The impact of the pandemic on office moves in London

London has been hit by a double whammy of difficulties in the last 18 months. First, Brexit was finalised and amid ongoing uncertainty about the impact it will have, major companies are pushing ahead with relocations to the EU.

Then the pandemic and resulting stay-at-home order turned the capital into a ghost town. Though people are returning to the workplace as restrictions ease, the impact on the real estate market will be felt for a long time. For the next few years, we can expect to see a lot of office moves in London as businesses make changes to their real estate strategies.

The outlook for London offices

A recent report in the Financial Times found that the London office market is showing signs of recovery as lettings increase. Developers will hope this trend continues and are revamping existing space to suit new workplace requirements.

Many companies will have spent the last year evaluating their real estate and making plans for when the pandemic has passed. Central to many plans will be an office move.

 A lot of businesses may adopt hybrid working which often involves a hub and spoke model – a central HQ with satellite offices around the country. These companies will likely be looking to move offices from an existing space that was able to accommodate all employees simultaneously.

In a hybrid model, it may be that only 60 percent of the workforce is ever in the office at the same time. Businesses will likely move office to a smaller space that better meets their post-pandemic needs.

An office move is always a major undertaking so businesses will need to be fully prepared before making the move.

How to manage an office move

Most companies opt to work with an office relocation expert to manage the process, even if they have their own in-house team. This is because there are so many moving parts that the outside expertise is invaluable.

Key considerations and actions for an office move include:

• A clear vision and roadmap to get there, with a dedicated project manager
• Reviewing furniture requirements and deciding what will be moved, what will go into storage and what will be recycled or donated
• A full IT audit
• Clear and consistent engagement with all employees
• Delivery of the move itself
• Post-move wrap up and report

This is an extremely condensed list that gives a brief idea of what a move entails. It can appear daunting, but with the right planning and expertise, an office move can be a great success.

We deliver office moves in London and across the country from our hubs in Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Glasgow.

Get in touch to discuss how we can support your business.