2021

Edition

GOLDEN RULES
OF MOVING OFFICE
10 hard & fast rules, which if followed, will contribute to the successful office move that
your business expects.
Golden Rules of Moving Office

Rule #1: Make Sure you are in a Position to Move

Be clear about why you are moving, and ensure you know how and when to serve notice correctly.

What are your reasons for wanting to move? (ie lease break, lease expiry, expansion, contraction,
consolidation).

Once you’ve established why you need to move, there are some big decisions that must be agreed
early on which will form the basis of your Office Move Plan.
 What is your current situation?
 Have you checked your existing lease?
 How much notice do you have to give?
 What are the conditions for leaving your existing office space?
 What are your current obligations and liabilities?

Contact a Property Solicitor and get them to review your existing office lease & ensure you serve
correct and timely notice.

Rule #2: Start Planning Early

It’s never too early to start planning your office move. Pre-planning will make your job a whole lot
easier & give your office move a better chance of the successful outcome your business is wanting.

All things being equal, best practice says that you should start reviewing your options 9-18 months
prior to your lease expiration, regardless of whether you are considering renewing, renegotiating or
relocating.

It is vital that you allow enough lead time to increase the amount of leverage and competition
between the options available to you, as it can result in considerable cost savings for your business.

Give yourself enough time & opportunity to make the right and informed decisions. Use the free &
interactive Moving Office Timetable to help plan each step of your office move.

Rule #3: Set a Realistic Budget & Keep Tight Control on Costs

Having a clear idea of your moving office costs is vital so that you can effectively manage your costs
before, during and after the move.

Even though a rough budget may have been created at the outset of the project, you will need to
have a live and working document that you can edit and update on a regular basis. This will allow
you to keep on top of your relocation costs and ensure you don’t overspend.

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Golden Rules of Moving Office

You’ll need to get multiple quotes for everything. Compare them against the budget, negotiate and
then make sure that the agreed costs are recorded in your Moving Office Budget Planner. Review
and update on a regular basis.

Download the interactive Moving Office Budget Template to help identify and manage all your office
move costs and ensure your relocation is delivered within budget.

Rule #4: Assemble Your Office Relocation Team

An office move is a major project and a collaborative effort is needed for a successful outcome.
Assembling an Office Move Team is vital and should include people who will help facilitate the
component parts of an office move. A Project Leader should be assigned to organise and manage the
entire process. This person must have enough time to dedicate to the project and should have the
trust of senior management, be a good organiser and communicator, and have experience of setting
and working within budgets.

Putting together the right office move team is critical - and will need to comprise internal & external
members.

Internal Team
The Office Move Team should ideally include a representative from the following teams within your
company: HR, Marketing, Finance & IT.

External Team
Working with the right Office Relocation Professionals is the single biggest “must-do” for any
company moving office.

From choosing the right office space, then negotiating the best terms for your company, co-
ordinating the design and fit-out, right through to migrating IT equipment - it all adds up! There’s a
lot to co-ordinate and you’re going to need all the help you can get.

 Property Agent  Project Manager

 Commercial Property Solicitor  Office Furniture Supplier
 Office Design & Fit-Out Partner  IT Relocation Specialist
 Office Removals Company  Business Telecoms Company

For the best outcome it is recommended that you combine your understanding of your own
company priorities with the expert advice and market knowledge of office move professionals. Many
office relocations fail through companies having the misplaced belief that they can save money by
not engaging professional help. But working with experienced industry professionals ensures your
move happens on time, to budget and with minimum hassle & disruption to the business.

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Golden Rules of Moving Office

Rule #5: Establish your Office Space Requirements

When it comes to finding the right office space it is important that you take the time to fully
evaluate your requirements.

A clear understanding at the outset of your basic strategy and office space requirements will make
the whole moving office process go more smoothly - and save you time.

Don’t worry too much about each and every detail, but you must have an overall idea about the key
drivers of your relocation so you are prepared to properly brief your Property Agent. Areas to
consider include:

 Where do you want to move to?

 How much space do you need?
 When do you need to be in by?
 What facilities do you need to have in your new office?
 What planned business objectives (including growth plan) does the space need to satisfy?
 Type and length of office lease?

Work with a Property Agent through this process. They will not only help you find the right office
space, but they’ll also negotiate & co-ordinate the lease transaction to allow you to avoid mistakes
and get the best deal possible.

Rule #6: Get Legal Advice Before Signing Your Lease

You need to be 100% satisfied that everything has been done to protect your business interests
before signing your office lease.

 Never sign anything that you do not fully understand

 If in doubt, seek legal advice before you do anything

A Property Solicitor (one that specialises in representing tenants) will review the detail of the lease
documentation to minimise your exposure to potential liabilities.

They will summarise the lease document so you are fully aware of your on-going tenant
responsibilities, and finalise the terms of the contract so that everything is clearly documented.

Signing an office lease without getting legal advice could have severe financial and operational
consequences for your business. It’s really not worth it. Always seek legal advice from a Property
Solicitor before putting pen to paper to any legal document.

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Golden Rules of Moving Office

Rule #7: Communicate … Often & Openly

Communication is vital. Your staff need to be informed early on as to the reasons behind the
relocation and then regularly updated as the project develops.

Change can be unsettling for staff, and this can certainly be the case with an office move where
some staff might feel resistant to change and insecure about their futures.

So - communication is the key. There will be some people, both internal and external, who need to
be consulted for their input on the planning process; there will be others who need to be informed;
and everyone needs to be regularly updated to keep their interest and motivation levels high.

If you keep the lines of communication open to all interested parties your office move will have a
much greater chance of success.

Provide staff with a clear message of the reasons for the move (and the benefits it will bring) to get
your employees on board with what you are wanting to achieve. Refer to the HR Guide to Moving
Office for top tips on how to ensure your staff feel supported and engaged.

Rule #8: Expect Things To Go Wrong

As the old adage goes ‘fail to prepare and you prepare to fail’ … and this can most certainly be true
when it comes to organising an office move. It is irrelevant as to whether your company is large or
small. Planning an office move is a huge task which requires focus, attention to detail and loads of
planning.

 Be clear about the key dates that are going to drive your office move
 Identify the business critical agenda items for your company (focus on getting these right)
 Check, and double check, all delivery times from everyone (get things in writing)
 Understand the delivery lead times of everything (and factor in delays)
 Back up all your data … have a Business Continuity Plan … have a Disaster Recovery Plan
 Have a test plan for all ICT equipment in your new office (no surprises on arrival)
 Co-opt the expertise of external organisation to bridge skill gaps
 Have contingency plans for everything

Are Thunderbirds Go?

❖ Have you done everything possible to ensure that all systems are ready-to-go on the first
morning in your new office?
❖ By thinking about all of the things that could go wrong you will be half-way there in ensuring
that they don’t!
❖ Forewarned is forearmed.

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Golden Rules of Moving Office

Rule #9: It’s Just a Process!

An office move, like any process, can be broken down into a series of simple tasks and checks. And
that’s exactly what you need to do.

The intelligent use of your project planning documents, templates and checklists will not only help
you plan the office move, but also act as your roadmap to carry out the many tasks involved with the
project.

They should include all of the tasks that need to be completed (and the steps leading up to them),
the individuals, teams and companies responsible for completing each task, and the deadlines.

Don’t try to reinvent the wheel when you can use the full suite of tried and tested office relocation
planning tools, guides and checklists available in the Help Moving Office Resource Centre.

Whatever stage you’re at in the office move process, Help Moving Office can provide you with a full
range of tried-&-tested Tools, Guides & Checklists to guide you through every step of your office
move.

Access all our Office Relocation Planning Resources here.

Rule #10: Take Advantage of the Opportunity

Moving office is a great opportunity to affect positive change management, improvement in

business performance and increased morale & momentum.

 Get rid of what you don’t need. Clear out old documents and purge all storage areas of
unwanted items prior to the move. Use the Office Clearance Guide to help you.
 Storage & Archiving. Secure storage of documentation is a flexible, safe and cost-effective
solution to free up valuable and more costly office space.
 Upgrading. Moving office is an opportunity to upgrade to modern, efficient and space-saving
equipment.
 Review Office Suppliers. Moving office can provide a trigger for renewing/switching office and
telecom supplier contracts on favourable terms to ensure you are getting the quality, cost &
reliability your business deserves.
 Don’t forget your customers. Moving office is a great opportunity to communicate positive
messages to your customers and maximise the brand / image of your company.

An office move is the perfect time to consider upgrading to more modern, efficient & cost-effective
business technology systems to help boost business efficiency and productivity.

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Golden Rules of Moving Office

Your Notes

Disclaimer
This information has been prepared by Help Moving Office as a general guide only and does not constitute advice on any specific matter.
We recommend that you seek professional advice before taking action. No liability can be accepted by us for any action taken or not taken
as a result of this information.
© Help Moving Office 2021