How to Plan an Office Move: The Complete UK Guide

There's no shortage of office move checklists online — long lists of tasks to tick off once the move is already happening. But the planning stage is where most moves succeed or fail. Get the strategy right, and the execution takes care of itself. This guide walks you through how to plan an office move from scratch, step by step, before you pack a single box.

When to Start Planning

The biggest mistake businesses make is starting too late. By the time you're scrambling to book a removal company and order broadband, you've already lost the ability to negotiate, compare options, and avoid rush charges.

As a general rule:

• Small office (under 20 people) — start planning at least 8 weeks before your target move date
• Medium office (20–50 people) — allow 10–12 weeks, more if you need fit-out work
• Large office (50+ people) — start 16+ weeks out, especially if IT migration or phased moves are involved

These timelines assume you've already secured your new premises. If you're still searching, add the property hunt to the front — that can take months on its own. The planning clock starts once you've signed (or are close to signing) the new lease.

The critical path item is almost always broadband. Leased lines take 45–90 working days to install. Even standard fibre can take two to four weeks. Order this first, and work everything else around it. See our IT office move checklist for the full picture.

Set Clear Objectives for Your Move

Before diving into logistics, get clarity on why you're moving. The reason shapes every decision that follows — from how much you spend to what kind of space you look for.

Common reasons businesses move:

• Growth — you've outgrown your current space and need room for more people or equipment
• Cost reduction — your rent is too high relative to what you actually need
• Location — better transport links, closer to clients, or a more attractive area for recruitment
• Lease expiry — your lease is ending and the landlord isn't renewing (or terms are unfavourable)
• Culture change — moving to a space that better reflects how your team works (open plan, hybrid-friendly, better amenities)

Write these objectives down. Share them with your move team. When decisions get difficult — and they will — refer back to these objectives. If a choice doesn't serve at least one of them, it's probably not worth the cost or effort.

Build Your Move Team

An office move touches every part of the business. You need input from IT, finance, HR, and operations — but you need one person in charge.

The move coordinator is the single point of accountability. They don't do everything themselves, but they own the timeline, chase suppliers, and make decisions when things don't go to plan. For small businesses, this is often the office manager or a senior team member. For larger moves, it might be a dedicated project manager.

Your wider move team should include:

• IT lead — responsible for broadband, servers, network, phones, and data backup
• Finance lead — manages the budget, approves spending, and handles lease-related costs
• HR/people lead — handles staff communication, consultation requirements, and any commute-related issues
• Facilities/operations — coordinates with suppliers, manages access, and oversees the physical move

For moves involving 50+ people, seriously consider hiring an external project manager. They typically cost £5,000–£15,000 but pay for themselves through avoided delays, better supplier rates, and reduced disruption. Your team can focus on running the business while the PM handles the move.

Set a Realistic Budget

Most businesses underestimate their move budget by 30–50%, usually because they only count the obvious costs (removals, new furniture) and miss everything else. A realistic budget covers six categories:

1. Property — dilapidations on the old premises, business rates overlap, deposit on the new space
2. Logistics — removal company, packing materials, temporary storage, waste clearance
3. IT — broadband installation, network cabling, equipment migration, phone system
4. Fit-out — new furniture, partitions, decoration, signage, kitchen equipment
5. Staff — productivity loss during the move, any consultation or travel cost changes
6. Insurance and legal — goods in transit cover, Companies House filing, Royal Mail redirect

As a ballpark, budget £150–£300 per person for the move itself. Total project costs — including fit-out, furniture, and dilapidations — will be significantly higher. Always add 10–15% contingency. Something will cost more than expected.

For a detailed breakdown with real figures, see our office move budget guide or get a quick ballpark with the free cost estimator.

Create Your Timeline

Work backwards from your target moving day. Every milestone needs a realistic lead time and a clear owner.

A typical timeline for a medium-sized move:

For a more detailed, personalised version, our office move planner generates a custom timeline based on your team size, move date, and complexity. For the full phase-by-phase breakdown, see the office relocation timeline guide.

Choose Your Suppliers

The suppliers you choose will make or break the move. Get this right, and moving day is straightforward. Get it wrong, and you'll be dealing with damage, delays, and missing items.

For most office moves, you'll need some combination of:

• Removal company — for packing, transport, and unpacking at the new premises
• Clearance company — for items that aren't making the move (furniture, equipment, files). See our office clearance guide
• IT provider — for network cabling, broadband installation, and equipment migration
• Fit-out contractor — if the new space needs partitions, decoration, or other work

Get at least three quotes for each major service. When comparing, don't just look at price — check insurance cover, waste carrier licences, and ask for references from similar-sized moves. Our guide to choosing a removal company covers the 10 questions you should ask every supplier.

If you have furniture worth keeping but can't take with you, check its resale value with our free furniture valuation tool before assuming it's waste. Quality furniture can offset your clearance costs significantly.

Plan IT and Communications

IT is the critical path of any office move. If your team can't connect, log in, or make calls on day one, nothing else matters.

The IT plan should cover:

• Broadband — order as early as possible. Leased lines take 45–90 working days. Have a backup plan (4G/5G hotspots) for the first few days in case of delays
• Network infrastructure — cabling, Wi-Fi access points, switches, and server room setup at the new premises
• Equipment migration — how and when desktops, servers, printers, and phones move. Full backup before anything is unplugged
• Phone system — if you're on VoIP, porting is relatively simple. Traditional lines need more lead time
• Cloud readiness — if you're still running on-premises servers, the move might be a good time to migrate to cloud services

For the full IT picture, see our IT office move checklist.

Communications are equally important. Your team needs to know what's happening, when, and what's expected of them. Communicate early and often — uncertainty creates anxiety and resistance. For a structured approach, see our staff communication guide.

Common Planning Mistakes

After managing hundreds of office moves, these are the mistakes we see most often — and they're all avoidable.

1. Starting too late — the most common mistake by far. Every week of delay reduces your options and increases costs. Rushed moves cost 20–30% more than well-planned ones
2. Underestimating dilapidations — the cost of restoring your old premises to lease condition can be the single largest unexpected expense. Check your obligations before you budget
3. Forgetting about broadband lead times — ordering broadband on week one is not early enough if you need a leased line. This should be the very first thing you do
4. Not auditing before the move — if you don't know what you have, you can't plan what to move, sell, or dispose of. Walk every room before doing anything else
5. Skipping staff consultation — legally required for 20+ employees if commutes change significantly, but good practice regardless. People handle change better when they're involved, not just informed
6. No contingency budget — 10–15% is the minimum. Without it, the first surprise cost derails everything
7. Trying to do it all in-house — for small moves, this is fine. For anything over 30 people, the cost of lost productivity usually exceeds the cost of professional help
8. Ignoring waste compliance — UK commercial waste regulations are strict. Using an unlicensed carrier makes you liable for illegal dumping, with unlimited fines. Always verify waste carrier licences

Frequently Asked Questions

How far in advance should you plan an office move?

For a straightforward move under 50 people, 8–12 weeks is usually enough. Larger or more complex relocations — especially those involving IT migration, fit-out work, or multiple floors — benefit from 16+ weeks. The single biggest bottleneck is broadband installation, which can take 6–12 weeks.

What is the first thing to do when planning an office move?

Review your current lease. Check break clause conditions, notice periods, dilapidation obligations, and what reinstatement work is required. Everything else — budget, timeline, suppliers — depends on when you can actually leave your current premises.

Do I need a project manager for an office move?

For moves under 30 people with an experienced internal lead, usually not. For 50+ people, a professional move PM (£5,000–£15,000) typically saves more than they cost through better supplier management, avoided delays, and reduced staff downtime.

What are the biggest risks in an office move?

IT failure on day one is the biggest operational risk — if staff can't log in, make calls, or access files, the business stops. The biggest financial risk is underestimating dilapidations on the old premises, which can run to tens of thousands of pounds. Both are avoidable with proper planning.

How much does it cost to plan and execute an office move?

As a rough guide, budget £150–£300 per person for the move itself (removals, IT, packing, clearance). Total project costs including fit-out and furniture can be significantly higher. A 50-person office typically costs £7,500–£15,000 for the move, with fit-out on top. See our full budget guide or try the cost estimator for a quick ballpark.