How to Relocate an Office
This article was co-authored by wikiHow Staff. Our trained team of editors and researchers validate articles for accuracy and comprehensiveness. wikiHow’s Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards.
The prospect of moving office may seem daunting. But it’s just a process, and like any process, it can be broken down into a series of simple tasks and checks. With the right process, you can ensure your office move is on time, to budget and hassle free.
- Lower property costs: Real estate costs can be high for some businesses and rising real estate costs could be a big motivator to moving to a new space. You may be searching for a cheaper location or a location that has similar rent but better amenities.
- Closer proximity to talent: You may be struggling to find qualified, skilled employees for your business because your location is too remote or requires a long commute. Moving to a more convenient, central location could help improve your employee pool.
- Better proximity to your target market: Your current location may not place you close enough to your target demographic or your target market and your business may be suffering because of this. You may be on the hunt for a new location that helps you tap into your target demographic.
- Improved lifestyle and culture of the business: You may be an entrepreneur who is looking for a new location that is closer to your home or the homes of your key employees. You may also want to move the business closer to other amenities, like outdoor areas, food spots, or corporate buildings, that will improve the culture of your business.
- Opportunity for business growth: Maybe you settled on your current location when your business was just getting off the ground and now you realize it is not the best place to grow your business. Or maybe you feel your current location is limiting your potential for business growth.
Consider the requirements for the new office. You should sit down with your management team and determine what exactly you require of the new space. This could be more office space for new staff, bigger conference rooms, a larger warehouse, or more retail floor space. You should consider the needs of your business and how the new office can help the business fulfill these needs.
- The move champion should be someone that is senior enough to make decisions and someone who is able to multi task. You should also make sure this person can motivate and communicate well with the other employees, as they will need to talk to the staff, the broker, and stakeholders about the move.
- You should also share your budget for the move with the move team so they are aware of how much can be spent on the move. Make sure you check in periodically with the move team, if you are not on the team, to ensure the move stays on track.
- You may also use existing roles within the company to build the move team. You may assign the manager to be the move champion, for example, as they are the most senior individual among the employees.
Start with the logistics.
A last-minute move has a way of making every task seem both imminently necessary and utterly difficult to accomplish. It’s easy to feel paralyzed by how much needs to get done. Instead of letting your moving to-dos overwhelm you, take a deep breath and get to work crossing items off of the list.
Once you have hired movers or rented a truck, determine what you need to do in the time you have leading up to moving day. Start with our moving checklists. Note what tasks need to be done (disregarding the timeframe since you’re short on time), and compile them into a list. You can add tasks specific to your circumstances. For example, if you have kids in school, you’ll need to notify the school immediately.
Next, considering how much time there is leading up to the move, organize these tasks into tasks that need to be done now, what can wait a week or two and what must be done in the days leading up to the move. Add to that what you need to do on moving day. As new tasks come to mind, put those on your list.
How to save money during a move
- Sell, donate, or trash: downsizing is one of the easiest and most impactful ways to reduce moving costs. The less you move, the less you’ll pay. Take time to consider which items are actually worth moving. Sell, donate, or trash anything not worth moving.
- Adjust your move date: moving companies charge more during popular times to move. If you can, avoid moving around holidays or near the end of the month. The summer months can also be 20-30% more expensive so if you can avoid a summer move, do it.
- Get multiple quotes: it’s not unusual for moving company estimates to differ by thousands of dollars, especially if you’re moving long distance. Get at least 3 estimates to ensure you’re getting a fair price on your move.
- Flexible pickup & delivery: moving is a tough business and movers often face unexpected delays like weather or traffic issues. Customers with flexible move dates enable moving companies to build some cushion into their schedule. Often times resulting in a better price for you.
- Book early: book your mover 30-60 days in advance. Moving companies will increase prices for moves booked last minute or worst case they may not have any availability at all. If you plan on moving during the summer or around a holiday consider booking 90 days in advance to be safe.
- Consider DIY moving services: moving companies take a lot of the work out of moving but they also are expensive. “Do-it-yourself” moving options like rental trucks and moving containers can be significantly more affordable if you’re willing to do some of the heavy lifting yourself. If you’re unable to do the heavy lifting that comes with moving, or simply don’t want to, you can always hire labor only moving helpers to assist with the loading and unloading.
- Ask for price matching: the moving industry is competitive and most companies will have some kind of price matching policy to try and win your business. Don’t be afraid to ask for a price match if you’ve found a cheaper quote elsewhere.
- Get free packing supplies: when budgeting for a move people frequently overlook the cost of packing supplies. Boxes, packing paper, and tape can all add up to hundreds of dollars of expense. Thing is, a lot of this stuff can be found for free online from people who just finished moving. Check out our article on finding free boxes for a lot more options.
- Insurance coverage: check with your existing homeowners or renters insurance to see if moving is covered under your policy. If moving is covered you can avoid spending money insuring your items through a moving company.
- Weight equals money: consider selling or giving away heavy items like fitness equipment and book collections. If you have old appliances moving may be a good time to get rid of them.
- Cancel services: transfer or cancel all your utilities one to two days after your move date to avoid paying any unnecessary bills.
Yes, you can definitely negotiate with moving companies. Moving companies usually have some discounts or options to lower your quote. You can also bring them quotes from competitors to see if they’ll outbid other companies or offer price matching. You can also use the moving cost calculator at the top of this page to get an idea on what your move should cost.
Ask your sales rep for advice on how to further reduce your costs. Examples, such as being flexible with your move dates or ditching high-cost items like pool tables or heavy safes can help reduce overall moving expenses.
If you have vehicles to ship you’ll want to factor car shipping costs into your overall moving budget. The distance, type of car, and whether you want an open or enclosed trailer are the biggest factors that determine car shipping cost. For more accurate vehicle shipping quotes check out our best car shipping companies page. The table below lays out some average costs for different distances.
The cost of moving insurance will depend on which type of insurance you elect to get and how valuable you declare your items to be. The cost to insure a one bedroom apartment at Full Value Protection will typically cost around $500 to $700 depending on how valuable the items being moved are.
Moving companies are expensive. If budget is your primary concern then you’ll want to consider some alternative options to full-service movers. Luckily, we have an article that lists a ton of cheap ways to move out of state. To give you a few ideas:
If you’re trying to ship a single piece of furniture like a couch or mattress moving companies will not be your best option. Most moving companies have weight minimums and won’t be interested in shipments this small. Better options for shipping single items include LTL carriers or shipment marketplaces. Check out our list of the best moving companies for single item moves.
What is the average cost of a “do-it-yourself” move?
If you’re willing to do all the heavy lifting and driving you can usually save yourself a good chunk of change on the total cost of the move. You’ll also have more control over the moving process which some people prefer.
How much does it cost to rent a portable storage container?
Moving containers are like a portable storage unit that can be delivered to your house, loaded, and then shipped or stored locally or long distance. This “DIY move” option does not include labor or any packing services. Although, you can hire local movers to help with the loading as an additional service.
The average total cost to move within 50 miles with a portable moving container is typically around $400 to $700 for one container. For local moves, most companies charge a fee every time you move the container. The typical move involves 3 container charges: a drop-off fee, a transfer fee, and a pick-up fee. If you plan on moving the container more than 3 times, costs can add up quickly.
For interstate moves, average moving container prices can range from $900 to $4500+ depending on the distance and size of the move. Generally, the longer the distance, the more expensive things get. If the company doesn’t have a nearby location at your destination, that can also ramp up the price. Ideally, find a company that has nearby locations on both ends of your move.
Most portable storage companies, such as PODS, offer 30 days of free storage included in PODS pricing. Container sizes range from 7 feet long up to 20 feet. Larger containers will cost more to rent and move. If you’re moving to a large home, it’s likely you’ll need more than one container which can add significantly to your overall cost.
How much do moving truck rentals cost?
The average price for a local moving truck rental can range anywhere from $30 to $500 Depending on the size of the truck and the duration of the rental. For instance, Budget Truck Rental typically charges $20-$60 per day as their base rate to rent a truck.
The average price for a one-way moving truck rental can range from $200-$300 if you’re moving a few hundred miles to 5000,000 – $4,000+ if you’re moving cross-country. Long distance move truck rental rates are based on the distance between locations and the size of the rental truck you need. Rates typically include a set number of allowable miles and days.
For instance, if you’re moving long distance from New York to California, the rental truck rate would most likely include around 3,200 miles for driving and 6-8 days rental time. Additional rental days and mileage can be purchased for a fee.
Another, major cost you’ll want to calculate ahead of time is fuel. Moving rental trucks typically get on average 8-12 miles per gallon depending on the size of the truck and whether it’s full or empty with home goods. For example, a fully loaded 26-foot rental truck is likely to get no more than 7 or 8 miles per gallon, while an empty 10-foot truck will get closer to 12 to 15 MPG. Fuel costs can easily add up to hundreds of dollars.
Resource:
https://www.wikihow.com/Relocate-an-Office
https://www.moving.com/tips/last-minute-moving/
https://www.movebuddha.com/moving-cost-calculator/