Your Office Move Checklist

7 April 2025

Planning an office move? Use our office move checklist for a seamless relocation, including timeframes and the essential things to take care of.

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If you’re planning an office move, you might feel a little overwhelmed with the amount to do. You don’t want to disrupt your business or cause extra stress for your staff. Well, the good news is that with a bit of preparation, you can take the hassle out of moving offices and get all your ducks in a row ahead of moving day.

Let us guide you through the steps to take, including:

1. Office move timeline
2. Your office move checklist
3. Choosing an office
4. Telling people about your office move
5. Planning ahead
6. Preparing to move offices
7. Moving offices

Office move timeline

So you can start planning ahead, here is a suggested timeline of events for moving offices. Some companies might want a quick turnaround on their office move, while others prefer to take a little longer. As a general rule, here is a suggested timeline for moving into a new office:

12-6 months before

• Choose a new office location based on budgets and preferred office space
• Assign a project manager to lead the relocation process
• Communicate with employees

6-3 months before

• Create an office move checklist to stay organised
• Notify your current office about the move
• Contact office movers for quotes

3-1 Months Before

• Start creating floor plans and office layouts
• Inform relevant parties of your new office address
• Purchase storage solutions and office supplies like bubble wrap for packing
• Plan the finer details of the office move with project managers and your team

Moving week

• Label boxes and dismantle current office furniture
• Ensure essential office equipment is prioritised
• Confirm all office costs are accounted for

Moving in

• Set up the new office space
• Organise the office supplies and storage solutions
• Inform stakeholders about the new office location

Your office move checklist

First things first, set out a moving office checklist with all of the essential factors to consider. You can get started on this as soon as you decide to move offices, using it to help you decide where to move, what to pack and who to call on for help. Here are the key things to include on your office move checklist within the suggested timeframes.

1. 12 to 6 months before - Choosing an office

There are many reasons you might be thinking about moving into a new office - business growth, rising costs or better facilities to name a few. Whatever your motivation for the move, it’s wise to keep this in mind when you look for a new base for your business. These are the main factors to mull over:

Budget

Set a budget and stick to it. This will determine other elements, such as location and level of amenities. Don’t just think about the monthly rent either. You should also factor in moving costs, rates and utilities, and any staff incentives you might be offering.

Your budget will define the type of office you can afford. Analyse all office costs, such as rent, utilities, and maintenance. Keep in mind that higher rent in the city centre may be offset by reduced commuting time.

Location

A location that serves all of your needs is vital. Decide if a city centre or suburban location would be better. A central office in a popular location, for example Ancoats in Manchester, might cost more, but could have a shorter commute for staff who live centrally, so look at all angles.

Generally speaking, a city centre office will have better public transport, nearby bars and restaurants, and be more appealing to clients, but may come with higher costs and more congestion. Suburban offices are usually cheaper, and have more space but may have less transport links for staff loving further away. They might also be more basic, as they aren’t trying to attract a city centre clientele.

Amenities

Amenities will enhance your office environment, but for some companies, they might be more of a luxury than an essential. Decide on the type of environment you want to work in and the on-site amenities you would like. Kitchens, breakout spaces, meeting rooms, parking and even showers can be a real selling point when you’re looking at moving into a new office.

Future growth

It's unlikely that you want to move offices often, so plan for the future and for new working models. If you operate a hybrid working policy, you could use hot desking and coworking spaces to reduce your bills. Perhaps you want to downsize as more staff work from home, or maybe you need a flexible office space with agreeable leases that can accommodate rapid growth.

Size

Knowing how much office space you need helps you to choose somewhere that suits your current requirements, but also allows for growth. If you’re moving offices because you want more space and to create defined areas for various departments, then a larger office will be a priority. If extra rooms and open plan spaces aren’t important, then you can look at smaller offices without sacrificing functionality.

Type of Office

There are two main types of offices: a traditional office or serviced offices. Traditional offices come with a long-term lease and give you full control and customisation. They may also need an office fit out to tailor them to your business, which should be included in any budgeting. Serviced offices are purpose-built spaces that are managed by a third party with everything taken care of for you. Colony has a choice of private offices and coworking spaces in multiple locations across Manchester, with amenities and rates all included.

2. 4 to 6 months before - Telling people about your office move

An office relocation means you’ll need to tell various parties about your new address and moving date. You should start with:

• Employees - Let your team know you are moving offices and explain the reasons why so they feel involved. You will need their help, so keep them informed with timelines and their roles
• Landlords - Notify your current landlord of the move and be sure to check any early release fees. You should also finalise the contract with your new landlord or property manager
• Utilities - Cancel any utilities or arrange for them to be transferred to your new site
• Removal companies - Research and then hire a reliable company to manage the heavy lifting
• Customers and clients - Update them about your new office address and contact details, and consider using the opportunity to create a marketing campaign

Who to send a change of address notice to:

• Clients and stakeholders
• Services, such as broadband and telephone providers
• Your bank and any other creditors
• Official organisations like HMRC and Companies House
• Suppliers and their accounts departments
• Insurance companies
• Any subscription services

3. 3 to 6 months before - Planning ahead

Planning an office move needs a fair bit of forethought. You could hire a project manager to oversee the planning phase or handle it in-house. If you opt to do it yourself, these are some of the items to include on your office move checklist for the planning phase:

Write an inventory

First, list everything in your current office space. Take note of furniture, office equipment, and supplies. Separate essential items from those you can leave behind. Sell or donate anything you don’t need to places like The British Heart Foundation or Pickfords reuse service.

Create a shopping list

Moving gives you a chance to improve your office space, so make a list of desired items for the new location. Consider new furniture, office supplies, and any digital systems that enhance productivity. This ensures you have a well-equipped office as soon as you move in.

Devise a floorplan of the new office

Design a detailed floor plan, plotting where office desks and chairs will be placed, and space for eating, socialising or meetings. You can then refer to this on the day of your office move for a quick and successful office set-up. A clear plan helps team members understand the office layout quickly and maximises the available areas.

List the equipment you need to take with you

Prepare a list of essential equipment to move so that you don’t leave anything behind. Include computers, printers, TV screens, and any other necessary devices. Even things like the kettle should be noted.

Assemble a team

Assign roles to make moving into a new office as smooth as possible. You’ll need a project manager to oversee the process, as well as people to take care of IT support, HR processes, and the logistics. Each person can then ensure specific tasks are handled efficiently.

Make lists for each person or department

Develop action lists for each department. Detail their tasks leading up to and on moving day. For example, IT should focus on setting up systems, while HR will handle updating business cards with the new office address.

Set deadlines

Establish and communicate clear deadlines. Everything from confirming removals, notifying utilities of your office address change, and ordering biscuits to keep everyone well fuelled should be itemised. Meeting these timelines should prevent any last-minute panics.

4. 1 to 3 months before - Preparing to move office

You’ll need a practical office move to do list the closer you get to the day. Below are some essential actions:

• Order boxes and bubble wrap - Get plenty of packing materials to protect your office supplies
• Label boxes - Clearly mark each box with its contents and intended new location according to the floor plan you’ve created
• Get rid of unnecessary items - Clear out anything you won’t need in the new space ahead of time, so you aren’t dealing with clutter
• Create a timeline or flow chart - Outline the actions to take for roughly the week before and on your office move day
• Start packing - Begin packing non-essential items early to avoid last-minute stress, leaving only the bare minimum to pack on the morning you relocate

5. 1 week before and the day of the move - Moving offices

If all your preparation has gone to plan, you should arrive at moving day feeling ready to go. Keep your spreadsheets and office move checklist to hand so you can oversee everything both at the old office and new space. Once you’re in, start unpacking and setting up your new office. If you’ve moved into a Colony coworking space, everything will already be in place, making it completely stress-free when you step over your new office threshold. Send out any mailers to let everyone know you’re in your new professional digs.

Find your new office at Colony

If you’re thinking about an office move but don’t want the headache, relocating to a Colony serviced office is a pain-free way to get the space you need with none of the stress. With a choice of private offices in prestigious locations and with all amenities included, you won’t need to worry about packing up everything and the office dog. Our flexible leases make it easy to choose an office that suits you now and in the future, while extras like community events, roof terraces and a fully equipped podcast studio give you even more opportunities.

Talk to us today to find out how we can make moving offices easy for you and your team.