How Much Does It Cost To Relocate An Office?
Relocating an office from one place to another is a huge decision that might give you a daunting experience, especially if you don’t have any idea about how much it will cost you. This move will not only lead to stressful events in a person’s life but also certainly create a feeling of adventure and excitement regarding a new place and settling into work.
The first thing to keep in mind is that before making moving plans, the cost of office relocation must be calculated. With planning and processing the actual move, you should also try to make sure that your employees are comfortable and thrilled during the relocation of the office. In this blog, we will discuss the average cost of relocating an office, some factors to determine the cost, the process of relocating, additional costs, and how to save money while relocating an office.
Factors That Determine The Cost To Relocate An Office
Every packing and moving company follows different kinds of pricing schemes, so before setting your actual moving cost, you need to compare the companies and hire the best according to your budget and requirements. Some of the factors that determine the cost to relocate an office are:
- Moving Volume
One of the enormous factors while determining the cost of relocating an office is the moving volume of your items. Your packing and moving company will calculate the total volume in cubic meters (CBM) by using the data that was collected during the pre-move survey. The total moving volume will be clearly described in your quotation. In case your moving items are more, then your movers will take a higher price as the price is set on the basis of the volume of the goods. According to your moving items, your movers will bring the required packaging supplies and the right size of truck to transport your items.
- Distance Of Relocation
It’s obvious that if the distance between the current office location and the new office location is higher, then the transportation cost will be higher too. This is because it will require more time and more fuel to transport the goods. Many movers may also charge you for facilities like food and shelter for the labourers who are involved in the moving process.
- International Moving
In the case of international or cross-border relocation, there are different things to consider as compared to domestic relocation. You will be charged with shipping and customs fees for your shipment. Also, the packaging supplies and handling of the items will be different as compared to domestic moving. Your movers will use a container to load your items for shipping and might need a fabricated wooden crating just to make sure that the items will remain intact with maximum safety. Rest of the moving charges are determined by the country’s destination where the shipping has to be done. Insurance at the time of moving is compulsory in some countries, so make sure to confirm it. There might be an additional charge of levies in some countries.
- Packaging Supplies And Equipment
No matter if it is a domestic move or an international move, many kinds of packing supplies and equipment are needed for relocation. The type of office goods you have and the quantity that has to be packed for relocation will be determined by a pre-moving survey that your professional movers will conduct, after which they will give you a cost estimate. Moving boxes, packaging tape, bubble wrap, cutters, wrapping sheets, mattress coverings, and plastic bags are some supplies used for packing during a move. Along with these items, there is other equipment too such as labeling supplies, moving blankets, dollies, hand trucks, moving straps, goods lifters, and toolboxes that will be required.
- Relocation Timings
Hiring movers in advance is the main factor to be considered while scheduling relocation time. Usually, the peak season for relocation is in the summer or at the end of the month. The majority of firms opt to relocate on weekends or after regular business hours. Moving during regular business hours could be less expensive than moving after business hours. Try to schedule your office relocation during the off-season, which runs from late September to early April, to save your money and also avoid holidays as well. But if you are moving your office during peak time, then it is suggested to hire professional movers as early as possible to get the best price deal.
- Moving Complexity
In case there is a requirement for additional packing and handling stages for your goods, then it will result in greater costs since they either result in slowing down the moving process or make it more challenging. The costs of moving rise because the activity requires more time and effort to perform. Here are a few cases of similar circumstances:
- Packing and moving fragile and valuable items such as paintings and antique pieces
- Moving heavy stuff like pool tables and pianos
- Moving stuff by stairs in case there is no lift or elevators
- New Furniture
When relocating, it’s typical for people to purchase new furniture according to the new location. Even if you undoubtedly intend to use the current furniture in your new location, you should nevertheless anticipate losing some of them during the relocation. In case you have an IT company, then your new furniture may typically cost between $150 to $1500 per employee depending on the type and quality. Meanwhile, computers can cost between $250 to $2500, and phone systems between $80 and $1100. The majority of the time, a moving company will charge an extra price if it needs to assemble new furniture because that is an entirely separate service.
- Moving Passage
Moving passage is also an important factor that helps in determining the cost of relocating an office. If your new office is located on the 5th floor of the building with no elevator, then in such cases the requirement of more labours and effort are needed for moving your goods. They may also need additional moving equipment to complete the task. Additionally, a rigger might be required to bring the goods inside through a window if your office’s building has small doors and entryways. You can be charged an elevating fee in this situation. Sometimes the access road to your new location is too narrow for a moving truck to enter, therefore a smaller vehicle is arranged by the movers to transport the items.
What Does It Cost On Average For Relocating An Office In Melbourne?
Finding out the overall cost of relocating your office is one of the most crucial factors to consider. Hiring a professional packing and moving company will guide you to productively plan your office relocation, help you in packing up your office belongings, and transport them to your new office location skillfully and with full safety. In general, the average cost of hiring a packing and moving company for relocating your office in Melbourne city can be from $450 to $1800. The actual price which you will be paying is based on the size of the moving place, whether you hire a packing and moving company or not, and many other factors which we have mentioned above.
What Is The Process For Relocating An Office?
In the majority of cases, office heads will designate a manager to handle each and every aspect related to relocating the office. This person will also be in charge of handling any problems that might occur during the relocation process. In order to finalize all the details, the professional movers that are hired will directly get in contact with the manager. To illustrate how a typical office relocation looks, we have created a simple description:
- Taking Estimates
Every move starts with taking estimates from various packing and moving companies. You can start the process of finding out the best and most reputable movers by doing some online research and taking recommendations from your family and friends. You can discuss your requirements with the movers and get a free, no-obligation quote for the services you need. After taking the moving estimates from different moving companies, you can compare and choose according to your budget and the benefits you are getting.
- Survey Of Current And New Locations
After taking the contract, the hired movers will often arrange a survey of both the current and new locations of the office. During this survey, they will examine the places to find out any kind of potential issues and create the best course of action with the least amount of disturbance.
- Packaging
Workstations and office supplies will be packed by either your staff or the movers. It totally depends upon the company’s specific needs. In general, offices prefer that workers take care of packing up their own desks and stuff. The cubicles, workstations, furniture, and equipment will then be thoroughly assembled and packed on a moving day by the movers so they can be delivered to the new office destination safely without any damage.
- Labelling
Labelling is essential to find out what is placed inside the boxes while moving. To guarantee that everything is put in the right spot in your new office, your experienced movers will thoroughly label each box. Once your goods are delivered, it will be very easy to sort and arrange everything.
- Transporting
Your hired movers will physically transport all of the office supplies, furniture, and boxes during this phase. Most workplace relocations take place after business hours, usually overnight or on the weekend, in order to minimize disturbances.
- Arrival And Unpacking
After the office goods have arrived in a new location safely, the moving company will take care of everything such as setting up workstations and putting boxes in the allotted rooms.
How Can You Save Money While Relocating An Office?
When planning for your office relocation, some costs can’t be avoided but you can save your money by knowing some ways such as packing your office items and equipment to save packing costs that will be charged by the moving company and relocating smaller stuff by yourself so that it can not only reduce the overall volume of the moving goods but also reduce the amount of time of the moving company to transport your goods from current location to new location. Lastly, in case your office relocation date is flexible, then try to fix it for a non-busy period like the middle of the week or in the late evening. You can prevent paying higher moving service prices by doing this.
Some other steps for getting the best price and top-notch moving service are mentioned below:
- Make a proper plan for your office relocation
- Organize your office goods before moving
- Hire a professional mover in advance
- Do the negotiation with your movers
Bottom Line
There are a variety of reasons for which you might wish to relocate your office like new opportunities and environmental factors. You can come across some of the costs that you’ll probably have while moving your workplace from the information above. A precise cost estimate for your relocation is crucial, so make sure that you compare some of the reputable movers before choosing.
If you are planning to relocate your office, then look no further than Harry The Mover. We will make sure that your moving process will go smoothly and without any worry so that you’ll be able to concentrate on managing your work which is what matters most. So, don’t waste your time and get in contact with us right away!