Common Office Moving Mistakes & How to Avoid Them in the UAE

When a small tech firm decided to move to a bigger space in Business Bay, they thought hiring any office movers in Dubai would do the job. They soon realised that they had to hire the best office movers and packers in Dubai.

After shortlisting a random team of movers, they locked in a weekend date. But by Monday morning, nothing was running.

The IT team hadn’t been looped in, and the movers had no clear instructions. The move turned into a three-day scramble to get systems online. And of course, a day without work is a day not making money for the company.

Stories like these aren’t rare. The safest thing you can do is to hire a trusted moving company like Sana Movers. Either way, we’ll tell you some office moving mistakes and share the smart fixes that we have learned from our experience.

Rushing the move without a solid plan

Office movers in Dubai take care of the move, but if you relocate your office equipment without a proper plan, you may have to spend more money and more time.

Detail every task, from notifying stakeholders to setting up IT infrastructure..
Have a single point of contact for communication and decision-making.
Allocate sufficient time for each phase of the move and anticipate delays.

Overlooking IT Infrastructure needs

Moving the IT infrastructure is probably the most difficult, time-consuming task in office moving. The electrical parts need the right wiring, and there shouldn’t be any mix-up in the electronic components.

Avoid it by:

Conducting a thorough audit of IT assets.
Engaging your IT professionals early in the planning process.
Ensuring the new location supports the necessary IT infrastructure.

Here are some other things that we have learned from our vast experience as the UAE’s top IT Equipment moving company, so you’ll want to consider these when moving IT equipment.

Clarify with the moving company who is responsible for disconnecting and reconnecting user workstations. The top office movers and packers in Dubai provide labeled bags for cables and accessories.
Finalize floor plans before running new cables. Use tape measures and take photographs to create detailed layouts.
Make sure that the server or network rooms have proper climate control. Also, check if it is easy to move IT equipment in and out of these spaces.
Find where the ISP enters the building and the distance to your main rack to plan for connectivity.
Review existing access control systems for compatibility. You may save some money here.

Let’s not keep employees guessing

For your employees, moving to a new workplace is not easy. They’ll need to check the new routes, they may need to leave early from home, and they’ll have to find new buses or metros. So if you want them to be at their top performance, make the office move seamless for them.

Inform employees about the move as soon as possible to help them prepare mentally and logistically.
Update them on the office building progress or any changes through meetings or emails.
You can also engage staff in the planning process, like the office layout or amenities.

Forgetting to update your business address everywhere

A family-run business that has been working at the same location forgot to update its address on Google Maps. And for three weeks, they didn’t get any new customers.

To prevent such scenarios:

Ask your web development and marketing team to update the address on your company website, Google My Business, and social media pages.
Tell your customers, clients, and vendors in advance about the move. A simple email with the new address and contact information would be enough.
Change the address in your business cards, brochures, and other marketing materials.
Update your address in invoicing systems, email signatures, and other internal platforms.

Assuming everything will work perfectly on day one

A company completed its entire move and brought in its employees to start work, but network issues kept them completely offline for two days. It was a costly oversight.

To minimize downtime:

Find potential challenges that may come during the move, such as IT infrastructure setup or equipment delays.
Have backup plans in place. Maybe like temporary workspaces or remote work options till everything is up and running.
Before the move, test all critical systems in the new location.

Don’t move junk you don’t need

Unless you hire affordable office movers in Dubai, like Sanamovers, you may have to shell out extra money for stuff you don’t even need. Most offices have a ton of junk that no one ever uses.

To effectively declutter:

Review all items. Find what’s essential. Dispose of or donate outdated equipment, files, and any unused furniture.
Encourage staff to clean their workspaces and find items that the company doesn’t need.
Promote a culture of minimalism in the new office to maintain an organized environment.

Don’t ignore the legal fine print

Dubai’s legal and compliance requirements are pretty standard, but neglecting lease clauses or local regulations may result in fines and delays. Entrepreneurs have mentioned how they had to pay penalties for not adhering to their specified notice period in the lease.

Check the termination, notice period clauses in your lease contract.
Ensure your new office location complies with local zoning regulations to avoid operational disruptions.
Hire professionals to understand contracts and compliance requirements.

Expert packing and moving services inform you in advance of any legal requirements in your new location, because they may have already done multiple office moves in the same area.