Moving Premises Checklist

As we shift the way we work, it’s no surprise that, following a year of restrictions and lockdowns, a number of businesses are planning a change. And, a new business location could be ideal if you’re looking for a post-pandemic fresh start.

So, you’re planning on relocating your business? From getting your team on board to planning budgets and layouts, moving business premises can be a logistical nightmare. But, there’s no need to worry. Read on for our ultimate moving premises checklist for a smooth transition and a stress-free relocation. 

Generally, it takes around six months to plan a business relocation, so it’s a good idea to get started sooner rather than later to avoid any last-minute panic.

Here are the steps you need to take:

Plan your budget

The first thing to do is to create a moving budget so you can keep all costs on track. Ideally, you’ll want to have a little bit of wiggle room within that, just in case anything needs changing or if any problems come up. Don’t forget about the cost of:

Packaging materials: depending on when you last moved, or the nature of your business, you’ll need to factor in the cost of packaging materials, too, such as boxes, bubble wrap and tape along with any specialised materials

Moving insurance: if you’re concerned about the process, or have a lot of expensive items or equipment to move, it’s a good idea to invest in moving insurance to cover the costs if anything is damaged or lost

Van hire or professional movers: if you’re a larger business, or you simply don’t have the manpower to execute a move, you might need to hire a moving company that specialises in business relocations.

Write up a moving plan

There’s nothing worse than being underprepared and rushed, and so, once the budget has been decided, you’ll need to clearly lay out the moving date and when you expect all the individual tasks to be completed. 

To do this, you’ll want to create a moving plan that details everything you need to take into consideration during the moving process. From ordering furniture to changing business energy supplier, with so much to remember, it can be hard to keep everything on track. 

A great way to stay on top of what needs to be done is to dedicate a corner of your existing business space to the planning process. Here, you can lay out the full timeline, including any checklists and information your team needs to keep in mind. Remember to make sure you have enough time in case anything goes seriously wrong, too, and always double-check the date you need to be out of your current premises, to avoid any additional costs. 

Assign roles and responsibilities

Once you’ve established a plan of action, it’s time to think about the logistics of the move, and that includes ensuring you have enough hands on deck to actually execute it.

Making sure your team is involved every step of the way is a great way to avoid them feeling left out. It will also increase their own excitement about the move, while also giving them more of a stake in it.

Depending on your budget, or if you’ve hired a team of movers to help with the relocation, your employees and team members might be doing the bulk of the organising, packing, and moving. Therefore, you’ll need to delegate certain responsibilities:

Top tip: don’t forget to clearly enforce deadlines and to schedule regular moving team meetings to check on progress.

Create a detailed floor plan

In order to maximise the space in your new business space while helping you to figure out exactly what you need, designing a floor plan is key. 

Not only will planning out your new space help you to decide on new furniture layouts and designs, but it will also make it much easier to place boxes or furniture when you do move in along with speeding up the unpacking process.

Once you’ve got a solid plan in place, you can tick it off your moving premises checklist. 

Moving premises is an excellent opportunity to review your current energy plan and optimise your business utilities by switching to a new supplier. But the first thing to do is to check who is responsible for paying your energy bills.

Who is responsible for my energy supply?

It will state in your tenancy agreement who pays the bills for the property, sometimes you will need to sort out your own supply, other times your landlord will be responsible. It’s worth checking either way so you don’t get any nasty surprises either end of the move.

I’m moving. What should I do with my energy supply?

Your energy contract is linked to your supply point, so if you move addresses you won’t be able to take your contract with you. You should tie up any loose ends to make your move as streamline as possible; take your final meter readings and pay any outstanding bills.

What happens when I move out?

When you move out, you’ll need to give your energy supplier as much notice as possible. Your energy contract will stop from the date you move out and will not be transferred to another address.

You can inform your energy supplier of your new business address and take up a new contract with them, but the new contract charges will be based on the location, supply, meter size and energy consumption of the new property.

You’ll need to send your energy supplier a Change of Tenancy form which details all of your final meter readings and your new address to send your final bill to. They can then process this and cancel your current contract.

What happens when I move in?

When you move into a new business property you will automatically be placed on a ‘Deemed Rate’ for your energy. This rate doesn’t often give you the best rates for your specific business needs and could end up costing you a lot more.

You can continue with the current supplier at your new premises, choose a new supplier or choose to stay with your previous supplier. It’s best to ring different energy suppliers to find which offers the best option for your business.

What is a deemed rate?

This is the rate charged for gas or electricity use when there is no contract in place. For example, if a new tenant moves into an existing site then they will be charged a deemed rate by the property’s existing energy supplier to ensure there is a continuity of supply. A deemed rate will apply until a new energy contract is put in place with the existing or an alternative supplier.

Deemed rates are usually more expensive than contracted rates, so it’s recommended that you try and arrange a new energy contract as soon as possible when moving into a property.

Our team are more than happy to speak to you if you’re moving premises and have any questions. Call us today on 0115 697 1121 or request a call back.

Notifying others about your change of address is a really important step when it comes to moving premises. When it comes to relocating your business, there are a number of people you’ll need to tell to communicate your change of address.

You need to update your digital address too, from social media accounts to your website, your Google listing to your email footers, to make sure you’re communicating your move as clearly as possible.

Top tip: don’t forget about your mail! You’ll want to contact the Post Office and organise auto-forwarding for your post, along with an address change on your file.

If you’ve followed our moving premises checklist, the moving day itself should go off without a hitch. But we’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve to help everything run smoothly:

Keep cleaning supplies on hand: while you will have already completed a full deep clean, make sure you put together a small box of cleaning supplies to keep close on the day as, once everything is removed, there might be a few minor touch-ups or to do before you hand back the keys 

Think about logistics: if your new space is in a shared building, it might be a good idea to talk to the management team to see if they have any existing equipment, such as trolleys, that can help with the move, or if you can reserve parking spots or lifts to make everything easier. Similarly, if your new premises is located on a main road, check out parking restrictions before the day, so you’re not breaking any rules.

There’s no doubt that moving can be extremely disruptive, and you’ll always have to overcome a few hurdles when you move into a new space. But, our handy moving premises checklist helps to remove all the stress, so you can focus on settling into your new space. 

Follow our moving business premises checklist below for a stress-free move:

Initially

✅ Finalise the lease on your new premises

✅ Create a master list of everyone who needs to be notified

✅ Advise your employees and the wider company of the date and location of the move

3-6 months before the move

✅ Assemble a moving team to help with organisation and planning

✅ Write up a timetable and master moving plan to stay on track

✅ Design a floor plan for the new space

2 months before the move

✅ Start decluttering

✅ Draw up an inventory for everything you’re moving

✅ Purchase quality packaging materials

1 month before the move

✅ Contact the Post Office to change your address and redirect your mail

✅ Alert clients, customers, and providers/supplies to your change of address 

The week before

✅ Finalise any details with your removals or van hire companies

✅ Begin packing, making sure to clearly label each box

✅ Change your website and social media addresses and order new stationery

The day of the move

✅ Ensure everyone has a copy of the new address along with the overall moving plan

✅ Liaise with any contacts at your new address to help things move more smoothly

✅ Start unpacking

Talk to us about saving energy in your new business space

Did you know that switching to the right supplier can help you cut your bill payments while maximising energy efficiency? If you’re moving to a new location and are looking for a new energy provider, get a quote or chat to our friendly experts today.