The Essential Office Relocation Guide
Over the course of the pandemic, many companies have found themselves needing to relocate their offices.
With teams changing as people move to a hybrid way of working, many businesses have found that their pre-pandemic office space is no longer fit for their needs, and they require a new office fit-out with a setup designed more towards hot-desking.
Perhaps the building you were working in was sold, forcing you to relocate, or perhaps your business has grown over the pandemic and you need to accommodate more members of staff.
Whatever your reason for relocating, one thing is for sure — relocating can be a complex and sometimes difficult process.
But don’t panic! We can help. There are a few essential things that you need to consider when relocating offices, and in this blog, we’ll work through each of them.
Don’t Forget About Dilapidation
With a whirlwind of decisions to make and things to think about, it’s possible that you might forget about your dilapidation clause in your current office contract. This is essentially an agreement about the condition your office needs to be in when you leave it.
Sometimes you may have to do very little, maybe a lick of paint. But often a small renovation may be necessary to take the office back to the state it was in when you took over. You can find out more about dilapidation and how we can help with it, in our blog.
Budget
Before you begin any relocation project, you’ll want an idea of your budget. There are the obvious costs of relocating such as removals, but also you need to consider the hidden costs such as moving delicate equipment, dilapidations, or even unexpected delays.
To cover the unexpected, you might want to list all the known costs and give your budget some wiggle room for the unknown costs. If you need some help in making sure you’ve covered all your bases, then get in touch with an office fit out or office relocation company like McFeggan Brown for some advice.
Office Design
Once you’ve found a location, you’ll need to think about the office interior design of your new office. This means you’ll want to contact a fit-out company like McFeggan Brown. And when you do, there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure you get the best results:
– Make sure you have a clear idea of what you need. e.g., how many desks, do you need a sound-proofed meeting room or perhaps a staff kitchen?
– What are your deadlines? If you have any hard deadlines that simply can’t move, make sure these are communicated clearly.
– Take a look at our office design checklist for more information on what to look out for when thinking about office design.
If you need some help thinking about the actual design of your new office, you can start with our look at the top design trends of 2022.
Connectivity
In today’s world, it’s hard to deny the importance of connectivity to business – particularly as workers move towards more hybrid ways of working between home and the office. It’s important that you arrange adequate connectivity in your new office space, with leeway for delays and other issues.
Keep in mind that while many broadband connections can take just 7 days to set up, they can also take up to 30 days, and the last thing you want is to start work and find you can’t access the internet!
What Next?
Following this advice, you should be well set up for a successful office relocation. Remember that we’re always happy to give more specific advice, not only on office relocation services but also on commercial office fit out services. Just get in touch.