Everyone says Q4 is the best time to move offices. Is that true?

11 September 2026

Georgia-Kaye Berry, our Head of Sales, shares the truth about Q4 office moves and how to make one happen on your terms.

Every October, enquiries at COLONY spike. I call it Silly Season. It's tempting to assume there's something strategic about moving offices at the end of the year, but the real reason is simpler, and more useful to understand if you're one of the many businesses weighing a move right now.

If you're looking at moving offices, whether it's into your first office, a relocation, or a switch from a conventional lease to something more flexible, the timing can feel really important, but really, the time of year has little impact.

Q4's rush is largely coincidental. A lot of businesses signed their current leases around the same time, likely off the back of a "new year, new office" decision a year or two earlier, and now those leases are ending together, and that's why we get this sudden influx of office enquires. That's why I call it Silly Season, especially after the summer slump.

Is year-end actually the best time to move?

Not necessarily. It all comes down to your lease end date, which most businesses don't have much control over anyway.

That said, if your timeline does happen to land in Q4, we can help you in finding an office that is ideal for you and your business.

How do we actually help you land on the right space

The right space isn't just the one that happens to be available. It starts with a proper look at your needs; what are your current pain points, what are your must-haves versus nice-to-haves before exploring what's available across our eight buildings and proposing the offices that are genuinely the best match, not just the most convenient one.

How fast can you actually move?

Providing the office you want is available, there's no minimum lead time. We can move as fast as you need to.

It's also worth noting that we can't predict availability with certainty six months out. If you're planning further ahead, that's not a problem, book a tour anyway. It's the best way to start narrowing down your favourite venues and get a heads-up on anything coming free that could be the right fit down the line.

Top Tips for your office move

Work backwards from your lease date, not the calendar. The moment to move is dictated by your contract, not by seasonal energy.

Separate your must-haves from your nice-to-haves early. The clearer you are on this, the faster we can match you to the right venue.

If you're looking early, tour anyway. You won't get certainty months in advance, but you'll get a shortlist and early warning of anything coming free.

If you're late, don't panic. There's no minimum lead time on our end. If the space is available, we move at your pace.

Trust our expertise. We've been doing this for a long time – trust that we will help you find the right fit.