What to Consider When Moving Offices

Moving into a new office/premises is exciting and can be the start of a new chapter for your company. Despite the excitement, it’s a huge decision and one that you need to consider carefully. Luckily for you, we’ve put together this guide on moving office and broken the process down into easy to digest steps.

Don’t just think about your needs in terms of space for your current staff, if you’re looking to grow over the next few years, it makes sense to find a premises that has the space to accommodate new faces and grow with your business for years to come.

Also have a think about the type of space that you’ll need for your business – if you’re an industrial company, it goes without saying that a city centre office block probably isn’t the right space for you to operate.

Likewise, if your staff are office based and come from all over a city, a city centre location will make life
easier for them.

There’s an awful lot to consider when it comes to budgeting for an office move, and some of the items we suggest below may not have been considered yet. Be as thorough as possible when it comes to budgeting for your move — it’ll help you keep a handle on
the overall cost.

Remember:
It’s always worth getting a few quotes for each aspect of the work. By getting a few quotes you’ll get an idea of what’s reasonable and be able to choose a company that you trust to get the job done. Although price is obviously a factor, business critical items are worth being sure on and the cheapest option won’t necessarily be the best.

Some things to consider when it comes to not only choosing the right property, but also choosing the right location.

Throughout this guide, we’ve tried to create some ‘devils advocate’ type questions to help you think about things in a bit more detail when it comes to your premises move. Here are some good questions to ask yourself when it comes to a new potential premises and location:

Do you have the vision? With some great vision (or a design company that has) you can transform an old / basic space into one that Google would be impressed with!

Remember that the worse the condition of the unit you take on the better deal you can negotiate with your landlord/the seller. If you are renting/leasing the building, consider the dilapidation costs (what you must do to return the unit to an acceptable condition at the end of your lease) of any alterations you do.

If the building is currently warehouse or storage space then the rental / purchase price should be less, giving you more money to spend on the creation of great office space where needed.

This type of project always gives a great end result and our clients can’t believe what can be created from ‘fresh air’ especially with the use of mezzanine floors, you can create valuable office space without compromising your storage space.

A good estate agent is worth their weight in gold. Outline your criteria to enable them to find the perfect property for your business.

Brief your estate agent fully on your criteria and budget so they can start searching for suitable properties.You’ll thank us later for this as it will save you a lot of time going to viewings that don’t fit your needs. When you have viewings make sure a few of you go from different departments within your company and have a meeting about it afterwards, making notes on the pros and cons of that property.

Once you’ve seen a few properties, you’ll be able to revisit your notes to work out which is most suitable. The estate agent will be able to advise you from there in terms of what offer to make etc.

Also Consider:

The right office fit out/refurbishment contractor will make your life easy and help create your dream workspace.

Choosing the right office refurbishment/fit out contractor is vital to making your premises move a successful one.

A good office fit out company won’t just come in and take your order, they’ll add value through the planning phase, advising you on building regulations that need to be considered and designing a space that works for your business.

Most companies will want an office fit out company that offers a turn-key service, in that you essentially show them the space, let them come up with space and layout plans, agree costs and schedules and then they hand you the keys when all the hard work is done and the project is completed!

During the planning phase, you’ll want to consider the types of spaces you need – for example, do you need dedicated meeting rooms and management offices? Or would you prefer the whole space to be open plan, with dedicated break out areas?

Some additional things to consider when it comes to refurbishing/ fitting out your new space. What budget do you have for this along with the overall cost for the move? The main things that we see companies trying to avoid spending on are:

If you are making any changes to the internal layout of the building, then you must make sure these are compliant with current Building Regulations. You can of course do this yourself through the local council but using an Approved Inspector is a quicker route. This is more in depth than it first seems and you may even have to apply for this even if you are not planning any works to make sure your workplace is compliant. Please don’t assume that just because it was an office before that it will be fine for you to use. After all, the previous occupants may have been in breach of the regulations!

If you are planning larger alterations then these works may fall under Enhanced CDM Regulations. This is a big subject where the HSE will need to notified of the works you are carrying out. There are several roles and responsibilities to be undertaken for this, here at aci we can take you through this process from start to finish.d

If you are moving into a new building, then make sure you have an Energy Performance Certificate. You are very likely to be asked for this at some stage. If you are making alterations as the first tenant, you will also be asked for a new EPC.

A change of use planning application may be required depending on your type of business, this can take time and its worth consulting with the planning dept even before you commit to the building to make sure they will grant it.

This is also true for any external signage you may be considering:

Is the building complaint with this? If not, then you must develop a site-specific access statement.

You will also have to do a Fire Risk Assessment and have a Fire Plan specific to the building. This will also inform you if the Emergency, fire and escape signage / lighting is compliant, the location and quantity of Fire Extinguishers required and external muster points / rehearsal procedures etc.

If the building was constructed before 1999 (more importantly 1985) then you will need to have an up to date Asbestos Report on the building prior to any works being carried out.

We can recommend Midlands Asbestos Solutions for this. Also, if the building has been empty for a long period then the water systems should be tested for legionnaires disease and flushed through. Here at aci we have plumbers that can carry this work out for you.

Also, remember that the building you are leaving may require a level of dilapidation works to be done to it under your contract with the landlord. This could involve removing any of the walls and structures that you have installed (even with the consent of the landlord), replacing the flooring, paint walls etc. Remember to read your contract and leave some budget for this. Here at aci we have some very economic products that will get this job done for the best price.

Ensure that your IT services are up and running and have been tested. For smaller businesses, the office move day tends to be the Friday to allow the weekend for any problems to arise and be solved before Monday. For larger companies, a planned phase move will be required, specific to your operational needs.

Post redirection – Easy to do via Royal Mail, but remember to inform all your suppliers and inform anyone still using your old address even after they have been told!

The cliche phrase, ‘by failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail’ certainly rings true when it comes to moving across to your new space.

Once you’ve found your new premises and started the fit out works, it’s finally time to start planning the move across. If you’re a small company with only a few staff, this should be easy and you can largely avoid the need for a removals firm. However, if you have many staff, you’ll probably need to get a removals firm to come in, package up their computers and other equipment and then move it across, making sure it’s installed in the correct
places.

Make sure the removal company is reputable and has the correct insurance.

Who is going to do the move, you, your staff? There are firms that will do this for you… These companies may also supply you with boxes /crates for your paperwork/ IT items to be moved in. Now is also a great time for challenging your staff to have a large clear out of items that don’t need to be moved.

Most of our customers use a premises move as a good reason to look at other aspects of their business. Here are some things to consider:

Have you considered how you will communicate your move to your customers / suppliers? If your image is also overdue for a face lift, then now is the perfect time. You are then able to communicate a new image along with a new location, two birds with one stone. If you don’t already have a Customer Relationship System (CRM) then have a look at your accounts system, this should have a list of your Customers / Suppliers that will get you started.

We can recommend Imaginaire Digital in Nottingham (details in useful contacts)

Can have a big delay, need to talk to BT early on but this can be a frustrating process, it is better to get the line in earlier with a temporary number and then move your number over – this is a quicker way! You can also try using a local specialist for this type of work who are not BT! – We can recommend iNET in Grantham (details).

Also, consider broadband speeds, is there enough ‘in the pipe’ for your operation needs?

Is there enough supply to satisfy your company requirements? Upgrading these services can be very costly, so an audit of the current supply versus you needs may be required. Also, negotiate new contracts as soon as the building is signed so that you aren’t paying extortionate ‘standard rate’ tariffs.

Be clear on how much you must pay, check that the m2 areas are correct (sometimes buildings are sub divided) on the billing and that the usage rates are correct for current use.

If you’re thinking of moving offices and need some advice, call us on 0115 939 7572 and we’ll be glad to help! We also create detailed office design briefs and complete office fit outs or refurbishment projects. It sets expectations, defines requirements, and ensures the space works for both humans and pets. If you’re considering a pet-friendly office, get in touch with the ACI team and we can discuss how to make your workplace welcoming, stylish, and functional.