So, you purchased an entire office building for a song at an auction, congratulations. It has thirty offices, two kitchens, two conference rooms, and eight restrooms. The company that had previously owned the building became too saddled with debt and declared bankruptcy, then dissolved. You are now the proud owner of everything they left behind, junk and all. You are faced with a massive clean-out-job before you can move your company into the building. The question you find yourself asking is: How do I proceed? Don’t worry; an office clean out is not as impossible a task as it would seem. It’s easier than a demolition clean up, but harder than home clean out or a spring cleaning. The key to a successful office clean out is to plan and prepare.
Once you have received the keys to your newly purchased office building, you need to asses how many items you plan on keeping, and how much of which you will dispose. Your first step after touring the building and assessing the situation is to call us at Dumpstermaxx. We can provide you with as many roll off dumpsters as you need. We offer dumpster rentals to companies just like yours every day. We can advise you on disposal of everything from a spring clean out of the office to a yard clean up of your surrounding property once we have delivered your dumpsters, its time to put your clean out plan into action.
The first thing that should be considered in an office clean out is what has value and what does not. Obvious things like computers, phone systems, and cabling should be salvaged. If you don’t use the computers or phone system that were inside the office building you purchased, they are useful to other companies that may buy them for parts or use outright. Electronics to damaged or too obsolete should be disposed of per local environmental regulations. In most cases, things like old phones and adding machines can go directly into the dumpster, computers and cell phones may require special handling before disposal, make sure to consult the local controlling environmental authority before proceeding.
Old worn out or damaged desks should be disassembled before disposal so they will take up less space in the dumpster, and the risk of injury is lower when carrying parts of a desk rather than the whole. Office chairs should be disassembled similarly to the desks for the same reasons. Beat up old file cabinets can be unusually heavy. Make sure to dispose of the contents inside the cabinets first, trying to move them with 100lbs of paper inside is a dangerous proposition. If possible, the cabinets should also be disassembled before attempting to move them. You may find hundreds of personal items left behind by former employees of the buildings previous owners. When possible, make an effort to get pictures or items made by children to their rightful owners. It may take a little time and expense to find the owners of the personal items, but your company would receive the kind of P.R. that cannot be purchased. If there is landscaping around your building, check for things thrown behind bushes and hidden in tall grass. Employees who know they may not receive a paycheck from their employers tend to take less pride in their workplace and will dispose of waste in any convenient place.
Phase two of your office clean out should be to remove all items from walls and hanging from ceilings to inspect the building. Old faded pictures or dead plants obviously do not need to be re-hung after they are removed, but can be disposed of in your dumpsters. Carefully examine walls and ceiling panels for signs or water damage. If there are significant leaks, the roof may need to be repaired, and the walls remodeled. Additional dumpsters and waste receptacles may be required for a significant renovation of the office building.
Although it appears a daunting task, your office clean out will go smoothly with a little planning. Contact Dumpstermaxx for rates and availability on our dumpsters and waste receptacles. We are ready to assist you!