So you’ve decided it’s time to relocate your office. Whether you’re expanding and need more space, or downsizing due to a shift toward remote or hybrid work, moving offices can be a big undertaking – especially if you’re unsure where to start!
Don’t stress, we’re here to help you tackle your office move with confidence.
In this guide, we’ll share our expert tips and detailed 6 step office relocation timeline—complete with a checklist—to help you plan every stage of your move.
Plus, discover how Meyer’s professional office moving services can make the entire relocation process seamless and stress free.
Don’t feel like reading? Download this checklist as a PDF to prepare for your move over the next 6-18 months.
Ace Your Move With Our 6-Step Office Relocation Timeline and Checklist!
1. 6-18 Months Before Moving Day
Before you start packing up and putting down deposits, building a solid foundation for your move is crucial. For instance, knowing where, when, and why you’re moving can make your mission and strategy clear from the start.
- Determine the scope of your move.
The distance and complexity of your move will affect your budget, timeline, and necessary resources, so it’s important to consider these factors to determine whether moving makes sense for your business
- Local, long-distance, or international?
- Partial or full office relocation?
- Clarify the “why”
Identifying the “why’s” behind your move can help make the office relocation journey clearer. It can also help you identify your actual square footage, furniture, and office layout needs.
- Relocating to get closer to your target clientele
- Make room for your expanding business
- Improve productivity
- Downsizing based on post-pandemic hybrid and remote work styles
- Set your ideal (preliminary) move date
Keep in mind it’s best to start planning your office relocation anywhere from 6 to 18 months before your ideal move date. This timeline may vary based on the complexity and distance of the move. This gives you time to inform employees, vendors, and customers about the move and hire the necessary parties to help make the transition seamless.
- Avoid peak business times
- Consider employee availability
- Review your current lease
- Exit terms, notice requirements, and potential penalties for ending or breaking the lease
- Notify building management of your intent to move per the lease agreement, usually 3 to 6 months before vacating.
- Create your relocation budget
Moving can be expensive, so it’s essential to create a budget and stick to it. When creating your budget, be sure to factor in:
- Rent and operating costs
- Lease obligations and security deposits
- Packing materials and supplies
- IT and tech infrastructure and support
- Build-out costs
- Cost to hire a moving company or to rent your own moving trucks
- Finalize the new office lease and location
2. 3-6 Months Before Moving Day
During the 3 to 6 months leading up to your office move, expect to finalize major logistics such as setting a firm moving date, securing your moving company, and notifying your employees, clients, and service providers of your plan to move.
- Set your official move date
- Create a realistic moving timeline
- Establish hard deadlines for moving-related tasks such as service shutdowns, packing, and ordering of any new furniture and equipment
- Notify employees
If you have employees, it’s essential to give them plenty of notice before the big day. This way, they can make any necessary arrangements for critical IT and security processes and prepare themselves for the move. You should also let them know if there will be any changes to their work schedule or hours affected by the relocation.
- Share move details, timelines, and potential work-related impacts
- Assign a relocation project manager or team
- Notify key contacts
None of your important contacts wants to find out that you’ve moved locations by surprise. It’s critical to communicate your relocation plans early, and this transparent communication will help build and maintain trust and a strong relationship with your company.
- Inform clients, customers, vendors, service providers, and partners of your upcoming move
- Set reminders of your move on your company website and across social media platforms.
- Hire a moving company
Working with a moving company that can fulfill your relocation needs is pivotal to a seamless, stress-free transition to your new office space. No matter how simple or complex your move, it’s a wise idea to speak with a local moving company (or several) to ensure you have a reliable moving team ready for your projected moving date and within budget.
- Get quotes from several companies
- Consider choosing a company with experience in office relocations
- Ask about other moving services, logistical solutions, or other expert tips the moving team can provide for planning a move like yours
You never know what your moving team can help with! For instance, Meyer specializes in several office relocation services, including:
- Project planning and management
- Installation/reconfiguration of office furniture
- Warehousing and asset management
- IT disconnect/reconnect
- Server and electronics relocation
- Post-move support
- Final cleaning
- Patch/Paint/Renovate
With a team of experienced moving professionals, you can save time, money, frustration, and employee bandwidth better spent on other mission-critical tasks during the move.
3. 1-3 Months Before Moving Day
This is the time to plan out the final details. Finalize your new office layout, create a full inventory list of what’s moving to the new location, and start packing any non-essential office items. You’ll also want to coordinate utility transfers, confirm IT needs, and order any new furniture or equipment to ensure everything arrives on time.
- Schedule a walk-through of your new office space
Before you start packing up your old office space, be sure to schedule a walk-through of your new one. This will allow you to see the layout and make any necessary changes to the way you plan on setting up your furniture and equipment. It may also help you determine whether you need more or less office furniture based on the size and style of the office space or whether interior redesigns are required.
It’s also a good idea to take measurements of doorways and hallways so you know everything will fit in its new home before moving day.
- Take measurements
- Design your new office layout
- Begin furniture and equipment planning
- Determine what stays, goes, or needs to be purchased
- Create a full inventory for your move
This is especially important if you’re hiring a moving company to help with your relocation. Creating an inventory ensures that nothing gets lost or misplaced during the move, and it will also come in handy when it’s time to file an insurance claim if something is damaged during transport. Be sure to include everything from large pieces of furniture to small office supplies in your inventory list.
- Document all assets to be moved
- List out items to donate, discard, or sell
- Order and label packing supplies
- Boxes, labels, bubble wrap, tape, crates, etc.
- Label and color-code moving boxes
- Arrange for IT services
- Have a plan for disconnecting and reconnecting all IT services
- Coordinate with the moving company on server and equipment handling
4. 1 Month Before Moving Day
With just a few weeks to go, it’s time to confirm all logistics. Double-check moving dates with your movers, vendors, and building managers, finalize employee responsibilities, and continue packing up non-essential items. Make sure all communications about the move—both internal and external—have been sent and that your new office space is ready for setup.
- Begin packing non-essential items
- Seasonal items and decor, office supplies, etc.
- Update your business address
- Update your website, business cards, Google My Business, digital listings, etc.
- Notify financial institutions, the post office, vendors, etc.
- Confirm all moving logistics
- Double check that everything is on track with your movers
- Confirm dates, access times, loading dock reservations, point of contact, expected completion time, etc.
- Schedule any necessary services
- Cleaning
- Painting
- Repairs or renovations at the old or new location
5. 1-2 Weeks Before Moving Day
1 to 2 weeks before moving day is all about the final preparations. This is the time to double-check that utilities will be active at your new location and that employees know their moving day responsibilities. Begin packing up essential equipment, back up important data, set up office access, and ensure everything is clearly labeled for a smooth transition.
- Pack business essentials
- Computers, phones, daily-use supplies
- Distribute moving instructions to employees
- Duties, times, personal desk packing protocols
- Backup important data
- Archive and backup files to ensure redundancy and IT preparedness
- Set up new office access
- Keys, badges, security codes, etc.
- Utility setup and verification
- Confirm that internet, wifi, phone service, electricity, HVAC system, and water will be fully operational at your new office by your moving day
6. Moving Day
Moving day is here! With your planning in place, focus on executing the move efficiently—coordinate with your moving team, ensure everything is loaded and labeled correctly, and do a final sweep of the old office. Stay organized, communicate clearly, and keep your team energized for a successful transition to your new workspace.
- Move all personal belongings
- Employees should take home or move all personal belongings to the new location
- Coordinate with your movers
- Have your moving project manager on site to direct the move and answer any questions the movers may have
- Final walk-through of the old location
- Ensure everything is packed or removed
- Confirm damage inspection and lease compliance items
READ MORE: Office Decommissioning: What You Need to Know
Moving Offices? Call Meyer Inc Today!
Meyer Inc is a full-service office moving company helping businesses throughout Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and Maryland with their office relocation needs.
We are also a member of the United Van Lines network of movers and can refer you to a reputable partner should you need assistance outside our service areas.
Whether your business is moving across town or several states, Meyer Inc can help ensure your move goes smoothly. Contact us today for all of your office relocation needs!