Moving Into a New Office? Here’s What Most Businesses Forget

Securing a new office is a significant milestone – whether you’re a growing business taking on more space in London, relocating your team across Essex, or setting up a new headquarters anywhere in the South West. The big-ticket items – IT infrastructure, desks, meeting rooms, signage – tend to dominate the to-do list.

But some of the things that have the greatest impact on how your team feels about coming to work are the ones that quietly slip through the net. The details that, when they’re right, nobody notices – but when they’re wrong, everybody does.

Here’s the checklist every business in London, Essex and across the South West should work through before the removal van pulls away.

1. Washroom Services: Don’t Leave This to Chance

Your washrooms are used by every member of staff, every single day – and by every client, visitor and contractor who walks through your door. For businesses across London and Essex, the quality and consistency of washroom provision is one of the most visible signals of how well-run a workplace is.

Before you move in, ask yourself:

• Is there a managed washroom service in place? Ad hoc restocking rarely keeps pace with a busy office. A professional managed washroom provider in London or Essex will ensure soap, sanitiser and paper products are consistently replenished on a regular schedule – without anyone on your team having to think about it.
• Is your sanitary waste disposal legally compliant? Businesses have a duty of care under UK legislation when it comes to sanitary and clinical waste. This requires a specialist provider and regular collections – not just a bin in the corner.
• Are your washrooms genuinely hygienic, not just clean? Antibacterial dispensers, hygiene units and scheduled deep cleans are all part of a properly managed washroom programme.
• Do your washrooms reflect your brand? In client-facing businesses – particularly in London where first impressions count – tired or poorly stocked washrooms undermine the professional image you’ve built everywhere else.

Simply Washrooms provides fully managed washroom services to businesses across London, Essex and the wider South East, including recent installations at major venues and corporate headquarters throughout the region.

2. Period Products: A Basic Standard of Care

Providing access to period products in female and gender-neutral washrooms is increasingly recognised as a basic expectation of a responsible employer – not a nice-to-have. Scotland has already legislated for this in workplaces, and many businesses across England are ahead of the curve.

A discreet, well-stocked dispenser costs very little to install and maintain, but it speaks volumes about the kind of workplace you’re running. It removes a source of daily stress that many women manage silently, and it’s one of those small details that contributes meaningfully to staff feeling genuinely valued.

3. Scenting – In the Washrooms and Across the Workplace

Ambient scenting has evolved well beyond its traditional association with washroom fresheners. For businesses moving into new offices in London and Essex, it’s worth thinking about scent as a workplace management tool from day one.

In the washrooms

A quality air care programme – using timed or motion-activated dispensers – keeps environments consistently fresh without any ongoing effort from your team. The difference between a washroom that smells clean and one that doesn’t is immediate and lasting.

In the main office

Research consistently shows that scent affects mood, focus and how people perceive a space. A subtle, well-chosen fragrance in a reception area or open-plan office creates a more welcoming atmosphere – it’s often the first thing visitors notice, even if they can’t quite articulate why.

4. The Kitchen and Bin Stores: Easy to Overlook, Quick to Become a Problem

These are the two areas most likely to let down an otherwise well-maintained office – and both are completely manageable with the right systems in place.

The kitchen is a high-traffic, high-odour environment. Ensure there’s a regular deep clean schedule for appliances, adequate ventilation, and an air care solution suited to food smells. A lingering smell of yesterday’s lunch is not the impression anyone wants to make on a client visit.

Bin stores and waste areas – whether internal or external – are easy to neglect and quick to become a problem, particularly during London summers. Regular collections, deodorising treatments and good ventilation make a significant difference, especially in busy city-centre offices and large Essex business parks.

5. Lighting: One of the Most Overlooked Factors in Workplace Productivity

Lighting has a profound impact on how a workspace feels and how well people perform in it – yet it’s one of the most commonly underinvested areas in a new office fit-out.

• Workstations benefit from bright, cool-toned light that supports concentration and reduces eye strain
• Meeting rooms work best with adjustable lighting – bright and energising for morning sessions, calmer and warmer for longer workshops
• Break areas feel better with softer, warmer light that genuinely encourages people to switch off
• Washrooms and corridors should be consistently and cleanly lit – often overlooked, always noticed when wrong

If your new London or Essex office has the infrastructure for smart or adjustable lighting, invest in it from the outset. Retrofitting is always more disruptive and more expensive.

6. Good Coffee and Tea: Small Investment, Big Return

It sounds minor. It isn’t trivial. The quality of your hot drinks provision is something staff notice and talk about – and it has a genuine impact on day-to-day morale and on how often people gather and connect informally.

A pod machine is fine. But if you’re moving into a space you want people to feel proud of – whether that’s a City of London office, an Essex business park, or a South East headquarters – consider a proper bean-to-cup machine and a selection of quality teas. It’s a modest cost that pays back in staff satisfaction and in the kind of informal conversations where much of the best work actually happens.

7. Spaces for Staff to Properly Switch Off

This is easy to deprioritise when you’re focused on fitting in enough desks and meeting rooms – but it’s increasingly important, particularly for businesses that take staff wellbeing and retention seriously.

A dedicated break area – even a compact one – that’s genuinely separate from the working environment gives people permission to step away and come back sharper. Comfortable seating, good light, access to refreshments, and some separation from screens are the essentials. If space allows, a quiet room for focused work or private calls is used far more than people expect.

A Final Thought

Moving into a new office is one of the rare moments when you get to set the standard from scratch. The decisions you make in the first few weeks – about hygiene, environment, staff amenities and the small daily details – shape the culture and feel of the space for years to come.

Get the basics right, think beyond the obvious, and your new office won’t just be a place people come to work. It’ll be somewhere they actually want to be.

Planning an office move in London, Essex or the South East? Get in touch with the Simply Washrooms team today 

Simply Washrooms provides fully managed washroom services, hygiene solutions, sanitary waste disposal and air care programmes for businesses across London, Essex and the South West. If you’re planning an office move, we’d love to help you get it right from day one.