Moving office is a massive undertaking, there’s no way around it. In addition to packing, dismantling and safely transporting all of your essential office equipment, you also have an entire team of employees to organise, reassure and inform throughout the entire move.
There’s definitely a lot to oversee, which is why it’s essential that you take the time to decide the best way to approach your move. So which is best for you: a DIY office move or hiring a commercial moving company?
Organisation
The first thing to figure out is how to organise your move; taking the driver’s seat yourself has a vastly different set of demands than enlisting a removals firm.
With a moving company, you benefit from a dedicated project manager to supervise your move from beginning to end. Going it alone means that someone from your own office will be in charge of every little detail.
The timetable of any move can be prone to many twists and turns. For an office move, the main thing to remember is that any disruption can have a negative impact on your business, so complete precision is key. An experienced helping hand can make a significant difference – especially for larger businesses – so from an organisational standpoint, a removals firm has a lot to offer.
Packing
The amount of equipment you’ll need to move depends on the size of the office. A small business will find it much easier to dismantle, pack and move furniture and equipment than a medium or large sized business.
It’s not just about the amount of equipment, it’s also the variety. Desks and chairs might not pose much of a problem, but moving IT and communication equipment can cause complications if you haven’t got a plan in place. A small business moving a short distance might have little trouble relocating computers, telephones and IT infrastructure, but it’s still essential that proper packing equipment is used and that everything is transported safely.
For bigger moves, an experienced moving company will be crucial. Complex office moves require thorough coordination in order to minimise downtime. Servers, desktops and telecoms equipment need to be up and running in the new office as soon as possible, and this may not be feasible without specialist office movers.
Peace of mind
You can never underestimate the importance of peace of mind. Reassurance is a powerful tool during the disruption of a move. Some people gain peace of mind from the knowledge that they themselves are taking complete charge of every aspect of the move – there are no outside parties unfamiliar with your business to cause any problems.
Others gain peace of mind from fully insured and bonded moving companies who have demonstrated experienced capability when performing office moves.
Again, the bigger the business, the more complex the move and the greater the necessity for a removals firm. When searching for the right company, you should only consider companies that:
- Offer fully insured office moves
- Provide a specialist office moving service
- Can demonstrate their knowledge and experience – preferably through references or case studies
D I WhY?
The main reason people opt for DIY house moves is because it seems like the cheaper choice. For office moves, this becomes unrealistic. A business will need at least a little bit of downtime to relocate, but the longer the downtime, the more costly it is. Even with a reliable person in charge of the move internally, without the specific skill set required for an office move you’re leaving a lot of things to chance.
The most stress-free approach for office moves is to form an internal team to communicate with colleagues and clients, and liaise with the removal firm. Doing so allows you to maintain a stable, positive atmosphere in the workplace while also providing key information to the moving team throughout. This way, you have peace of mind that the bulk of the work will be handled by seasoned professionals, but you also have direct say in how the move is performed and to what timescale.
For specialist office moves carried out by a team of experts, look no further than TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®. With a wealth of experience in moving offices of all sizes and scales, we can help you relocate your business with meticulous attention to detail. We tailor our work to your requirements, delivering a comprehensive service from start to finish for complete peace of mind. To find out more, or for a site survey or quotation, simply contact our friendly team today.