6 things to consider before moving office

It is nearly time to move. Your lease or co-working contract is ending, and you are starting the search for your team's next space, whether that is a new location, more room, or finally your name on the front door. The search is complex and time-consuming, so before you begin it, plan. Here are six things to cross off first.

1. Understand your goals and needs

Start with why you need a new space. It might be a simpler commute, or a bigger rethink of what a productive environment looks like now. Map your business goals, short and long term, and you will start to see what you actually need, which sets your criteria for the move.

2. Consult your team

You cannot meet every individual need, but factor in your team's preferences before you search. If most would struggle with a location, or rarely need a fixed desk because focus work happens at home, that should shape your criteria. A short workplace survey is a good way to gather it.

3. Set a budget

Agree a budget with key stakeholders. It speeds up the search by ruling out what is beyond reach. Set your moving budget too, the costs before your first rent payment: IT relocation, fit-out, agency fees. With a managed provider like Kitt, there is no upfront capital outlay, design, build, and furniture are spread across your monthly price.

4. Set responsibilities

A move needs many hands, and communication gets messy when it is unclear who owns what. Define clear roles for everyone involved before you start, and make them visible across the company.

5. Plan operations

An IT relocation plan is one of the most important pieces. Whether handled in-house or outsourced, make sure everything is ready and waiting. We recommend a soft launch, so the people setting up can test the space before everyone arrives.

6. Lock the timings

Set a move-in date first. If your current lease is ending, that may be fixed; if not, choosing a target date lets you work backwards through the plan. There are a lot of moving parts, so get the order and deadlines right. Timelines vary by option, in a managed office, expect the move to take around four to six months.

Finding an office

The search is fragmented. At Kitt, we simplify it, defining what you want from a space and handling the journey from viewings to a designed, fitted-out office, so the time goes back to your team.