A Brief Guide to Relocating Your Office
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, 05-28-2015 at 02:15 PM (902 Views)
Relocating your office premises is not an easy job by any means. Sometimes, it can even take a couple of months to successfully relocate the whole office and employees. If your company has decided to relocate somewhere in Melbourne, you need to begin preparing a few months before moving. Finding a new office space in Melbourne is not easy. Over the past couple of decades, Melbourne has progressed rapidly. Currently, Melbourne is home to many of the world’s largest companies.
Commercial property values have spiralled out of control in Melbourne. However, finding an affordable office space is just the tip of the iceberg.
If your company is on the cusp of relocating their offices, here is a brief guide to help you out:
Finding a Commercial Office Space
The first step is to find an affordable office space. Commercial property rental rates are at an all-time high in Melbourne. Unless you know somebody who has knowledge of the real estate market, it might be difficult for you to secure an affordable office space. Rather than hire a commercial real estate broker, it may be a better option for you to hire an office fitout company. Office fitout companies offer a wide range of services for companies that are relocating. Large-scale corporations and multinationals often hire their services.
Office fitout companies usually have separate departments. For instance, construction of the property will be handled by another department while another department will cater to the interior design of your office space. Office fitout companies usually charge a hefty fee for their services.
However, if you decide to hire their services, a lot of your relocation problems will be resolved.
Most companies in Melbourne usually rent commercial office spaces. However, some companies also purchase their own office space and hire a construction firm. This is significantly more expensive. Only multinationals and global organisations can afford to purchase commercial property and then construct their own offices.
Designing the Office Space
Once you have rented the office space, the next step is to design it according to your needs. Remember, the office design speaks volumes about your company. Melbourne is one of the most competitive cities in Australia. If you want to establish a presence in this city, you will have to invest a decent amount of money while designing the interior of your office.
Most start-up companies cannot spend a lot of money on the interior design. Can you afford to spend money on a commercial broker, and then hire a separate interior design company? Most entrepreneurs don’t believe in hiring an interior design firm. That’s not a good idea at all. Designing the interior of an office is very different as compared to designing the interior of a house. Most office interior design companies invest a lot of money in research.
Many research studies have shown that the interior of the workplace has a huge effect on employee performance. For instance, people who work in claustrophobic environments are unable to perform to the best of their capabilities. Depending upon the type of company and the nature of its business, the interior of the office will vary accordingly.
If you have ever seen the inside of an office, you may have noticed a lot of cubicles. There’s also a separate waiting room and offices for the executive staff. However, this is the most conventional interior design for office environments. As competition has grown, companies have begun to explore different ways to generate greater revenue.
A well-designed office space can not only enhance employee performance, but it will also improve employee morale. Employees prefer working in spacious, healthy environments. In a study that was published for the International Academy of Design and Health, the effects of the environment were analysed on worker productivity. The performance was analysed on two levels: teamwork productivity and individual task performance. There were separate tests that were carried out in different environments. Psychological, functional and physical comfort was assessed by these tests.
The results were astounding. The findings of the study confirmed that the environment plays a crucial role in physical, psychological and functional comfort of the employees. That is why you need to hire an interior design firm that specialises in office spaces.
In many cases, working with an office fitout company is a great idea for relocation purposes. Office fitout companies hire professional interior designers who have lots of experience in designing office environments. This way, you won’t have to worry about hiring an interior designer from scratch. If you choose to work with an office fitout company, not only will they help you find a new office space, but they will also design the interior for you. All of this will be done within the specified budget, of course.
Relocating
Now that you have found a new office space and the interior has been designed, it is time to move in. Everything will have to be packed accordingly and moved to the new location. Delicate equipment such as laptops, computer screens and televisions will have to be packed separately.
You will also have to decide whether you want to bring the old office furniture or not. Depending upon the size of your old office, you may end up paying a lot of money to the packing company. Rather than go through the hassle of hiring another packing company, it is better to stick with your office fitout company.
Office fitout companies offer a complete range of services to their customers.
From packing the equipment to scouting new locations, the fitout company will help you relocate your office in a very cost effective and timely manner. If you hire a cheaper packing company, they may not be as careful with your equipment.
You don’t want to lose important files or any other office items during the relocation. A professional packing company will carefully catalogue everything before moving. Once the items have been moved to the new location, the movers will recount everything.