How to Move Out of Your Home Office

Moving home can be stressful and costly in itself, but throw into the mix the fact that your home facilitates your ability to have an income, and things get a whole lot more complicated.

If you are an online retailer who works from home, or you simply just rely on the internet to work from home, then moving home could disrupt your earning potential, not to mention the inconvenience to your customers.

Just what you do not need when your home moving costs are already piling up.

So here we will create a moving plan to ensure a smooth and seamless transition from the old to the new home office.

Below you will find advice on moving your home office as well as packing tips for your home office.

We will assume that the actual location of your home office has been decided upon, and all that remains is to pack and move from the old office to the new office, whilst ensuring that your customers and income remain unaffected.

Depending upon what your home-based work is: whether a virtual service, a computer or internet-dependent job, or a physical product, we will split this into two sections, how to move a home office and how to move your business stock.

You may also like to read: All You Need to Know About Moving Home and Broadband. From who the fastest internet providers are to the parts of the country with the best internet connection to how to move your broadband to a new home, this guide has some invaluable information if you rely on the internet.

How to Move a Home-Based Office to Another Location

Our entire focus here will be to ensure that your customers do not notice an interruption of service and that you can be up and running as soon as possible after moving day.

Try to envisage every scenario and have a Plan B ready, consider what you would do if your internet connection was not available, your office equipment was damaged or lost during the home office move, the electricity in your new home office was not connected, or you could not reconnect your computer peripherals.

Read on to discover some essential tips for moving your home office.

Create an Office Moving Timeline and Calendar

Make a moving checklist for your home office of all the tasks that need to be completed before moving day to ensure you do not overlook anything.

The tasks should also be in a logical chronological order.

You may also like to read: How to Plan an Office or Business Move. If you have a particularly complicated home office or business set up then you may find it better to organise your move using a Gantt Chart. In this guide, we show you how to create and use a Gantt Chart when relocating to new premises.

Label Every Moving Box

Clearly label any moving boxes with the description of the contents and that they are for the home office.

Label which room they should be placed in, fragile, handle with care, or this way up as appropriate.

Pack Seldom Used Items First

Anything that you will not need between now and moving day can be packed away into moving boxes.

This is also a great opportunity to declutter your office of any historical paperwork you no longer need, or reference books for example that have outdated information.

The fewer items you have to move, the cheaper your removal costs will be and the quicker your packing will be.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Books for Moving. In this guide, we show you step-by-step the best ways to protect and move your books during a home move.

Keep Regularly Needed Things Separate

Create a folder for paperwork that you need to have access to daily, or for incoming paperwork that you can file at a later date.

This way you can pack away a larger number of folders to enable you to focus on time-critical matters nearer to moving day.

Pack your folders using the same technique that you used when packing your books.

Ensure that any invoices that need paying on or around moving day are clearly identified. You may want to pay these well in advance of moving day so that they are not forgotten.

Connect Broadband and Have a Plan B

Arrange to have the internet installed at your new home office before moving day to ensure a seamless transition.

If this is not possible, consider getting a mobile hotspot or perhaps using your mobile phone as a hotspot, this will enable you to continue to work until the internet is up and running.

Explore the options available to enable you to get online before the disconnection of your old service, and the installation of your new connection, which is vital to ensure there is no interruption of service to your customers or your work.

If you only need the internet to complete your work, it may be prudent to research the availability of a local internet café, or a wi-fi zone, in your new home town, in case of emergency.

Libraries also usually offer free internet access, if only for one hour at a time, and you will need to be a library member, which you can organise before your move date.

Ensure All Your Data is Backed-Up

Back up everything – twice – at least.

It is best practice to back up to a virtual server and also an external hard drive, that way if there is a failure in one backup system there is a failsafe.

It is also worth emailing files to yourself as well, as another form of failsafe.

Choose a Moving Date Wisely

Identify your weakest trading day or the day when your workload is lowest.

Try to organise your moving day to coincide with the quietest day of your week to minimise disruption.

It may also be an option to move later in the afternoon or early evening if that is your quietest work time.

Photograph and Label All Electronic Connections

Photograph or label any leads and connection points so that you know exactly what reconnects where.

If you can colour code each one that will make life even easier – red lead into red socket, for example.

You may want to have your laptop or PC travel with you, not with the removal company on moving day to ensure that there is no damage.

You may also like to read: How to Pack a Computer for Moving which is a comprehensive guide on how to prepare, pack, and safely move your computer equipment to your new home.

Remove ink cartridges from printers before packing the printer in a box.

Ink cartridges should be placed into two ziplock bags, one inside the other, to ensure that if they do leak during transit they leak into the bag.

Moving Office Furniture

Decide if it is cost-effective or practical to move your office furniture.

It could be that your furniture will not fit into your new office, it will not fit the décor of your new home, or the removal costs are prohibitive and it is cheaper to just buy new furniture.

You may also like to read: How to Move Heavy Furniture. If you are not hiring a removal firm and planning on moving by yourself then this guide on how to safely move heavy and large pieces of furniture will be invaluable.

Change of Address Notifications

Notify suppliers and important contacts of your new address as soon as you can.

Remember to change your delivery address on any websites with a one-click or default delivery address system.

Remember also to update any websites you may trade from with your new address.

Company House and HRMC will also need to be made aware of your new address.

You may also like to read: The Ultimate Change of Address Checklist. Here we have created a comprehensive list of people who will need notification of your change of address including website and contact details for many of those companies.

Home Moving Insurance

Many people under-insure their belongings when moving home so ensure that you have adequate insurance in place to cover your office equipment.

It should also be noted that many insurance companies will not provide cover for any items that you have packed yourself so check your policy carefully.

You may also like to read: Home Moving Insurance – Do I Need It? Inadequate compensation for damaged items on moving day is one of the major reasons that people leave bad reviews for removal companies. This guide tells you all you need to know about home moving insurance so that you are fully covered for your home move.

Moving Day Tips

Have your mobile phone fully charged and ready for moving day. You may also consider having a battery bank fully charged as well just in case.

Don’t forget to put an out-of-office message on your email account for moving day.

You may want to consider preparing an ‘open first box’ for your home office.

This would contain the essentials to get you back up and running before you start to unpack all the non-essential items.

This moving day essentials box may contain your laptop, router, hotspot device, backup drives, printer, and essential contacts list.

This box would stay by your side during the home move and would not be loaded onto the removal van but would travel with you.

You may also like to read: How to Prepare a Moving Day Essentials Box. In this guide, we explain why it is so important to have a moving day essentials box and suggest things that you may like to include in yours.

How to Pack Your Stock Ready to Move

How you pack will obviously be dependent upon what your product is, so here are a few examples of packing techniques for various items that should cover most products.

Packing Frames and Framed Items

Frames are easily damaged and will require additional protection, especially around the corners and the glass to prevent any damage whilst in transit.

Whilst packing materials can be expensive it is worth investing in quality packing materials to give your frames the best protection during their relocation.

You may also like to read: How to Pack Pictures and Mirrors for Moving. In this guide, we offer comprehensive instructions on how to give framed items the optimum protection during a home move.

Packing Delicate or Fragile Items

Packing fragile items requires special packing skills and copious amounts of packing materials.

Hopefully, your stock is already packed into individual boxes and will only require packing into a larger outer carton.

However, if you have items that require individual packing then you may like to read How to Pack Fragile Items which offers step-by-step instructions on how to give your fragile items the best protection during a home move.

Packing Electronics

Electronic items are prone to vibration and bad handling damage during a move. Televisions are probably one of the most commonly damaged items during a home move so special attention must be paid to how they are packed and moved.

You may like to read: How to Pack Electronics for a Home Move. From preparing to packing supplies to how to pack electronics, this guide has lots of useful tips to keep your electronics safe during your relocation.

Packing Vinyl Records

Records are a popular item to sell online and represent a serious investment in time, effort, and money to source and build a good collection.

Unfortunately, they are also prone to temperature, poor handling, and poor packaging damage to not only the sleeves but the records themselves.

Packing vinyl records takes extreme care and good preparation whilst using proprietary packing materials. In How to Pack a Record Collection for Moving Home we look at not only how to pack vinyl records but also turntables, speakers, and stereo components.

Packing Antiques and Collectibles

Antiques and collectibles must be properly appraised by an authorised valuer before packing and moving them. This is essential if you need to make an insurance claim.

There are also very specific packing materials you should use to prevent any damage to your antiques and collectibles.

In How to Move Antiques and Collectibles we look at how to prepare, pack, and move your antiques and collectibles in-depth including comprehensive packing instructions for items such as antique bottles, jewellery, books, crockery, and paintings.

Packing Plates and Glasses

Individual plates and glasses are time-consuming to pack properly but it’s worth the effort to ensure that your stock arrives at your home undamaged.

In How to Pack Plates and Glasses we offer some professional packing tips to give your plates and glasses the optimum protection during your home move.

Tips for Moving Stock to a New Location

• It may be prudent to run down stocks before moving day to save on packing and transportation costs as well as saving you time and energy.
• Consider having stock replenishment delivered straight to your new home to prevent having to pay to have them moved from your old home.
• How about having a sale before moving day? A special offer of a discount may mean that you sell more stock, and the money saved on removal costs will compensate for the price reduction you give. This will also save on packing costs and time.
• Use the opportunity of the home move to sell off old stock and replace it with new lines.
• If your products need storage racking consider if it is cheaper to buy new, and have it delivered directly to your new home, or to pay transportation costs.
• Remember to factor in the cost of dismantling and reassembly if that is required.
• If you have vast quantities of stock, is it possible for the removal company to collect the items before moving day and hold them in storage to make moving day easier and quicker?
• Consider if a palletised collection and delivery service by a freight company is cheaper.
• For high-value items, it may be worth having bespoke crates made to transport your stock. A good removal company will be able to arrange this for you.
• Change the delivery address for your suppliers before moving day so that deliveries will go directly to your new home.
• Don’t forget to change the delivery address of any online suppliers who have one-click or default delivery address systems.
• Check that you have adequate insurance to cover your goods whilst in transit.

You may also like to read: How to Choose a Storage Unit. Hiring a storage unit is a cheap and easy way to make moving day so much easier if you have a lot of things to move. In this guide, we look at the various types of storage units, what they cost, and things to be aware of when choosing a storage unit.

How to Hire a Reputable Moving Company

When time is money, the cost of hiring a reputable removal company for moving out of your home and home office is money well spent.

Packing and moving home is a massively time-consuming event and a professional packing service will be able to pack and protect your home office equipment in half the time that it would take you to perform the same tasks.

Be sure to advise the removal company of the importance of the timeliness of your home office move and coordinate with them when the least disruption to your work schedule would be.

Yours will not be the first home office they have moved and they will be able to offer invaluable advice regarding your move.

Insist upon a free in-home removal company survey so that a moving day plan can be formulated by the removal company.

Most reputable home removal companies will insist upon this themselves so that they can be sure to offer you the services you require, and to ensure that they are aware of any issues that may affect the price or smooth execution of your move.

You may also like to read: How to Pick a Good Removal Company – The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide. Choosing the right removal company for your home and office move is no easy task so we have created a step-by-step guide on what to look out for, the pitfalls to avoid, and tips for hiring the best removal firm for your particular needs.

Don’t forget that the unpacking and organising of your new home office are just as important as the packing and moving out of your old office.

If you have labeled and packed everything well this should be a fairly painless operation. But preparation is everything.

If you have failed to protect your office equipment sufficiently, not labelled the boxes correctly, or forgotten which connection goes where, you may lose valuable time in setting up your new office, or worse, have damaged equipment to replace.

Good luck with your move and don’t forget to visit our home moving blog which is packed with guides on how to make your home move quicker, easier, cheaper, and less stressful.