February 6, 2017 
We understand moving to a new office can be a costly enterprise. But it doesn’t have to be. Keeping to a budget can help you manage office relocation costs and stop you from overspending. We’ve created a checklist of all the costs you need to consider when organising a new office move, and we offer some advice on how you can save money.
Plan the costs of the new work space
Before you even move into the new office, you’ll be facing site costs. This will include:
- Deposit
- First month rent (unless you’re buying)
- Heating
- Electricity
- Maintenance and cleaning
You may also need to budget for parking permits if you don’t have access to a free car park.
To avoid any surprises and hidden costs, you need to thoroughly investigate your new office and ensure you understand all the costs you have to pay. This helps you comprehend what needs to be paid for and if your budget will work.
If you’re currently renting an office and planning to move to another one, try to make sure there is no lengthy overlap with your contracts. You don’t want to be paying for two offices whilst you move. Having a few days overlap can give you time to move furniture and equipment but more than that can be a waste of money.
Give yourself plenty of time to talk to your old and new landlords to negotiate moving dates.
Prepare for legal fees
For any office move, you will need the services of a solicitor to oversee the transactions and negotiations. Usually, legal fees will be 0.5% to 1.25% of the value of your property but this can be negotiated.
The best ways to save on legal fees when moving offices is to plan ahead with solicitors. Rushing through your office move means you’ll more likely fail to see any hidden legal costs. Getting solicitors to fast track your paperwork will cost more too.
Start looking for legal advice early (before you put a deposit on a new office), talk to a few firms in your area so you can find the best solicitors for you.
Budget your labour costs
Once all your paperwork has been processed and you’ve almost got the keys to the new place, you need to plan your moving strategy.
There are pros and cons to hiring an office move team. The con of having a team move your furniture and setup your new place is you will have to pay for their services. But there are many pros to having the additional help:
- They can move your furniture and equipment safely. Any damages during transit will be replaced.
- They specialise in moving furniture so they will move it quick.
- They have access to their own moving vans/lorries.
- Saves you the hassle of moving.
Contact an office move company to get quotes.They will know how many people they will need for the job and be able to tell you how long it will take to move everything.
Planning ahead will give you an opportunity to find the best company to help you. You might discover you can save more money by having an all-in-one office move and design company do the work for you.
Do you need to budget for storage?
If you’re able to get a few days overlap in your old and new office tenancy agreements, you won’t have to worry about storage. Or if you decide to throw everything out and start afresh.
Storing your electronics and furniture during your office move might be the only solution when moving.
Storing furniture can be costly if you organise it last minute. You can save money by planning ahead. Look at what furniture you definitely need to store away. If you’re going to be throwing away any old or faulty equipment, there is no reason to store it and then throw it away a few months later. Get quotes from storage companies to find the best company that suits your needs.
The secret to saving on fixtures and fittings
It takes time to set up your new furniture, put up new shelving and build office areas. This will likely take more time than transporting your old furniture to your new workspace.
Buying new furniture and putting your new office together can be a costly step but there are many ways you can save money:
- Moving old furniture to your new workspace can save you the costs of buying brand new.
- Talk to an office planner to help you get the best out of your office space.
- Get the services of an all-in-one moving company. Hiring a company who can design your new office, move your old office furniture to your new workspace and setup everything, can save you money on having to hire multiple companies.
Unless you have experience setting up office furniture, it is worthwhile to get the services of an experienced team. Putting up furniture incorrectly can cause health and safety hazards.
Organise technology set up
Finally setting up technology is one of the final costs you have to budget for. If you’re using all your old computers and phones from your last office, you can save a lot here.
However, if you’re buying new computers, internet routers, phones, printers, scanners, etc. This is the perfect opportunity to do research and shop around. Buying lots of electronics as a single purchase can give you the chance to negotiate with your seller. You can also save money by buying second hand. There’s no shame buying second hand, there is one company called Gummo that bought all of its furniture second hand and it looks amazing.
Any delays on opening your new office will mean your employees can’t work, and if they can’t work, the business will lose money. Organise beforehand when you will have a tech specialist come in to set up your computers and internet connections. Once again, prior planning can save you money.
Hopefully, seeing all the costs you have to consider when moving office hasn’t discouraged you from moving. There are many benefits to moving to a new office. And the best way to manage office relocation costs is to be organised.
How to be a SUPER SAVER budget planner
Our new office move checklist covers all the budgets and other factors you need to plan for when moving offices. It’s FREE to download!
