Office relocation checklist

3 to 6 months before

• Set a budget and a moving date, and check your lease obligations.
• Appoint one person to manage the move.
• Get quotes from at least three commercial movers. A survey is normal.

6 to 8 weeks before

• Plan the new layout and where each team will sit.
• Order phone, broadband and any new equipment.
• Tell clients, suppliers, your bank and HMRC about your new address.
• Update your website, email signatures and Google Business Profile.

2 to 4 weeks before

• Staff clear and label their desks, drawers and cabinets.
• Arrange confidential waste and recycling for old paperwork.
• Book lift slots, parking suspensions and security access at both sites.
• Confirm the company's insurance and the cover for IT equipment.

The week of the move

• Back up all data and test the new network before the move.
• Colour-code or number furniture and crates by floor plan.
• Move out of hours if you can, so the team loses as little time as possible.
• Keep a contact sheet for the movers with building managers' numbers.

After the move

• Check inventory against the list and report damage straight away.
• Test phones, printers and network access.
• Return keys and fobs to the old landlord and arrange a final inspection.

Planning an office move? Compare office removal quotes.

Related guides

• Moving house after buyingWhat happens between offer and keys, and when to book your removal company.
• The full cost of moving house in the UKEvery cost to budget for, from legal fees to the first night's takeaway.
• First-time buyer moving guideEverything to plan for your first move, in the right order.
• Moving out when selling your homeDeclutter, stage and plan your move without losing your mind.
• All guides

Six months to three months before

• Appoint a move lead and, for larger offices, a small team with one person from each department.
• Check the lease. Notice period, dilapidations and the break date at the old office, and the start date at the new one.
• Set the budget for the move, the new fit-out, IT and telecoms, signage, stationery and downtime.
• Survey the new space and draw up a floor plan with desk numbers.
• Compare office removal quotes and ask for a survey. See office removals.
• Tell your landlord, insurers and key clients that you are planning to move.

Three months to one month before

• Book the removal company, and agree the dates, the access and the insurance in writing.
• Book IT and telecoms providers for the new office, as connection times can be long.
• Clear out and shred old files. Keep what you must for legal and tax reasons.
• Agree which furniture and equipment will move, and which will be replaced or disposed of.
• Update your address everywhere: Companies House, HMRC, banks, insurers, suppliers, the website, email signatures and stationery.
• Tell your staff early, and answer their questions about travel, parking and facilities.

The final weeks

• Order crates and labels, and tell staff how to pack their desks.
• Label every crate and piece of furniture with the new desk or room.
• Back up all data, and agree a plan for servers and key equipment.
• Arrange building access, lifts, parking, security passes and keys at both sites.
• Confirm the plan with the removal company, and walk through the new office with them.

Moving day

• Have a named person at each site, with a floor plan and a checklist.
• Check that the crates are labelled and placed in the right area.
• Test IT, phones and the internet as soon as they are in place.
• Record any damage at once, and report it to the company in writing.

After the move

• Check that phones, email, printers and security systems work.
• Return keys and passes to the old landlord, and take final meter readings.
• Clean and hand back the old premises as the lease requires.
• Collect feedback from staff, and fix any problems quickly.

See also commercial removals, how to choose a removal company and questions to ask a removal company.

Common questions