Self-employment can offer you a lot of freedom and flexibility. However, working from a home office also means that you bear the responsibility for tasks that would otherwise fall on your employer. These tasks range from calculating your taxes and your insurance to packing up and transporting your equipment during a move.
Below, we list some crucial guidelines that can help you move your work space from your current house to your new home as efficiently as possible.
Start Early!
It’s likely that your home office has multiple stacks of important documents, correspondence, and office supplies. As with any part of your home, you want to declutter and downsize your office as much as possible before the move. Removing unnecessary or unused items and packing early will mean you have fewer boxes to transport and that your new office will be more streamlined.
Set aside a specific period of time just for home-office packing, preferably before you need to start packing up the other rooms in your home. Use this extra time to scan documents into your PC, shred sensitive materials, and file away any loose documents.
Blend Your Work and Move Schedule
As soon as you have an idea of a time frame for your move, create a schedule that melds together your work schedule with your moving schedule. Is there any immediate business that needs to be taken care of before you move? What about during your time traveling?
If possible, ensure that any work that could come close to your moving day can be done from your mobile devices or laptop rather than your office equipment. Additionally, give yourself time for unpacking before you jump back into your usual work routine. You might need one to two weeks simply to unpack everything.
Alert Your Customers
If you work directly with your clients, make sure that you communicate out your schedule to them as well as how to reach you if an urgent problem arises. If you don’t often speak to your clients via chat, text, phone, or video-chat conversations, you may want to provide multiple forms of notification to ensure that everyone knows you’ll be away from your desk for the duration of your move. For example, you may want to send out a form email or traditional letter and change your voicemail message to reflect the scheduling change. In short, cover all of your bases.
Don’t forget to provide your customers with your new address and any altered contact information as soon as you return to work.
Plan for Heavy Boxes
Many of the items found in a home office, from furnishings to books, can weigh down your moving boxes and make them difficult to carry.
Seek assistance in carrying, loading, and unloading these items. Consider hiring a professional moving team (such as Wheaton Worldwide Van Lines or one of our agents!) to handle these heavy containers. While your family members and friends may be able to lift boxes full of business documents, they may not know how to handle packages that are both heavy and fragile, like your desktop PC. A professional moving team from Wheaton can ensure that these items arrive at your new home office safely.
Design Your New Office in Advance
This task will provide a break from the packing activities (you may even have some fun with it!). Determine the layout of your new office space. If possible, walk through the room and take measurements before your boxes are delivered. Ensure that your existing furnishings will fit into the space to create a functional and inviting work area.
You may want to sketch out your planned layout or use painter’s tape to mark where your office furniture will go. This step reduces the time necessary to unpack your office and return the room to its usual function.
Use Your Current Setup to Your Advantage
As you pack up, try to use your office setup in creative ways to simplify the moving process. For example, if you keep writing utensils, fasteners, and other supplies in a bookcase, you may be able to secure the drawers shut and load up the bookcase as is.
If you’ve invested time organizing a specific part of your office, smart moving choices can ensure that you don’t have to go through the tedious process again just because you changed locations.
Are you anticipating a move? Would you prefer that the professionals pack away your valuable office equipment? Contact Wheaton! Our agents are all expert packers and the industry’s best in moving your household goods. We’ll move your office into your new home to get you back to work as soon as possible! Head over to our estimate form to request your free quote today!
