If you’re with a company for a period of time, chances are you’re going to be involved in an office move. And many companies will require their employees to pack up their own cubicle space or office, including personal items, desk and filing cabinet. Use these tips to prepare for the move and ensure your stuff won’t get lost along the way.
Ask the Boss
Your very first step should be to find out if there are any restrictions on what can and can’t be taken to the new office and whether there are plans for new furnishings. If there are, find out the size of the desk and drawer space. Ensure you know the rules before packing up.
How to Pack Up the Filing Cabinet
Start your packing with the documents and things inside the filing cabinet. Sort out all the clutter, which is usually the largest task and might need more time than your desk. Decide, or find out, which documents don’t need to be taking up space and then recycle those that can be as well as shredding confidential documents that have served their purpose.
Once you have an understanding of what needs to be taken with you, start going through each and every file and sort into specific piles — to recycle; to shred; to take. Reads Removals suggests this methodical way of ensuring that unpacking and space saving is easier at the new office.
Once you’ve sorted out the pile of folders and files that you will be taking with you, stick them in a file specific box and order them numerically or alphabetically. Use the right size box — one that is too big is going to cause the files and folders to move around during the move and things will become muddled.
Next, mark each file box with your name, department and new location. Also state whether or not the contents require special handling. Make a small note on the side of the box of its contents and even a number to depict order of unpacking. This will make unpacking a whole lot easier. This is really important, too, if you are in the middle of a project during the move.
Pack the Desk Next
Start by emptying every drawer and sorting through notebooks, paperclips and all other supplies. Keep the essentials and consider donating the rest to a charity. The whole idea is to only take what you need with you.
If your employer has an idea of what the new space will look like and how big it will be as well as how much space can be accommodated for, it will be easier to decide what exactly stays and what goes. If you have extra supplies and furnishings, let your boss decide what to do with them.
Packing Up Equipment
Once again, ask the person in charge of the move if you need to back up your own computer and prepare other equipment for the move. All the equipment going with you needs to be properly and safely packed. So start rounding everything up and ask the IT department for help moving your computer safely.
Now Pack Up the Personal Items
The main thing to consider when packing up personal items is exactly how much space you’re going to have in the new office and what the layout looks like. Personal items like framed posters and pictures might not work well in the new office if there is not much wall space.
As for moving plants, first find out if there will be a window in your new office space and which way it faces to figure out if the plant will like the new space.
It’s a good idea to take all of your personal items home with you, especially your valuable items, so that they don’t get lost in the move. If you must take it, ensure that your removals company has insurance to cover the expense of artwork, for example, if it gets damaged.
Finally, if there is excess furniture, movers like Reads Removals will be able to store it for the company until your boss decides that to do with it.