Office Move Checklist: How to Prepare Your Business for Relocation

Changing offices can seem like a daunting job, but most of the stress comes from things that could have been settled months earlier: building rules nobody asked about, internet that isn't installed, furniture that doesn't fit the new floor plan. This office move checklist puts every task on a timeline, from six months out to the week after you move in, so your business keeps running and your team is back at work quickly.

Use it whether you're moving a few blocks away or across the country. And if you'd rather hand the heavy lifting to a team that does this every week, our San Diego commercial movers can plan the move with you from the first survey.

3 to 6 Months Before the Move

• Name a move lead. One person owns the timeline and is the contact for the landlord, the mover and the IT vendor. In a larger company, add one helper per department.
• Set the date. Make sure it doesn't overlap with key company events such as a product launch, a busy season or an important client meeting.
• Read both leases. Check the move-out terms on the old space (notice, restoration and cleaning requirements) and the move-in date on the new one. Ask your landlord about anything in the contract that could affect the move.
• Set a budget. Include the mover, IT and phones, work on the new space, new furniture and any overlap in rent. Our guide to office move costs in San Diego lists what to plan for.
• Get mover estimates. Ask for a survey, in person or by video, and a written estimate. Compare what each estimate includes, not just the total.
• Plan the new space. Draw a floor plan that places every desk, workstation, cabinet and printer, and check it against the outlets and network ports.
• Book the trades. Painters, carpenters, electricians and cabling contractors should finish before your furniture arrives, not while it's coming off the truck.

2 to 3 Months Before

• Get the move rules from both buildings. Ask each property manager for the allowed move hours, freight elevator and loading dock reservations, truck parking and the certificate of insurance your mover must provide. Many buildings only allow moves after hours or on weekends.
• Order internet and phones. Internet installation can take weeks, so order service at the new address early and schedule it to be live before move day.
• Plan the IT move. Decide who disconnects, moves and reconnects computers, servers, phones and printers, and when. Back up your data before anything is unplugged.
• Take inventory and declutter. List everything that's moving and decide what to keep, sell, donate or recycle. Every item you get rid of now is one you don't pay to move.
• Decide what to store. If the new space won't be ready on move-out day, or you're downsizing, plan for commercial storage.
• Tell your employees. Share the date and the plan, and give people time to adjust to a new commute. Some may need to change child care or parking arrangements.

What to put on your inventory

• Office furniture: desks, workstations, chairs, conference tables, couches and shelving
• Office electronics: computers, monitors, laptops, printers, TVs and phones
• Copiers and other large equipment
• File cabinets and records
• Kitchen and break-room appliances
• Whiteboards, wall decor and artwork
• Stock, inventory and anything in storage rooms

1 Month Before

• Confirm the plan with your mover. Go over the date, the start time, the building reservations, the floor plan and who packs what.
• Set up a labeling system. Give every room or desk in the new floor plan a number, and label boxes and furniture to match.
• Make your address change list. Clients, suppliers, your bank, insurance, payroll, subscriptions, your website and your Google Business Profile. Order new signage and printed materials.
• Order new furniture. Have it delivered straight to the new space, after the trades are done.
• Arrange access. Keys, access cards and parking for the new building, for your team and for move day.

1 to 2 Weeks Before

• Pack what employees are packing. Personal items and desk contents go in labeled boxes. Leave fragile and technical items to the movers if they're packing them.
• Reconfirm the building reservations. Check the elevator and dock bookings at both buildings and confirm the certificate of insurance has been sent.
• Schedule the IT shutdown. Pick the time systems go down and the time they should be back up, and tell everyone.
• Post the floor plan. Put copies at the entrance and in each room of the new space so the crew can place everything the first time.

Move Day

• Have a point person at each building to answer questions and sign off.
• Walk the old space with the crew lead before loading starts, and the new space before unloading.
• Keep essentials with you: keys, access cards, laptops, important documents and the floor plan.
• Do a final walk-through of the old space before you hand back the keys.

After the Move

• Check that furniture and workstations are reassembled and in the right place.
• Test computers, phones, printers and the internet before the team's first full day.
• Unpack the shared spaces first: reception, the break room and meeting rooms.
• Confirm debris and packing materials have been removed.
• Finish the address changes, and tell clients you've moved.

Let Oakley Handle the Move

Oakley Relocation has moved San Diego County businesses since 2008. We send the certificate of insurance your building asks for, confirm elevator and dock reservations, move after hours or on weekends when your building requires it, label everything to your new floor plan, take apart and reassemble workstations, and arrange IT reconnection through third-party experts. One coordinator manages your move from the first survey to the final box.

We're a WBENC-certified women-owned business and a North American Van Lines agent, so we can also handle moves out of state. See our office movers page, call 1.858.360.1569 or request a free quote.