When it’s time for you to move, you want to be ready and have all the details figured out. You don't want to find yourself caught off guard.
How do you avoid that? With careful planning!
Realistically, how much planning do you need to do? How far in advance of your actual move date should you begin planning your move? In this blog post, we'll talk about things to consider when you start your advance move plan.
Some people wait till the last minute and are able to find office movers. But this is a risky business decision and we do not recommend it!
You know you should plan ahead, but how far in advance is a bit of a grey area.
Not all office moves are the same. Offices that are relocating in the Northern Virginia area are all different! Moving an office in Washington, D.C. is different than Northern Virginia.
Timing is dependent on the distance of your move as well as the size of the office move and the number of employees. Your business may need more advanced planning than other business relocation.
A cross country office move, moving out of a large office building or moving a large IT department will need more time to complete.
Ultimately, you are the final decision maker. To help you, here are some guidelines to follow:
Two important steps in planning a move is saving money and creating a budget. There are always costs associated with moving. Besides the fees of renting your new office space, you will also have moving costs.
Moving costs include :
- Material fees (like boxes, crates, packing paper, etc.)
- Truck rentals
- Hiring a professional moving company
Of course if you rent a truck, you may not need an office mover. For this reason, you should start to figure out your moving budget as soon as you begin contemplating a move.
Realistically a year is not too early to start putting some money aside for the relocation. A year in advance is a good time to create your move plan.
This ensures that you have plenty of time to pack and iron out the details without breaking the bank or borrowing in the process.
Once you decide you are moving and you have a budget, begin to research moving companies and what they offer.
The size, distance and timing of your move will influence how far out you should book moving services.
The further out you can book the better. You might even be able to get a better deal for booking in advance. In general, if you secure your truck or movers a month in advance, you should be fine.
Two points to consider:
- If you are hiring a moving company make sure they are available to move you on the day of your choosing.
- If you are renting a truck, make sure it's big enough so that you have enough space to pack up your office equipment.
Once you have booked your corporate movers, think about selling old or unused office equipment.
Remember - when moving, weight and space on the truck is money!
If you have unwanted or unnecessary items, you should get rid of them before hand.
About one month before you move, start going through your office cabinets and cubicles. Decide what will be going and what you can throw away.
The items that won’t be coming with you, donate them or try to sell them. There is someone out there who will appreciate well used goods.
If you decide to have a moving sale, have it at least three weeks before your move. Then, these items won't be in the way when you go to pack.
If you and your employees are doing some of the packing yourselves, you will want that completed before the movers arrive.
Depending on how much you are packing or disassembling with your employees, you may need more or less time. Typically you will want to give yourself at least a couple of weeks to box everything up.
It always takes longer than you think to pack. Having extra time to pack will prevent some stress the night before moving day.
It is a good idea to start with sections or items that you know you will not need anytime soon. There will be some things that you can’t pack up until the days leading up to your move.
Here at Victory Van we’ve moved all sorts of people all sorts of places under all sorts of circumstances. Moves are a little like snowflakes in that no two are exactly alike, but there’s also a commonality among them.
If you’re using professional movers, they’ll need a bit of advance notice of any changes. This is so they can plan logistically and make the best use of their time, your money and the earth’s natural resources(i.e., weather, daylight and fuel).
Victory Van Corporation has been doing corporate moves for a very long time. We are the best in the northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. area.
We have the right blend of great people and smart technology to manage your office move and get it right. With Victory, it's always the right move!
Call us today at 1-800-572-3131 or click the button below to contact us and start the planning process.
