Relocating an office can be a major challenge, whether it’s a small home office or a multi-departmental commercial enterprise.
With a bit of pre-planning, and the use of quality packing materials, moving the contents of a workspace can be achieved quickly, efficiently and with limited disruption to your business.
Here are a few guidelines to ensure your next office move goes off swiftly and smoothly.
Get rid of the old and outdated
There’s no point in moving old, outdated equipment and furniture from one location to another. Rather take the opportunity to discard or donate books, electronic devices and furnishings that have seen better days.
Shred or recycle old documents and files, and organise the documents you want to keep in clearly labelled folders. That way, you’ll get rid of clutter, and be forced to upgrade to more functional and efficient office furniture and equipment.
Do a full data backup
Before the move, ensure all files stored on office desktops and laptops are copied onto removable hard drives. Alternatively, cloud storage services, like DropBox, IDrive and CrashPlan, offer cost effective data backup services.
Along with a full data backup, it’s advisable to make hard copies of critical documents. These documents should ideally be packed and moved by the business owner, or a trusted employee.
When business computers contain sensitive information of a confidential nature, removing the hard drives is the most secure option. Again, it’s a good idea to pack them in secure, sealable plastic boxes, and move them, personally, to the new office location.
Invest in the right packing materials
Investing in good quality moving boxes, together with materials to provide extra padding and protection, is key to getting an office move off to the best possible start.
Cardboard cartons, in a variety of different sizes, are ideal for packing and moving diverse office items, from files and documents to electronic devices. Tough and durable moulded plastic packing boxes are the best solution for heavy and fragile loads.
EcoBox supplies a range of affordable office moving kits suitable for small, medium or large office relocations. The options are:
- Pack n Go Kits for sale that include all the components required for a seamless moving experience – single-wall corrugated cardboard boxes, labels, packing paper, bubble wrap, adhesive tape, aerothene and plastic bags.
- Office Moving Kits for hire comprising reusable plastic EcoBoxes, security seals, labels and marker pens.
Pack electronic equipment with care
Now that you’ve got the packaging materials under control, it’s time to focus on the packing. Computers, monitors, printers, scanners and Wi-Fi routers are expensive office items that require special care.
Where possible, electronic equipment should be packed in the original packaging. Alternatively, items can be individually wrapped in bubble wrap, and placed in heavy-duty cardboard boxes of a similar size.
Before wrapping each item, take a photograph of the wires and cables, and how they fit into the various electrical points and ports. Remove and label the cables, and pop them into clearly marked sealable plastic bags. Store each bag in the same box as the related device.
Disassemble office furniture
It’s easier to move desks, chairs and other bulky office furniture when they’ve been disassembled into several smaller, and lighter, components.
Using the correct tools, remove the legs, arms and pedestals of each item. Remember to store screws, nobs, dowels and nuts in sealable, and clearly labelled, plastic bags, unique to each item.
Tape drawers and doors of desks, and filing cabinets, closed with durable plastic adhesive tape. Cover glass tops, and other fragile items, in a layer of bubble wrap, and wrap each item in a moving blanket.
Label everything
When packing and moving a large office, a colour coded labelling system is the most efficient solution. Allocate a different colour to each department or workstation. Then number and label the boxes and items associated with each area, with sticky labels in the corresponding colour.
The same labelling method can be applied to a home office move, or a few marks with a black koki should do the trick.
Create an inventory of boxes
It’s a good idea to create a numbered inventory of all the boxes, together with a short description of the items stored in each box. That way, it’s easier to find the essential items that are required to get the business up and running.
It’s also a handy record of exactly what went into the removals van, and what should be delivered at the new office location.
Office moving supplies from Ecobox
Along with other office move packing tips, we suggest lining up the right boxes and packing materials in plenty of time.
At Ecobox, we offer:
- cardboard boxes of different sizes
- a full range of packing materials
- eco-friendly, plastic moving boxes for rent
- convenient office move kits.
Visit one of our retail locations to get the office moving supplies you need, or simply order online and we’ll deliver to your door.
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