Office Moves Without Losing a Work Week

Nobody remembers whether the office move went smoothly. They remember the three days the phones did not work. So plan the whole thing backwards from the moment your team needs to be productive again.

Start 10 to 12 weeks out

• Name one internal owner. Committees are how office moves slip.
• Read both leases for move-out condition, restoration obligations, and allowed move hours.
• Book internet at the new space first. It is the longest lead item and it is the one that breaks the reopening.
• Get a floor plan and assign seats before you move, not after.

IT gets its own plan

1. 1Inventory every machine, monitor, dock, and cable, and photograph the back of the server rack and each desk setup.
2. 2Confirm the circuit at the new location is live and tested at least a week ahead.
3. 3Port phone numbers early. Carriers are slow and this cannot be rushed at the end.
4. 4Back everything up the day before the move. Twice, if it matters.
5. 5Have IT on site during the first hour at the new space, not the next morning.

The labeling system that works

Color code by department, number by destination room from the floor plan, and put a matching sign on every door at the new office. The crew should never have to ask where something goes. Each employee packs their own desk into two labeled boxes with their name and new seat number.

Do not move what you should not move

Old files get scanned or shredded. Broken chairs get recycled. Equipment you were already going to replace gets replaced now instead of paying to relocate it. Most offices we move are hauling 20 percent dead weight, and it costs real money to carry it twice.

Tell people what is happening

Email clients and vendors two weeks ahead with the new address and the exact dates. Update Google Business Profile, the website footer, invoices, and email signatures on day one. Half the business disruption from a move is not logistics, it is people who could not find you.