The time has come — you need to move to a new office space. It’s going to be a big task, but with some planning and a carefully thought-out timeline, you’ll be able to get the job done.
Assuming you are moving on your own terms, not because your landlord has told you that you need to be out by a certain date, you should begin the process by examining your lease. How much notice do you need to give to your landlord? Or, how much time do you have before your current lease expires? Ideally you want to give yourself as much time as possible for finding and customizing a new space, so it would be beneficial to start planning and having discussions at least 6 to 9 months ahead of time.
If you’re worried that renovating your new office space may take longer than you have planned, you may want to discuss the possibility of going month to month on your lease or having a short-term extension.
Most importantly, do your homework to try to be as prepared as possible for the length of each part of the relocation process. You want to know what is happening and when it is happening. To help with that, we have a handy chart based on a typical 26-week lease timeline, pictured below and downloadable here.
