Planning an Office Move: What Goes Wrong & How to Avoid It

The Three Most Common Failures

1. No single owner

If everyone's responsible, no one is. Appoint one person as move manager with authority to make decisions — and give them a deadline.

2. IT last

IT is planned after furniture, then staff can't work for three days. Plan the server room and cabling first — everything else fits around it.

3. Desk-by-desk chaos

Without labelling and a floor plan for the new office, boxes land anywhere and the first morning is a treasure hunt.

The Blueprint

8 weeks out

• Set the move date and budget. Confirm who owns it.
• Tour the new space and map departments to rooms and desks.
• Get quotes from at least two office removal firms.

4 weeks out

• Book IT migration and telecoms for the new building.
• Label every desk, chair and screen with its new location.
• Identify anything that needs special handling — safes, servers, fragile displays.

1 week out

• Communicate the plan to staff: what to pack, what to carry, what's not allowed.
• Test lifts, parking and access at the new address.
• Confirm insurance and any landlord rules on lift usage.

Move day

• The crew works to your floor plan — rooms get packed and placed by department.
• A nominated person is present at both ends with authority and a phone.
• IT is installed first so desks can connect the moment they land.

The 24-Hour Rule

Aim for the business to be operational within 24 hours. That's the difference between a professional relocation and a logistical event. It's achievable if the plan above is followed.

Business Moves, Done Properly

Our commercial relocation service is built for this — fixed pricing, floor-plan execution and minimal downtime. Request a quote or call 0121 679 2511.