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Commercial Moving With Mont-Royal
At MONT -ROYAL Moving we understand that commercial moving is a specialized field,
and that the success of any relocation ultimately depends on the experience and
level of commitment on the part of the movers. Our experienced staff will make your
move as without worry and comfortable as possible.
MONT-ROYAL Moving will perform your move within your requested time that you schedule.
And We are fully carrefull of the many factors involved in selecting a moving date,
such as lease expiration, work schedule, restrictions of buildings' management.
That is why we give great attention to our customers' moving time requirements.
Some furniture and equipment require disassembly for safe moving. Our movers are
experts at dismounting and remounting items such as tables, armoires, desks, etc.
All items our movers have disassembled for you will be quickly assembled upon reaching
their destination. This request only available for local moving in Montreal.
At MONT-ROYAL Moving we work with you to complete your relocation as efficiently
and cost effectively as possible. Our business is moving your business
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Commercial Moving Tips
Office movers introduction
You've signed the lease on your new office space or manufacturing plant, and guess
what? Suddenly you're in charge of organizing and executing the move. Learning how
to conduct a business move isn't easy: an office move involves major purchasing
decisions, multiple interdependent projects, and months' worth of ongoing scheduling
and communications. With all that on your plate, choosing office movers can seem
like a minor point - but you shouldn't treat it that way.
The right office movers can make your move faster and easier than you would ever
expect, while the wrong movers can be expensive and can potentially damage your
equipment.
First, a note on timelines: you don't have to have an exact date for your move to
start looking for office movers. Often, lease negotiations can drag out until near
the move date, so sometimes it makes sense to start looking for office movers before
your new lease is finalized. However, you should have a good estimate of at least
the month you plan to move. Choosing an office mover as early as possible lets you
access their expertise: they can help you make important planning decisions and
better prepare for your move.
Preparing for an office move
To save yourself time and effort, carefully evaluate your upcoming office move before
contacting a mover. This includes knowing what you will be moving, where everything
will go in the new location, the time of day you want to move, building access (stairs,
freight elevators, loading docks), parking issues, and any other important requirements.
Understanding exactly what your office move will entail makes it easier to get an
accurate estimate. Furthermore, the better-planned your move, the more you'll wind
up saving, since movers often charge by the hour. Having detailed schedules, budgets,
and floor plans will make everyone's job easier, including your own.
Getting access to your new space before you have to be out of your current office
is an opportunity to save time and money. You can reduce the burden - and therefore
your total costs - on your movers by having new furniture or equipment delivered
directly to the new office in the days preceding your move.
Of course, paying rent on two offices simultaneously can cancel those savings out.
If possible, ask the new landlord about moving some equipment in early before the
lease goes into effect.
Paper or plastic?
You'll have to choose between cardboard boxes or renting reusable plastic crates
for your office move. We recommend the latter - even some movers who sell cardboard
boxes recommend plastic packing crates. They're available from well-known brands
(e.g., Rent-a-Crate) and are designed to stack easily on dollies so there's no heavy
lifting involved. A side benefit of using rented plastic crates: because they have
to be returned, everyone is forced to unpack all their belongings in a timely manner,
instead of leaving full cardboard boxes around.
Professional movers services
There are a couple of basic considerations when choosing professional movers for
your business. Most important is simply that they're familiar with office moves
and do them routinely. Movers that spend most of their time on residential moves
may not have the right expertise to handle your business move. In addition, if you're
moving from one state to another, you'll need a company with appropriate interstate
licenses. Not all professional movers have them, so be sure to ask.
Some situations require more specific expertise. Examples include:
- hazardous materials (chemicals, fuel, etc)
- extremely large or heavy equipment (manufacturing machinery, pianos, commercial
kitchen equipment, safes)
- sensitive computer equipment (servers, computer storage devices)
- systems furniture (cubicles)
- unusual loading requirements (multiple story buildings with no elevator, hoisting
required, etc)
If any of these circumstances apply to you, or if there are any other needs that
might increase the 'degree of difficulty' for your movers, be sure to address them
as early in your search as possible. Late surprises will always result in additional
charges and can possibly delay your move.
How much can you do on your own?
Most professional movers offer varying levels of packing assistance. The most common
approach is to have employees pack their own belongings, including desk contents,
files, and personal items. Each department is responsible for packing shared files
and small equipment. This approach requires only a small amount of time from each
employee but drastically reduces overall costs. It also encourages employees take
extra care with their most important possessions, avoiding potential problems with
movers.
You can have employees do additional packing for further savings. Non-essential
equipment and supplies - libraries, break room/kitchen supplies, and decorations
- can be packed up days or weeks in advance of your actual move, as can excess inventory
or raw materials. If you have a large amount of shared supplies that you don't want
your employees to spend time on, you can have movers do the job instead - but it
might cost extra.
Note that for manufacturing plants and warehouses, you'll have to do more work.
Assembly lines and critical equipment will have to be disassembled by your staffers
- you wouldn't want movers to handle that job, even if you could find some that
would. For warehouses, your best bet may be to simply rent a truck (or trucks) and
move the bulk of the inventory yourself, leaving furnishings and supplies for the
movers.
Moving computers
Computers are a special case. If many employees have desktop computers, having professional
movers do all the disconnecting and packing can be expensive and time-consuming.
Instead, you can save money by having each worker be responsible for disconnecting
the various component parts of their machine and packing all the accessories, including
keyboard, mouse, and power cords. Actually moving the computers and monitors will
be up to your movers. Make sure you ask about their plans for protecting your valuable
equipment.
Moving corporate servers and data centers is a much more complicated endeavor. Your
internal IT director will have to work closely with the contractors setting up the
new location and the movers to coordinate the details.
Office moving estimates
Because it's impossible to say exactly how much work is required before a move takes
place, an estimate is central to the whole process. Doing grunt work to get an accurate,
comprehensive office moving estimate can eliminate surprises later. Simply do not
settle for estimates done over the phone or the Internet. There are too many variables
that trained estimators take into account during a walkthrough that you might overlook.
If a mover you contact says they can provide an estimate over the phone, move on
to the next company.
When conducting the walkthrough of your current location, be prepared to show the
estimator the freight elevators and loading docks, if applicable. Take them through
your records rooms, spare inventory and supplies, and server closets. Better to
give the office moving company too much information than not enough: the object
is to avoid surprises on moving day.
If at all possible, take the estimator to the new space, as well. Simply describing
your new location as "elevator accessible" is insufficient: they'll want to see
the elevators for themselves.
Types of estimates
Estimates can come in several varieties. The most common and straightforward is
the non-binding estimate. The only guarantee you have is the rate - per mover and
per truck, per pound, or per cubic foot - so your final bill can vary enormously
from the original estimate. This type of estimate provides the least security but
should result in accurate pricing.
Important: by law, on the day of your move, the office moving company can only require
you to pay 10% more than the original estimate before finishing the move, no matter
how much extra they add to the total bill. That means you can complete the move
and negotiate any additional charges later.
A binding estimate specifies exactly how much the move will cost, regardless of
how much the actual weight or time differs from the estimate. This type of estimate
is a double-edged sword: you may wind up paying more or less than the actual move
would dictate. The trade off is not usually worth it: moving company estimators
will deliberately raise their estimates to make sure they don't wind up on the losing
end of the bargain.
The most beneficial type of estimate from your point of view is a binding not-to-exceed
estimate. With a not-to-exceed estimate, the fees will be calculated based on the
actual move - up to a ceiling specified in the estimate. Clearly, knowing the upper
limit of what you'll have to pay will help you stick to your office moving budget
- but not all movers will provide not-to-exceed estimates.
With any type of office moving estimate, changing circumstances can dramatically
affect your costs. If you have a binding not-to-exceed agreement but add a basement
full of old records to the move, you'll be invalidating the estimate. The same applies
for circumstances beyond your control: elevators out of service or unavailable,
for example.
Pricing office moves
There are several different ways moving companies charge for office moves. Some
base their prices on the amount of equipment and supplies you're moving. This can
be done either per pound (they'll weigh the truck once your belongings are on board)
or per cubic foot.
Other companies will base the pricing more directly on the people and trucks your
move requires: one truck and three movers is the small end, and you can add trucks
and men incrementally up to a fleet of trucks and a squadron of men for a huge move.
An hourly rate per truck and mover is multiplied by how long the move actually takes.
Neither of these methods is significantly better than the other, although some moving
experts advise against cubic foot pricing. Since most office moves are local, per
mover and truck pricing is the most common for businesses.
Comparing costs for office moves should be done based on the estimates they provide:
you'll be able to compare the bottom line, no matter how they arrive at the figure.
However you'll want to make sure you get similar numbers of movers and trucks, so
make sure those figures are included in the estimate even the pricing is based on
weight.
Use common sense when comparing estimates for office moves. If you talk to five
movers, and four of them are fairly similar but one is significantly cheaper than
the rest, be wary. The lowball estimate probably doesn't include all the services
you need or has significantly underestimated the scope of your move.
There are several types of extra fees you may encounter. Difficult-to-move items
(pianos are a common example, wide-screen displays are another) will always carry
their own charge. Some movers may charge extra for office moves that include walking
belongings up flights of stairs. And if any of your equipment is too large to fit
in an elevator and has to be hoisted - lifted by crane outside the building and
moved in through a window - you can expect to pay extra for that service.
To prevent sticker shock, make sure you have the specifics of how you're going to
be charged and all potential extra fees in writing. Also make sure you know what
types of payment are accepted - not all movers take credit cards so you may need
a corporate or certified check.
Moving services tips
When in doubt - throw it out. In some ways, businesses are worse packrats
than individuals. If no one is specifically in charge of throwing things out, outdated
equipment, unneeded records, and extraneous supplies accumulate in closets, under
desks, and in storage spaces. Make a concerted effort to throw out, donate, or sell
off the things you don't need.
Talk it up. Anytime you hear about a disastrous office move, the problem
usually stems from a lack of communication. There are so many interrelated steps
to a move that any one delay can influence many other aspects. The point person
on the move needs to coordinate communication between moving services, building
management for both old and new locations, contractors, vendors, employees, and
management.
Cut out the staff. Consider moving on a weekend when the office is empty
- or else give employees the day off. They can't help, they won't get any work done,
and they're at risk of being hurt by unsecured equipment.
Start early. Reliable moving services can provide invaluable help in planning
and executing your move. Choosing a moving service several months before your actual
move gives you the best chance to benefit from their expertise. It's also recommended
that you set your move time as early in the day as possible to account for likely
delays.
Check the calendar. Because moving services get much busier near the end
of the month, you can sometimes save money by scheduling your move towards the middle
of the month.
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