A business move can look straightforward on paper: pack the desks, move the IT equipment and open at the new address. In practice, a missed internet installation, an unclear seating plan or one overlooked lease deadline can affect your whole team. This business relocation timeline guide sets out a practical route from the first decision to move through to a settled, working office.
The right schedule depends on your headcount, the amount of equipment involved, building access and whether the move must happen outside normal hours. A ten-person office moving across London may need a few well-managed weeks. A larger workplace, or one with specialist machinery and several suppliers, should allow several months.
Six months before: define the move properly
Start by naming one person to lead the relocation and giving them authority to make decisions. They do not have to do every task themselves, but the team needs one clear point of contact for the landlord, removals company, IT provider and staff.
Confirm why you are moving and what the new space must achieve. More meeting rooms, easier commuting, room for growth, lower overheads or a better customer-facing location will all shape the plan. Measure the new premises carefully rather than relying only on a floorplan. Check lift dimensions, stairwells, loading bays, parking restrictions and the route from the entrance to your office.
This is also the point to set a realistic budget. Include more than the removals quote: possible overlap in rent, dilapidations, new furniture, IT installation, cleaning, storage, signage and staff travel can all add up. A detailed survey is particularly useful for larger offices because it lets a removals team assess volume, access, dismantling needs and the right number of movers.
Three to four months before: secure suppliers and services
Once the move date is likely, book the services that can hold up the whole project. In London, loading arrangements and building rules often matter as much as distance. Your new building may require a certificate of insurance, a named moving crew, lift protection, an out-of-hours booking or a timed loading slot. Your current building may have similar requirements.
Arrange broadband and phone services early. Lead times vary, and a building that appears ready for connection may still need engineering work. Ask your provider exactly what is included, where equipment will be installed and what contingency is available if activation is delayed.
Plan the IT move with the same care as the furniture move. Create an equipment register covering laptops, monitors, servers, printers, routers, chargers and shared devices. Decide whether your IT provider will disconnect and reconnect equipment, or whether trained movers will transport it once it has been made safe. Back up business-critical data before anything is unplugged.
Notify the people and organisations affected by the new address. This includes staff, clients, insurers, banks, HMRC, suppliers, delivery firms and any relevant professional bodies. Update your website, email signatures, invoicing details and directory listings when the date is confirmed, but avoid changing anything customer-facing too early if post or deliveries are still arriving at the old office.
Eight weeks before: design the new working day
An office layout is not just a furniture plan. It is a plan for how people will work when they arrive on Monday morning. Map where each team will sit, where shared printers and kitchen equipment belong, and where confidential records will be stored. Mark power points, data ports, fire exits and any areas that must remain clear.
Give every desk, cabinet and item of shared furniture a destination code. A simple system such as floor, room and position is enough: for example, 2F-MKT-06 for the sixth marketing desk on the second floor. Labels should match both the inventory and the floorplan. This saves time on move day and prevents staff from searching through boxes for essential equipment.
Use the move as a chance to reduce what you carry forward. Broken chairs, outdated paper files, redundant cables and surplus promotional material cost money to transport and take up valuable space. However, disposal needs planning. Confidential paperwork should be securely shredded, electronic waste should be handled responsibly, and furniture that can be reused or recycled should not simply be left in a loading bay.
For teams working in person, tell staff what the move means for them. Share the address, travel information, move dates, packing rules and arrangements for personal belongings. If staff can work from home during the move, specify when systems will be unavailable and when they should expect to be fully operational again.
Four weeks before: confirm the moving plan
At this stage, the move plan should become specific enough for everyone to follow. Confirm the removals date, arrival time, building contacts, vehicle access, lift booking and parking suspensions or permits. London borough requirements differ, so do not assume that a loading bay will be available because it was free during a site visit.
A professional office removals team can pack and label workstations, dismantle furniture, protect fragile items, load securely and place everything room by room at the new premises. This is usually more efficient than asking employees to carry boxes after work, and it reduces the risk of injuries or damaged equipment. Great Moving can also provide packing, furniture dismantling, storage and disposal support where the timetable or space requirements make those services useful.
Decide what will travel separately. Important contracts, company seals, keys, access cards, backup drives and a small supply of stationery are often best kept with the move lead. Prepare an essentials box for the first day containing tea and coffee supplies, cleaning products, toilet roll, basic tools, first-aid items, extension leads and clear contact details for key suppliers.
One to two weeks before: test, pack and communicate
Walk through both sites with the latest floorplan and inventory. Check that the new office is cleaned, safe and ready for occupancy. Confirm that keys, alarm codes and access fobs will be available when the movers arrive. If the landlord is completing works, ask for written confirmation of what will be finished and by when.
Pack non-essential items first, leaving daily-use equipment until the final days. Each crate or box should carry its destination code and a short description of contents. Avoid vague labels such as “miscellaneous”. They cause delays precisely when people are trying to get back to work.
Send a final staff update with the practical details: last working time at the old office, expected system downtime, travel arrangements, arrival instructions and a contact number for problems. Let clients know whether there will be a short interruption to phone lines, deliveries or appointments. Clear communication is often what makes a disruption feel managed rather than chaotic.
Move weekend: keep decisions simple
The move lead should be available at both ends of the journey, or appoint a trusted person at each site. Their role is to approve access, answer questions and check that items go to the correct rooms. They should not be expected to lift boxes or direct every mover.
Before the lorry leaves the old premises, complete a final sweep. Check cupboards, meeting rooms, kitchen areas, server spaces and storage corners. Take meter readings if required, photograph the condition of the vacated space and return keys according to the agreed process.
At the new office, prioritise the items that allow work to resume: network equipment, workstations, phones, printers, reception furniture and essential files. Furniture can be positioned, but make sure heavy cabinets and desks are placed safely before staff begin rearranging the room themselves.
The first week after: settle in and close the loop
No move is fully complete when the last box is unloaded. Test the essentials on day one: internet connection, phones, printers, alarms, heating, lighting, access controls and meeting-room equipment. Ask each team to report missing items or layout issues quickly, while the inventory and delivery are still fresh.
Keep a short list of snags and assign an owner to each one. It might be a missing cable, a desk in the wrong position or a client who needs the new address confirmed. Small issues are normal. Leaving them unrecorded is what allows them to become longer-term frustrations.
A good relocation timeline gives your people certainty, not just a date in the diary. Plan early, communicate plainly and use experienced support for the physical work. Your team can then spend its first day in the new office getting on with business, rather than wondering where everything went.