When a company considers relocating the obvious costs seem simple to determine: the quote given by the removal company, maybe a deposit on a new lease, and maybe some new signage. It’s the costs sitting just underneath the surface that catch businesses out and if they aren’t planned for early they can add a significant cost to the overall budget.
Downtime is a cost even if it does not feature on an invoice
Every hour a team members who are unable to access systems, files or equipment is an hour lost of productivity. For a customer-facing business this can also result in lost calls, delayed orders or a service gap that competitors are happy to fill. To avoid an unpleasant surprise later make sure you build lost trading time realistically into your budget instead of assuming the move will happen seamlessly overnight.
It and telecoms do not move as smoothly as furniture
Desk and chairs can easily be put down and picked up multiple times. However, servers, phones, broadband, and specialized equipment cannot. Lead times for new connections at a premises can be several weeks and if this is not ordered very far ahead of moving day then a business can find itself completely moved without being able to operate.
Dilapidations on the old premises
Outgoing leases very often have an obligation to return the property to its original state, covering everything from removing partition walls to repairing the decoration and fixtures.
Businesses that do not budget for this will receive a bill from the landlord long after they have moved on and forgotten about the old site.
Fit-out expenses at the new location
Even simple relocations rarely mean just moving existing office furniture to the new site and arranging it the same way at the new location. Cabling, partitions, signage, and fire safety compliance (which is a legal requirement) modifications, while they are easy to overlook, are common and easy to underestimate if you only request a quote from the moving company and not a broader assortment of other types of contractors.
Storage, in case timelines slip
End dates for your lease and new premises availability do not always coincide. Instead of assuming a seamless transition, having a contingency plan for short-term storage saves you time, costs, and stress for the period in-between.
Staff time and morale
People who are involved in the moving process are not doing their jobs. A poorly conducted relocation could even be detrimental to employees’ morale if it takes longer than they expect because it disrupts their routine too much.
Building in a contingency
An easy way to build in a contingency is to add a further 10-15% to your moving cost estimate. It is unlikely to go entirely unused.
When you are planning a commercial relocation, if you seek to have a realistic overview of what the costs will actually be, contact us and we will provide you with a comprehensive estimate and a project plan that incorporates the elements that other competitors choose to ignore.