Tips for moving a home office

Whether you run your business from home or just use it as a space to do work and file away important documents, moving a home office is a bit more complex than just relocating furniture. Not only will you want to take care to move any desks, filing cabinets, and electronics, but you’ll want to ensure that any sensitive files and documents are secure during the relocation.

With these factors in mind, we have a few tips to share so that you can plan a safe and secure home office move.

Assess your moving plan

Having a plan to start will help the whole process go smoothly from start to finish. It’s not a bad idea to create a timeline and develop a checklist of tasks that must be taken care of during the move. Some of those tasks may include:

• Donating, selling, or discarding unwanted items. Decluttering is a key part of any move, and moving a home office is no different. Given enough time, parting with documents you no longer need may be wise. Is there any furniture or electronics that you no longer need? Depending on the type and what condition they are in, you may need to determine if your location has any particular disposal rules or what donation options you have nearby.
• Backing up your files. Given you likely have sensitive information stored in a home office, it’s a great idea to back up your digital files to the cloud or an external hard drive. Scan any hard copy documents you have so that you have another copy if the original gets misplaced or damaged.
• Getting your supplies. Determine what you might need and source it, such as tape, moving boxes, packing paper, plastic storage bins for rent, and the like. You may decide that some of your materials can be left in the filing cabinets you have already, but assessing what you need and having it before you start will help you get to packing ASAP.
• Deciding on how to secure your documents. Whether any hard copies need to be locked in storage cabinets for the move or put into document boxes, it’s good to know how you’ll keep them safe while in transit.
• Wrangling your wires and cables. Before you even begin to disassemble any electronics, take note of the cables and wires. Either label them so you know where they connect or take photos so you can reconnect all of them without playing a guessing game at your new location.
• Taking apart large furniture. If you have furniture that can be taken apart, like large bookcases, cabinets, desks, or chairs, it may be wise to disassemble them. Doing so will make it easier to move.
• Packing your hardware safely. It may be difficult to get back up to speed quickly if you have to replace your computer, printer, or any other electronics necessary for business because it was damaged during the move. So, taking time to pack these electronics safely, whether in their original packaging, padded carriers, or adding more padding to the boxes they are packed in is key. You’ll also want to make sure you don’t stack anything else on top of those boxes.
• Packing items you need immediately in a separate space. For the files, hardware, and other key components of your home office that you’ll need to access soon after the move, make sure you pack those items together for quick access.
• Labeling your boxes. This goes with packing your hardware safely. Putting labels on your boxes will not only help you locate needed items quickly, but it’ll keep you from stacking them in a way that may be damaging to their contents.

Communicate about your move

In addition to the manual labor part of your move, you’ll also likely need to talk to some other key folks to ensure that you get back up and running in your office at your new location. You may need to:

• Call to make arrangements with service providers. This may include requesting a change of address with your internet service, your phone carrier, or any other necessary utilities. They may require some notice to ensure that you are reconnected at your new location on the date you need to be back in the office.
• Get in touch with any clients or partners. Notifying the other folks you work with and for may be wise. Consider who is on a need to know basis about your office relocation. For a simple home office move that isn’t the home base for your business, this may not be necessary.

Who else might you want to be contacting about your home office relocation? Professional movers like Piece of Cake Moving and Storage! There are a lot of steps to any move, but our relocation experts can take the work out of moving your home office. We’re well-versed in packing electronics and office items, large furniture disassembly and reassembly, storing anything that won’t fit in your new office, and so much more. Plus, our flat fee for our service won’t put you in the negative with surprise charges. Hire us to help you move your home office and you’ll be back to taking care of business in no time.