Moving Businesses Premises: A Checklist

Moving Businesses Premises

Some businesses stay in the same location for decades. In contrast, others find themselves moving a few times over their business lifetime. This can be for several reasons: downsizing, upsizing or finding a better-suited location for your activities can be some of them. It can be a stressful time for business owners; juggling many aspects of the move while trying to keep the transition as short as possible to minimise the impact on activities and get back to running things normally as soon as possible.

In this post, we’ll provide a quick checklist of what business owners should look into when moving premises. While it would be difficult to provide an exhaustive list as some aspects may be dictated by the nature of your activities, we’ll provide an overview of the most important actions to take when relocating.

IT infrastructure

Whether you are office-based or run manufacturing processes, chances are you’ll have a solid IT & telecommunications infrastructure in place. For a smooth transition, you’ll have to ensure you can replicate this structure in your new premises. This can involve ensuring your former internet contract is updated or getting a new contract drafted, redirecting your phone lines (if you wish to keep your phone numbers the same), ensuring you have backups of your data and systems.

Make a list of all the elements in your structure, decide what you need to keep and what you don’t need anymore, and then list the steps needed to achieve this. You’ll have a plan for your IT and telecommunications. This might also be an ideal time for your business to consider upgrades or switching how you are using the different systems.

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Water, gas and electricity

Sorting out utilities should be pretty high up on your list – after all, no one wants to come to an office that doesn’t have any heating or water!

New water connections should be handled by your business water retailer, who should also be able to arrange everything for you while you relocate so you don’t have to worry about the extra admin work. Just check in with your retailer so you can arrange the move with them.

The same goes for gas and electricity. Make sure your current suppliers are aware that you are moving, as they may need to liaise with the suppliers of your new property so they can take charge. Moving can also be an opportunity to switch providers if you’re not completely satisfied with your current ones or if you find a cheaper tariff.

Moving equipment

If you run a manufacturing business of any kind, moving equipment can be a major hassle. Plan the move way in advance if possible so you can figure out how much work will be involved in moving machinery and other similar equipment. When choosing a removals company, make sure that they can handle bulky or heavy items if necessary and enquire about their process, so you know nothing will get damaged during the move.

Efficient machinery moving is crucial for a manufacturing business’s smooth operations. Prioritize a moving plan to ensure the safe and secure relocation of heavy equipment. Select a removals company experienced in handling such machinery to guarantee a damage-free transfer.

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Moving office equipment may seem simple in comparison. However, you will still have to decide what will get removed and how much work that involves. You can progressively pack away equipment that you don’t need immediately to avoid doing everything at the last minute. You could even move in different stages if that’s available to you.

Address change and legal requirements

Changing your address not only means that you will have to notify customers (through your website, social media, marketing material…), but you will also have to notify a certain number of parties to comply with legal requirements and avoid issues further down the road.

HMRC and Companies House should be the top two on your checklist. Still, you might also need to notify your bank, your suppliers, update contracts and other legal engagements. 

We hope you’ve found this post useful and that it will help you with your big move! If you’d like more business advice, you can find all related posts here.