How to Plan an Office Move Without Losing a Day’s Business
Most office moves go wrong before the van arrives.
Not because the removal company let anyone down. Because nobody planned backwards from the one question that actually matters: when does the business need to be fully operational again?
Get that answer first. Everything else follows.
Start With the Deadline, Not the Date
The mistake most businesses make is treating the move date as the finish line. It isn’t. The finish line is the moment your team can work normally in the new space. That might be the same day, or it might be three days later depending on IT, broadband, furniture setup and signage.
Work out your operational deadline first. Then plan back from it.
A straightforward office move: ten to twenty people, one floor, no specialist equipment. Four weeks of planning is usually enough. Bigger operations, complex IT infrastructure, or a tight building access window all need more runway.
Four Weeks Out
This is where the admin happens. The unglamorous stuff that saves you later.
Book your removal support. For most small and medium business moves, a man with a van or a team of two is all you need. You don’t need a full-scale commercial removal firm unless you’re moving a warehouse or a floor of a corporate building. Book early. Move dates fill up faster than most people expect, particularly end-of-month when leases turn over.
Notify everyone who needs to know. Clients, suppliers, Companies House if your registered address is changing, your bank, your insurers. Some of these have lead times that catch businesses out.
Order what you need for the new space. New furniture, new shelving, new cabling. All of it takes longer to arrive than you’d expect.
Two Weeks Out
Start sorting, not just packing.
A business move is the best opportunity you’ll ever have to throw out the things nobody admitted were useless. Old stock. Broken equipment. Files you’ve been legally allowed to destroy for three years but never got round to. Less to move means a faster, cheaper, cleaner move.
Label everything properly. Not just “Kitchen” but “Kitchen: top priority, unpack first.” Not just “Steve’s desk” but “Finance: set up before anything else.” The people doing the heavy lifting will make better decisions if they know what matters.
Back everything up. If your IT hasn’t been backed up recently, do it before the move. Moves are low-risk, but it’s still a day where servers get unplugged and equipment gets carried down stairs.
The Week Before
Confirm everything. The van. The building access times at both ends. The lift bookings if you’re in a managed building. The parking permits if you’re on a restricted street.
Pack non-essentials. Everything that doesn’t need to be in use in the final week before the move should already be in a box.
Brief your team. Who’s responsible for what on the day. What time they need to arrive. What they’re not expected to carry themselves. A five-minute conversation the day before saves a lot of confusion on the morning.
On the Day
Keep someone at each end.
One person at the old office knows where everything is and can answer questions. One person at the new office knows where everything needs to go. Without this, removal teams spend a lot of time asking, waiting and guessing.
Don’t try to work and move at the same time. If you’re on calls and answering emails while the team is carrying furniture around you, something gets left behind or damaged. A day’s planned downtime costs less than a week of disruption because the move was done badly.
After the Move
Don’t declare victory too early.
Walk the old space before you hand back the keys. Roof spaces, storage cupboards, outside areas, cleaning materials tucked behind doors. Things get left. They always do.
Update your address everywhere you forgot to update it before the move. Google Business Profile is the one most businesses miss. It’s also the one your customers actually use.
Take a photo of the meter readings at both addresses on the day.
If you’re planning a business move and want a team who’ll turn up on time, handle your kit with care and get you in and working as quickly as possible, we’d love to help.