After years of consideration by the board and staff, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc., moved its headquarters from Denver to Washington, DC, in 2007. Luckily, CFP Board had recently hired Kevin Keller, CAE, as CEO; in the early 1990s, Keller had led another association through a similar move.

"It was fortuitous that Kevin had been through this once with another organization, so he could lay it out," says Karen Schaeffer, who was then the board chair of CFP Board. "And we're financial planners, so we're used to planning. That's sort of in our DNA. Nothing like a good plan!"

Betsy Brand, executive director of the American Youth Policy Forum, was in quite another boat when AYPF decided to sell its DC building and move into a leased space nearby. Having never dealt in commercial real estate, she admits that she was a bit unprepared.

Associations need to think about where they're going to be in five or 10 years … and build flexibility in their lease.—James S. Wilson Jr., partner, Webster, Chamberlain & Bean

But, whether experienced in major moves or not, both executives' priorities were the same: to ensure the continuity of work and take care of the staff.

Here are a few tips for any association about to make a move:

1. Plan way in advance. Allow at least 12 to 18 months to both dispose of your existing office and acquire a new space, says Doug Damron, senior managing director of the commercial real estate firm Newmark Grubb Knight Frank. He helped the CFP Board make its move and says the more time you have, the better.

The reason? Everything is likely going to take a lot longer than you might think, so giving yourself time to thoughtfully plan for the move will pay off in the end. Brand says that even seemingly small tasks, such as acquiring a letter of intent to buy or sell a building, took AYPF several months to complete.

2. Get on the same page with your board early. Understanding that the move from Denver to DC was going to happen quickly and involve a lot of moving parts, Schaeffer and Keller worked upfront to establish clear objectives with the board. "Essentially, they stayed out of the way because if I was going to have to check every detail, you slow the whole process down," Keller says. "You jeopardize the ongoing operations."

3. Pick the right people. Choosing a trusted commercial real estate advisor or broker early on is important too, Damron says. These professionals can help associations create strategic real estate plans, based on their specific goals and timeframes. With their deep knowledge of the market, these advisors can help associations find the best spaces for their needs.

While you're at it, you should hire an experienced attorney too. James S. Wilson Jr., partner at Webster, Chamberlain & Bean, says attorneys can help associations negotiate options to expand, contract, or terminate their leases, or add subletting options, as their needs change over time. "Associations need to think about where they're going to be in five or 10 years," he says. "And if they're not certain—and I don't know how they can be certain—they need to think about ways they can build in flexibility in their lease."

You can also create a staff task force to help tackle move-related responsibilities. Brand relied heavily on a group of staff members, who volunteered to be a part of what she termed the "Gold Standard Moving Company." They helped with everything from communicating with consultants to moving and setting up computer equipment. Keller, who was bouncing between Denver and DC, also enlisted support from CFB Board's interim chief operating officer to help with Denver-based operations and decisions.

4. Hire consultants when necessary. You can hire consultants for just about everything, including furniture, technology, talent, and more. For instance, Keller put together an entire transition team for recruiting staff in DC, and he hired a move consultant, who did an inventory of the CFP Board's office in Denver and decided what supplies and equipment to keep or toss.

5. Create a budget. In addition to taking a lot longer than you might expect, moves are notorious for costing a lot of money. CFP Board made an early reorganization that saved them money, Schaeffer says. "We had a nest egg to work with. Make sure you anticipate what the costs are going to be."

AYPF encountered a handful of hidden costs, ranging from junk disposal fees to installation costs of cabling for internet and phones. In a blog post on Grantspace, Brand says, "If we didn't have the proceeds from the building, we probably would have needed a line of credit to cover certain expenses. So be prepared."

Relocating an association's headquarters is a big deal, Keller says, but sometimes it's worth it. And a move is also a chance to change an association's culture. "I told the senior team that we hired, 'If this place becomes something that we don't like, then shame on us, because we created it.'"