There are a whole host of reasons why you might be considering an office move right now. It could be that your current lease has come to an end and you now need to source alternative premises. Maybe your company has experienced a period of growth and you now require a larger space that can accommodate more workers, new processes or provide improved facilities for employees.
Regardless of the circumstances that have led to your decision, just like moving house, an office move is an exciting time filled with the prospect of new possibilities and great opportunities. However, for many companies an office relocation can bring a period of uncertainty, long hours, time pressures and rising levels of workplace stress.
There is no refuting that an office move can be a daunting prospect. Nevertheless, with some careful forward planning and a clear, organised strategy, a successful, stress free office move is most definitely possible. Not only that, it could actually turn out be one of the best moves your organisation ever makes.
If you are planning a relocation, we have a handy blog post on how to plan a successful office move which will guide you through some of the most important things to consider and how to keep your brand culture in check throughout the process. But the question on everybody’s lips ahead of the big move – how long will it take?
Some of the first questions many businesses need to answer is ‘when can we move?’ and ‘how much time is going to take?’. The first step in answering these questions comes from a clear understanding of the type of office move you are about to embark upon and the different services you will require.
When we begin conversations with our customers, there are typically two types of office move they are looking for…
Office move with space planning and design
For many companies, an office move is the perfect opportunity to take a step back and review current working practices and analyse if their existing space is providing an adequate working environment for the type of tasks workers are completing on a daily basis.
If your current premises have been ‘home’ for a while, chances are that working styles have considerably evolved since you moved in and improvements may now be necessary. Bringing the space up to date will not only improve the aesthetic appearance of the office but also accommodate new ways of working that are a direct result of new generations entering the workplace and advancements in office technology.
Our approach to workplace design puts the needs of your people first and foremost – how and where they work and the types of spaces they need stay stay motivated and work efficiently. Conducting staff surveys, observations and workshops provides an opportunity to prioritise objectives and effectively engage all workers into the relocation project. We combine our findings with insights and knowledge of workplace design to create a workspace that not only looks fantastic but will also provide a perfect working environment that offers choice and control and ultimately goes on to maximise and improve business performance.
Depending on the size of your company, we typically expect that this type of workspace project will take approximately 16-20 weeks. This allows time for the running of surveys and workshops, space planning, design, project lead times and installation.
Office move with refurbishment and fit-out
If you have found your new office space but it needs some fit-out work before your workspace vision becomes a reality, we can help. The only limitations to your fit-out project are your budget and the Sq. Ft. available. Our complete service can cover all elements of your project, from flooring, ceiling, and partitions to plumbing, electrical work and even kitchens and bathrooms.
The scale of fit-out work can vary vastly from project to project but as a rough guide… if the space is empty and work can begin shortly after designs are completed and approved, we would typically expect a 5,000 Sq. Ft project with furniture fit-out to take around 20-24 weeks.
Each office move project has it’s own scale, it’s own hurdles and it’s own unique requirements so it can be tricky to apply a one-size-fits-all timescale. However, our experts have been working with clients during their relocation for almost 40 years, and we are here to ensure that your office move is carefully managed, and your new space is one to be proud of.