How Long Does An Office Move Take?

Moving to a new office location requires careful planning and several preparation steps. Once you’ve found your new location and are in the throws of aligning move in and move out dates, it’s time to lock down the project. So, how long will it actually take to move all this stuff? The short answer is – it depends. This article is designed to help you understand the dependencies so you are properly informed. As the saying goes, “Proper planning prevents poor performance!”

Here are 7 things to help give you a realistic time frame on what the physical move is really going to take.

1. Office Setups

When it comes to moving, the number of employees you have is less important than how many office setups you have. Many office managers misinform moving companies by thinking half their employees work from home not realizing that the office still has desks for those people that will need to be moved or removed.

1. • Executive Offices
     How many executive offices are there and what is in them? Desk, sitting area, plants, artwork, wall mounts
   • Private Offices
     How many private offices are there and what is in them? Desk, hutch, chair, side chairs, book cases
   • Workstations
     How many work area seats are there?

2. Reception Area / Lobby

Your reception area may look open and sparse but can be filled with things that take a while to pack.

1. • Wall Hangings
     Is everything going? Small, medium, and large (over 6 x 8 feet) items, wall mounted TVs, cable boxes all take time.
   • Sitting Areas
     Check how many sofas, coffee tables, couches, lounge chairs, lamps, rugs, you have.
   • Built Ins
     Is your reception desk built in and needs disassembly or is it easy to move?

3. Conference / Meeting Rooms

What size tables do you have in your conference room. The measurements are fine, but just knowing how many people can sit at a table is a great way to estimate. Does the table have power and data? This complicates things. Pay attention to all the extra chairs that may be around the room, and things hanging on the wall.

4. Break Room / Kitchen / Lounge

The big thing here beyond tables and chairs is appliances. You will want to disconnect refrigerators and other appliances if they are plumbed to the building for water and ice. This is another area that may have several wall mounted items and electronics.

5. Common Areas

Open office environments and square footage don’t really tell your mover what they’ll be in for when it comes to understanding the details of your move. Are you using sit stand desks or cubicles? Are you switching from cubicles to sit stand desks? Newer styles of furniture are cheaper to buy but not necessarily to move. A few pictures is worth a thousand words. Other important items often found in common areas are filing cabinets. There’s a huge difference between fire proof (cement filled) filing cabinets and regular filing cabinets.

6. Copy / Storage Rooms

Most people think everything is on the computer these days and for the most part that’s true. However, there are still many industries we work with where hard copy storage is required. These areas often have specialized equipment like mobile shelving, fire proof filing cabinets, spinning files, and rolling files. The best movers in Dallas will be able to handle all this for you with ease but you’ll want to explain the details.

7. Optimus Prime And Other Oddities

Dallas Texas moving companies that have been around as long as Office Boy are used to moving unusual things in the office. We’ve even moved Optimus Prime for one of our customers. Items like taxidermy, safes, and other unusual items may need special packing and care that you will want to let your mover know about.