Office removals – the key questions you need to ask when booking a business relocation

With so much riding on getting the move right, it pays to do your homework! Here are the 10 critical questions to ask when making an enquiry with a commercial removals firm…

1. What is your experience in moving businesses like ours?

A reputable, established removals firm will have handled all kinds of business relocation and will understand the particular challenges of your move. So whether you’re downsizing, moving within the same building, moving to multiple locations or need a ‘mirror image’ move (where your new premises need to replicate the current layout as closely as possible), the removers will be able to talk you through the issues and point to examples of similar jobs. Ask to see testimonials and online reviews.

2. Do you provide a designated Relocation Manager to help plan and manage the move?

An office relocation is a very complex business and a lot can go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. If you’ve been handed responsibility for moving your business, then your life will be much less stressful if your removals company assigns an experienced Relocation Manager to help you! This person will formulate a comprehensive moving strategy, provide information and advice to staff about packing, and will be your main point of contact before, during and after the move.

3. Will you take care of all the regulatory requirements?

Your Relocation Manager should be able to help deal with contractors, ensure health and safety rules are followed and handle all the regulatory requirements involved in moving and site management. This will significantly reduce your paperwork headaches!

4. How do you provide seamless IT relocation?

Good removals firms will have specialists who can work with your IT team to make sure that your essential equipment is safely moved and installed, and is up and running as soon as you move in. They should also be able to take care of PAT testing, cleaning, decommissioning and storing IT equipment.

5. Do you provide an out-of-hours moving service?

With an office move you’ll be under pressure to keep downtime to an absolute minimum. Your removals firm should be able to do the bulk of your relocation overnight or over a weekend, meaning you’re ready to get to work first thing Monday morning.

6. How do you assist with the packing and unpacking?

Make sure the removals company will provide everything you need for packing up the office, including crates, boxes and materials. They should come in well before the moving date to give employees training and information on packing and labelling equipment, documents etc. At the other end of the move, they should make sure all your furniture and items are unpacked and installed in the right places.

7. Can you provide cost-effective and convenient storage?

You may well need to store some items for a short or long-term period after a move. The better removals companies have their own storage facilities which are much more cost-effective than the national self-storage operators. Ask about rates and access. Many firms also offer specialist business archive storage for documents, accounts etc.

8. What aftercare services do you provide to cope with teething problems?

As you settle into a new office, you often find that your initial layout isn’t quite working and you want to make changes, such as moving workstations around. Ask your removals company what kind of aftercare they provide. Many offer comprehensive aftercare services including repairs, additional furniture, waste and recycling assistance and more.

9. Do you provide full insurance?

Ask what insurance the firm offers, and what additional insurance you might need to purchase.

10. Will you match an equivalent quote from a competitor?

Even though cheapest is definitely not best when it comes to a critical matter like an office relocation, reputable removal companies will still often offer to match comparable quotes – so it’s worth asking.

Master Remover firms are reputable, experienced professionals offering a comprehensive business and office relocation service. Find your nearest member here.