8 Tips for Moving Office Furniture

to Make Moving Furniture as Safe as Possible

Part of planning an office relocation is ensuring all your office equipment gets to your new location in one piece. Moving heavy furniture can be dangerous, and it may not be in the company’s or its employees’ best interests to have staff members risk their health and safety by doing it themselves. At U.M.C. Moving, we specialize in efficient, professional commercial moves and office relocations. We have the expertise, equipment, and resources needed for safely moving furniture in the New York Metro Area. Read through our tips for moving large furniture, and then call us if you need help with furniture moving services or want an estimate for the cost of commercial moving services.

Hire a Professional Furniture Moving Company

Office relocations of all sizes and scopes can become overwhelming if you aren’t prepared. Hiring an experienced furniture moving company will remove some items from your to-do list and make the move more efficient and less stressful. Look for local furniture moving companies that offer a wide range of moving services. At U.M.C. Moving, we offer comprehensive commercial moving services, including inventorying and tracking, packing services, file moving, furniture disassembly and assembly, IT relocation services, equipment and laboratory moving services, and more. We have over 20 years of experience in the industry and are a trusted choice for companies of all sizes across industries.

Take Inventory of Your Office Furniture

The first thing you want to do is take a complete inventory of your office furniture. Whether you hire a commercial furniture moving company or plan on moving large furniture yourself, it will be helpful to know exactly what you have to move. You can create an electronic or written inventory, but it is useful to use a numbering or barcode system that connects each piece of furniture with its corresponding entry in the inventory log. Consider taking photos of each piece so that you have a record of what it looks like fully assembled. Some commercial moving companies will handle the inventory process to save you time and stress.

Instruct Your Team To Remove Personal Items

Next, have your staff remove all personal items from their workspace. They should be responsible for packing up all of their personal office equipment, belongings, and decor so that your furniture moving company only needs to handle the office furniture and equipment. This will save time and money, reduce labor costs, and streamline the moving process.

Start a Moving To-Do List

Work with your furniture moving company to create a checklist or to-do list for your move. This will help you develop a timeline, determine labor and equipment needs, and prioritize. Your to-do list should be a master document, and specific tasks can be assigned to teams or team members with target dates for completion. The to-do list can include tasks like:

• Packing up personal belongings and office equipment from desktops.
• Packing up office supplies, decor, and equipment from common areas like break rooms, conference rooms, and supply closets.
• Coordinating transfer of service for all utilities.
• Coordinating network and cable disconnection.
• Dusting and cleaning all office furniture to be moved.
• Throwing out expired food items and trash.
• Donating or recycling unnecessary office supplies and equipment.

Create a Moving Timeline

Once you have created a to-do list and have a sense of the scope of your move, you can work with your commercial moving company to create a realistic timeline. Most companies plan for a relocation six months in advance. Our team can work with less time, and we can accommodate last-minute moves, but that requires more care and organization on your part. The further ahead you start planning an office relocation, the smoother the transition will be.

Schedule Disconnection, Transfer, and Set-Up Services

All the utilities at your old office will need to be disconnected or transferred to your new office. Depending on the service providers in your area and their coverage areas, you may need to cancel service with one provider and start service with a new provider at your new location. You should start this process early enough to guarantee all utilities will be turned on at your new location when employees start work there after the move. Most companies need to coordinate the transfer of electricity, water, natural gas, internet, phone, insurance coverage, security and alarm systems, and vendor or supply deliveries.

Do a Final Walk-Through of Your Vacated Office

Once the movers have packed everything and transported it to their moving trucks, you should do a final walk-through of the vacated office. You may want to have another staff member with you. Look through all cabinets, shelves, and closets to ensure nothing was left behind. If you lease your office or are going to try to sell it after the move, consider hiring a professional cleaning company to come in and clean it once everything is moved out.

Request an Estimate for Furniture Moving Services

Are you planning an office relocation in the New York Metro Area? Call us today or contact us online to request an estimate for furniture moving services. We will send a team member to your office to do a walk-through, discuss your goals and timeline, and get a sense of the scope of your move. We can then assess your labor and equipment needs and give you a more accurate estimate for the cost of commercial moving services. We have successfully handled over 1,000 office relocations since opening our doors in 1992. We have extensive experience and access to the tools, equipment, and resources to ensure a safe, efficient move.