When is the best time to search for a new office?

If you’re running a business or working for a big company, sooner or later, you’ll be faced with one tiresome prospect - a commercial relocation. Most of us don’t like major changes in our private lives, let alone professional ones. Which is why we tend to see an office move as something negative. But, consider this - if done at the right time, moving to new offices can be a major boon for your company. You simply have to be smart about your timing. So, before you start looking for new office cubicles, think about it: when is the best time to search for a new office? Luckily, we’re here to answer just that.

If the office space is becoming cramped, the best time to search for a new office is now

Before we go any further, let’s start off with one of the most common reasons people abandon their current office space. To put it simply - the world of business is a dynamic place. Companies rise and fall, and if you’re navigating the commercial landscape with some wisdom - your firm is bound to grow. And sure, this kind of success may even be intimidating - but it’s actually something to look forward to. Getting new management challenges - like wondering if it’s the best time to search for a new office - means you’re doing something right.

So, if your firm is enjoying some success - you’re sure to be looking for a bigger office space soon. Small companies that start out from a few employees in an office the size of a studio apartment may find this scaling difficult. But yes, as you hire more people, you’re bound to run out of places to put office desks. Although this may disrupt your workflow for a while - in the long run, you’ll be doing yourself and your company a big favor.

A new office space as a part of your image

Of course, practical reasons are the most important when managers think about what the best time to search for a new office is. It’s really logical, of course - when you’re thinking about office space, you’re thinking about how much room you and your employees have. But apart from these practicalities, there are other reasons to switch out your office building. For example, you may be looking to change the image your company projects into the business world.

While this may not seem practical to a layman, it’s actually quite common in the commercial world. No matter how well a company is doing on paper - there’s always the need to project strength visually as well. This is especially common with companies who are looking to make their initial public offering soon - you want everyone to see how well you’re doing. And what better way to showcase your worth and success than with brand new, flashy offices? Of course, this is something any executive needs to be careful with. Why? Because while projecting an image of success is all fine and good - you need to be careful about staying within your budget.

Only move your offices when you can afford it

We know you’re looking forward to your company growing and having a lot more room than it currently has - but you need to be careful. While you’re evaluating the best time to search for a new office, make sure you’re not too eager. And what we mean by that is - you need to put a lot of man hours into this to do it right. First of all, we recommend starting to plan this at least a few months in advance. Bear in mind that this isn’t your run-of-the-mill home move - you’ve got a lot more moving parts to juggle here.

Also, you should spend most of that planning time on figuring out what your budget is - and staying within it. There are some things you should definitely cut costs on; for example, office relocation professionals can help you move smoothly, and not using them would be folly. But, on the other hand, make sure you don’t splurge on gigantic offices. Trust us - you don’t want something you can’t afford to maintain in the long run. That’s why you want to take a look at your company’s long-term financial prospects. And then, take that into consideration when you search for a new office.

What sort of timeline should you aim for?

Of course, once all of the planning is complete; you’ll need to know the best time to search for a new office more specifically. Or rather, you’ll need to pick out a moving day. And while you may be tired from all those planning sessions, don’t stray from our corporate moving guide. Really - don’t do this final thing arbitrarily. You’ll need to consider:

• The best season to move - You should definitely avoid moving during the winter. While you may think this is the best time to search for a new office because it’s cheaper, remember, there’s a reason people rarely move in December. The weather conditions can be quite atrocious, and you really don’t want your movers dealing with those icy roads.
• The best week - Once you’ve picked your month, you’ll be thinking of the best week for moving to your new office space next. In this situation, we advise moving somewhere in the middle of the month. This is when the moving companies have the least business, so you may be able to get some better rates.
• The most practical time of day - If your moving company can fit this into their schedule, you should opt for an early morning move. You’ll have a major moving operation to complete, so you definitely don’t want to hit rush hour. If you can have most of the transportation finished by noon, that’s great. You’ll have a much easier time setting up your new offices.

My name is Betty and I have been writing expert articles in relation to the moving industry for the last couple of years. Besides this specific area, I am also experienced in other spheres pertaining to the concept of relocation.