Moving office sounds reasonably straightforward.
Pack everything.
Put it in a truck.
Drive to the new office.
Unpack.
Done.
Anyone who has actually moved an office is currently laughing.
After years of helping Auckland businesses relocate, there are a few things we wish every customer knew before moving day.
1. Please measure the lift.
Actually, measure everything.
The lift.
The doors.
The stairwell.
The corridor.
The giant boardroom table you're planning to take with you.
Finding out a piece of furniture doesn't fit through a doorway is much easier three weeks before moving day than while four people are holding it in a hallway.
2. Decide what's actually coming with you.
Moving unwanted furniture from Office A to Office B just so you can dispose of it later means you've effectively paid to move it twice.
Before the relocation, divide your furniture into:
KEEP – SELL – DONATE/REDIRECT – RECYCLE/DISPOSE
This also makes quoting and planning the move significantly easier.
3. Label everything.
We love labels.
Seriously.
If 40 desks, 60 chairs, boxes and storage units are moving into different areas, good labelling saves an enormous amount of time.
"Put it somewhere over there and we'll work it out later" is not a relocation strategy.
4. Think about the new layout before the truck arrives.
A floor plan isn't just about making the office look nice.
It tells the installation team where desks go, which direction they face, where storage belongs and what needs assembling where.
Planning beforehand can save hours of shifting furniture around afterwards.
And yes, we've moved the same desk twice.
And then moved it back.
5. Furniture and electrical work are different things.
We install office furniture.
Electricians and IT specialists handle electrical and data cabling.
If you're installing sit-stand desks, workstations or other furniture requiring power and data, coordinate the relevant trades before moving day.
Your furniture installers should not suddenly discover they've also been appointed electricians.
6. Tell us about the stairs.
"Easy access" means different things to different people.
To us, useful information includes:
- Which floor?
- Is there a goods lift?
- How large is the lift?
- How close can the truck get?
- Are there stairs?
- Is there restricted parking?
- Are there building access times?
- Does the building require bookings for lifts or loading areas?
These details affect labour, timing and therefore cost.
7. Loose items need boxes.
Pens, folders, cables, stationery, plants and the mysterious contents of everyone's desk drawers need to be packed.
Furniture movers can move boxes.
Trying to transport 473 individual loose objects is another matter entirely.
8. Don't leave unwanted furniture until the last minute.
If you're hoping to sell, donate, recycle or redirect furniture, give yourself time.
The more notice there is, the more opportunity there is to find another use for it.
A good office move should be boring.
That's actually the goal.
No desk stuck in the lift.
No truck waiting outside because nobody booked loading access.
No frantic phone call asking what we're supposed to do with 37 unwanted chairs.
Just a properly planned move where everyone knows what's happening.
At George Walkers Office Furniture, we can help with office furniture, floor planning, relocation, installation and the sustainable redirection of unwanted furniture.
Because moving office is complicated enough already.
The furniture doesn't need to be.
