cause considerable disruptions in your work.
12. Give Yourself Time
You’ll need time after moving to unpack all your stuff and resume your work. Allow yourself a week or two following the transfer to continue your work so that you can perform your duties without stressing yourself, your family, or your pets. Pushing yourself to unpack and return to work within a few days of the relocation adds an unnecessary layer of stress.
Final Thoughts
Moving your home office can be thrilling and stressful since you need to take appropriate steps to make a smooth transition from your home to the new location. Making financially viable decisions regarding your new office space, equipment, furniture, and documentation is difficult without a plan. Take some time to develop a well-thought-out plan to organize your move seamlessly. You can ensure a safe transition from your old office to the new one by following these steps and planning and managing the moving process efficiently.
