1. Choose the right space

Moving to a new location is time-consuming and expensive, so make sure the new space fits your needs. Consider the various activities your employees do on a regular basis and the spaces needed to complete those tasks efficiently. Also, consider future expansions and company growth. You don’t want to pay for a lot of unused space, but you also don’t want to outgrow the new office within a few months of moving.

Your employees’ needs are another consideration. If you’re moving to a different side of town or to a new city, the commute for employees may become longer or more difficult. If you have employees who use public transportation, make sure the new space is close to those options. While you want the space to benefit your organization, you also need to think about employee happiness and convenience to avoid high turnover rates.

2. Make a moving list

Listing everything you need to do between now and moving helps you plan and organize the process. The specific list items can vary depending on the size and type of your company as well as where you’re moving. Here are some common items you’ll need to tackle for an office move:

• Establish your budget
• Choose a new location
• Schedule the moving date
• Hire movers or arrange to move yourself
• Create your moving plan
• Assign moving responsibilities
• Plan the new office layout
• Identify renovations that need to be done
• Purchase items you’ll need in the new office
• Inventory current items
• Arrange utility changes, including making sure everything is ready in the new office
• Pack everything in the office
• Clean the old office
• Move everything
• Set up the new office
• Update your business address with all necessary parties

3. Create a moving timeline

Starting the planning as soon as possible makes the transition easier on everyone. Once you know you’re moving and secure a place, you can create a moving timeline. This includes everything you need to do leading up to the move and tasks that need to be done after the move.

If you know your exact moving date, work back from there. List all tasks that need to be done and put them in chronological order. Then, assign a deadline for each task so you can add it to the moving timeline.

Scheduling task deadlines earlier than necessary can give you a buffer in case you face delays. For example, say you assign the deadline for renovations in the new office for one month before the move. But some materials you need are delayed by a week, and your contractor can’t work for 3 days because of the weather. You still have time to complete those tasks since renovations were supposed to conclude a month before moving.

4. Evaluate the impact on your business and employees

Moving will eventually allow you to better meet your employees’ and customers’ needs, which can help your company grow faster. However, the move itself will likely slow your business temporarily. For example, once you start packing the office, your employees may not have access to the files or equipment they need to help customers. You might need to close the office for a few days during the move, preventing clients from reaching you or scheduling appointments.

Review the scope of the move and the actual amount of time it’s expected to take. This lets you predict how it might affect your employees’ work and your clients’ ability to access your business. With that information, you can look for ways to minimize the impact. For example, you might leave employees’ workstations intact and pack only nonessential items at first to keep them up and running as long as possible. Hiring professional movers can also minimize the downtime you experience since they can pack your office quickly.

5. Develop a communication plan

Clear and consistent communication with your employees can make office moves much easier on everyone. If your employees don’t know what’s happening or expected, they may feel stressed or overwhelmed. It can also start up the rumor mill because employees will try to fill in the blanks to assume information.

You can avoid poor communication by developing a plan before you announce the move. Decide when and how you’ll let employees and customers know about the location change. Detail the information each group needs and when you’ll give it to them. Plan your regular communications in advance, so they can go out on time.

6. Delegate a point person or moving team

Having an office moving team or a single point person to coordinate all aspects of the relocation can keep everything on track. This group or person knows everything about the move and keeps track of all the various parts. They’re the go-to resource for employees who have questions about the move. They also track everything on the moving checklist and timeline to verify that it gets done on time.

7. Involve your employees

Employees have different viewpoints than you or others in management positions, so their feedback can be helpful when you’re relocating offices. They know what works well and where you could improve to help them do their jobs better. Getting input from your employees about the move early on can help you make decisions.

For example, you may find out that your employees would benefit from more open, collaborative work spaces. They might let you know that the current layout and where different departments are located interrupts workplace productivity. They can also raise concerns about the move, which can help you anticipate and avoid potential problems. Use this feedback to make the move easier.

8. Give employees clear roles in office moves

While you might have one person in charge of the overall office moving plan, everyone else can help with the moving tasks. As part of the planning process, divide moving tasks among different departments and individual employees within those departments. You might have each department be responsible for packing everything they use, for example. Within the department, each employee might pack their own desk and any tools or equipment that they use regularly.

Some departments may have additional responsibilities. For example, if you have an IT department, they’ll likely take responsibility for all computers, servers and other tech-related equipment. That could include packing the equipment before the move and setting it up when you get to the new location.

9. Make checklists

Ensure everyone understands the responsibilities of their roles in office moves by creating individual checklists. Instead of just telling employees to pack their workstations, give them checklists of specific tasks. The list might include removing all items from their desks, disconnecting their computers and other equipment, taking everything down from the walls and wiping down their desks with cleaner.