Relocating a warehouse – tips and tricks

Relocating a warehouse is a process that’s in a league of its own. These days, warehouses aren’t just pure storage facilities anymore – they are the backbone of any successful business. Whether you are downsizing into a smaller warehouse, expanding into a larger one or simply reorganizing the one you have, moving a warehouse will inevitably take up a lot of your time. Luckily, Best Cross Country Movers are specialists in complicated relocations. We have no problem sharing some of our laboriously acquired knowledge and giving you a few tips on the topic of warehouse relocation.

First things first – professional help or a DIY warehouse relocation?

Gone are the days when you had to spend all of your time moving yourself or your own business. These days, you have the luxury of calling a moving company and letting it take care of the entire ordeal. All you have to do is contact some commercial movers you find to be within your price range and sit back and relax. Others will work for you.

But if you belong to the category of those who like to do things by themselves and who live by the ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’ motto, then you’ve come to the right place. Our tips will help you do just that – relocate a warehouse so that your business and its productivity don’t suffer any consequences.

Make a detailed plan of action for your warehouse relocation

The first thing you need to realize is that relocating a warehouse is a process that might take a while. Shutting down work until it’s finished is simply out of the question. Well, it is if you care about the effectiveness of your business, which we assume you do. That’s why you need to make a concise plan of action which will divide the working hours into two parts:

• the hours you spend immersed in business activities
• the hours you spend relocating a warehouse and its contents

Make no mistake – one person can’t move an entire warehouse. If you don’t opt for professional help, you’ll certainly have to ask your employees to be involved in the process. In fact, if you want to move any kind of business without disruption, you’ll have to distribute tasks between your workers.

Let everyone know what their role in relocating a warehouse is

You can’t really expect your employees to guess what you need them to do. That’s why it will be your job to create a moving agenda, and let everyone know which place belongs to them. Besides, once you create a written plan (and do so ahead of time), you are very likely to be on top of things and not forget anything. This will give you some time to relax as opposed to being stressed out throughout the entire process.

On that note, never arrive at a day filled with moving tasks with a grumpy face. You are supposed to act as a leader, the one that gives everyone the much-needed motivation – not the one who makes everyone wish they were home!

Organize your inventory on time

It goes without saying that you should inventory all those items you plan on moving from the old warehouse and into the new one. What some business owners don’t do, however, is inventory their belongings on time. If you leave it for those few last days before the move, rest assured you will regret doing so. Save yourself from the unnecessary headaches and do an inventory in due time.

Purge some of your outdated inventory

Want to know what one of the worst moving mistakes is? It’s relocating old and outdated items we no longer need. This will put a strain on both your budget and your muscles (not to mention your nerves). You should aim to move as little as possible – in fact, move only those items you really need. And we won’t even mention the benefits that a decluttered working space will bring to you and your employees.

So, once you are making a thorough plan of your warehouse relocation, make sure you include some extra time for clearing out the unnecessary items. Depending on the size of your warehouse, this might be a time-consuming process. But it’s also the one that will save you a lot of time once the actual relocation begins.

Assemble the necessary equipment

Depending on the type and size of your warehouse, there’s no telling what type of equipment you might need. Anything from forklifts to moving blankets might be of the essence. Clearly, we can’t list all the items you have to prepare, as that is an individual thing. But the one thing we can tell you that you will most certainly need (and lots of it) is safety gear for you and the crew. 

Warehouse relocation can potentially be a dangerous endeavor – especially if you will be working with machines such as forklifts and pallets. As the first measure of precaution, you should make sure that every person is wearing a helmet, gloves, and appropriate clothing. Then, make sure everyone is coordinated, and that no one is exerting himself beyond their limit. The last thing you need is someone injuring themselves.

So, do you think you have what it takes to approach relocating a warehouse on your own? As long as you follow the safety protocols and make a watertight plan, you should be fine. Although, you shouldn’t expect everything to go precisely as planned – that almost never happens during DIY relocations. But, if you can count on your employees’ support, you will be able to surpass any problem and stay on track with the plan!