The Office Relocation Checklist That Keeps the Business Running

Moving a home is personal. Moving an office is public. If the phones stop or the server stays in a box, your customers notice. The goal is not a perfect move. The goal is a Monday morning when people sit down, log in and carry on working. This checklist runs in order, so you can hand each part to someone and see what is still open.

Eight to twelve weeks before: name an owner and set the plan

Every office move needs one person in charge, with the authority to decide things. Without one, decisions drift and someone ends up asking about the plotter on the day. Give that person a small group with one representative from IT, operations and finance.

• Choose a move window that avoids your busiest period, such as a weekend or a quiet week.
• Check your current lease for notice and handover conditions.
• Ask both buildings about permits, loading bays, lift bookings and permitted working hours.
• Collect written quotes based on a proper walkthrough of the office.
• Draw a floor plan for the new office, showing desks, power points and network points.

Four to six weeks before: technology and suppliers

IT comes first because everything else depends on it. Internet lines at a new address can take time to arrange, so speak to your provider early and ask for a clear date. Back up your data and make sure someone has tested that the backup can actually be restored. Print the network plan on paper too, because you may need it when the network is down.

• Order internet and telephone services for the new address.
• Make a list of every system, server, printer and shared device, and who looks after each one.
• Contact your landlord, insurers and service contractors about the change.
• Update your website, Google listing, business cards, invoices and email signatures, ready for the switch.
• Check with your advisers which licences or registered addresses need updating.

Two weeks before: people and packing

Tell the team the plan early and tell them often. People handle change better if they know what is expected of them. Give each person a labelled box or two, and a simple rule about what goes in and what stays with them. Every box and piece of equipment should carry a label with the person's name, the new floor and the desk number.

• Clear out old files and furniture. Check how long records must be kept before you dispose of any.
• Keep confidential files in sealed, labelled boxes, and agree who keeps the list.
• Tell customers and suppliers about the new address and the date.
• Plan access cards, keys and parking for the new office.

The last few days

Confirm the times with your mover, your IT team and both buildings. Set up an out-of-office message for anything that may be affected. Decide who will be on site at each end. Ask staff to take personal items home, and keep the essentials such as chargers and notebooks in their own bags.

Moving day: keep it simple

Keep one person at the old office and one at the new, with the floor plan in hand. Move IT equipment last from the old place and set it up first at the new one. Test the internet, phones and printers before anyone else arrives. Do a final walk through the old office, checking cupboards, meeting rooms and server racks.

The first week at the new office

• Have IT walk the floor on the first morning and fix problems early.
• Keep a shared list of snags, and clear it daily.
• Finish the handover of the old office with your landlord.
• Ask the team what is not working and fix the small things fast.

When you are ready to plan the physical side, Al Mizan Movers can pack, dismantle and reassemble desks and office furniture, based on a clear written quote agreed before any work begins. You look after the business. The boxes can be our problem.