Planning an Office Move in London: Timeline & Checklist
How to plan an office move in London without losing days of work is a question I hear from business owners every week. Too often, the move turns into missed deadlines, lost kit, and a team that can’t get online.
I’m the founder of sleekassuredremovals, and I’ve led London office moves for years. The biggest frustration? You book movers, then the building blocks the lift, the loading bay disappears, and IT goes down at the worst time. That’s when costs jump, and stress hits hard.
This guide gives you a clear timeline and checklist you can follow step by step. You’ll learn what to do first, what to book early, and how to keep downtime low—so you can move and get back to work fast.
Key Takeaways
- Start planning 12–24 weeks ahead, with one move lead and a clear project plan. This keeps decisions fast and stops last-minute panic.
- Build a London-ready timeline early, then lock in lift and loading bay slots with building management. This cuts delays and extra fees.
- Protect your budget by pricing the full scope: packing, crates, IT handling, access limits, and disposal. This avoids surprise costs.
- Treat IT relocation as its own mini-project: internet, phones, Wi-Fi, and testing. This keeps your team online and working.
- Use a simple office move checklist, London, plus labels and an asset list. This prevents missing kit and speeds up Day-1 setup.
How to Plan an Office Move in London: Step-by-Step
Planning an Office Move in London starts with a clear office move timeline (12–24 weeks) and a simple owner-led plan. Set roles, book lift and loading bay slots, then pick office movers in London who can work with your building rules. Next, treat IT relocation like its own task: internet, phones, Wi-Fi, and testing. Finish with an office move checklist London for labels, crates, and an asset list, so your office relocation London stays on time.
Facts and Original Research
London office moves happen in a tight market. Knight Frank forecasts a 10.8m sq ft shortage of top-grade space over five years, so firms often act fast.
Savills reports 2.1m sq ft began construction in Q3 2025, with 5.7m sq ft started in 2025 so far. IT risk stays high, too. IT Pro, citing New Relic, says 26% of UK and Ireland firms face major outages weekly, with costs up to $1m–$3m per hour. The ICO recommends secure shredding or device wiping, and HSE says: “You must protect your workers” from hazardous manual handling.
Quick stats table
| Fact you can quote | Source | What it means for your move |
| Projected 10.8m sq ft undersupply of high-quality space (5 years) | Knight Frank | Decisions move fast; your plan needs to be ready |
| 2.1m sq ft starts in Q3 2025; 5.7m sq ft YTD | Savills | New space arrives slowly; timelines stay tight |
| 26% weekly high-impact outages; $1m–$3m/hour cost range | IT Pro / New Relic | Treat IT relocation as its own workstream |
| Secure disposal: locked bins, cross shredding, secure wiping | ICO | Build data steps into your checklist |
| Duty to protect staff from hazardous manual handling risk | HSE | Use crates, trolleys, and safe lifting plans |
What Office Relocation in London Really Involves
Office relocation in London means moving your people, furniture, and IT with a clear plan, not a last-minute rush. You work around building rules, lift slots, loading bays, and security checks. You also track assets like laptops and files, and set up internet and phones so work can restart quickly.
Why planning beats “we’ll figure it out later.”
A simple timeline keeps movers, IT, and staff aligned. It reduces waiting, cuts surprise costs, and avoids missed London access windows. Think of it like reopening a shop—if the card machine fails, sales stop. In your office, IT is that “card machine,” so test it first.
Why Planning Your London Office Move Pays Off
A planned move keeps your business running and avoids common London problems. These three reasons matter most.
Reason 1 — Minimise downtime during the move
Keep work going with phased packing and a remote-work backup. Pack “open-first” crates for IT and reception. Test the internet and phones before the staff arrive.
Reason 2 — Control costs, Budget planning
List every cost: crates, packing, access limits, cleaning, disposal, and IT handling. Add a buffer for weekend work. Compare quotes with the same scope.
Reason 3 — Avoid London delays: access, lifts, loading
Book lift slots and loading bays early. Confirm sign-in rules with building staff. Use timed unloading so items land in the right zones.
Office Move Timeline London: Step-by-Step Checklist
Step 1 — move plan + budget (12–20 weeks out)
Pick one move lead, then name owners for IT, HR, finance, and facilities. Write a one-page plan with scope, risks, and dates. Do office move budget planning for movers, crates, cleaning, disposal, storage, and out-of-hours access. Keep a small buffer.
Step 2 — Pick movers + confirm access (8–16 weeks out)
Shortlist office movers in London and get a site visit. Ask your office moving company in London for insurance and a written scope. Confirm lift slots, loading bay times, and sign-in rules with both buildings. Track every booking.
Step 3 — Timeline + Packing Plan (4–14 weeks out)
Create your office move timeline and office relocation timeline in London by working backwards. Label crates by team, zone, and desk ID. Use an office relocation checklist and office move checklist London to track seats, maps, and “open-first” boxes.
Step 4 — IT, Moving Day, and After-Move Tasks
Treat the IT relocation for the office move as its own task. Confirm internet dates, then test Wi-Fi and phones before staff return. After the move, fix issues using a snag list. Finish with a change of address checklist UK for clients, banks, website, and Google.
Office Move Mistakes to Avoid in London
Mistake 1 — Booking Movers Before Building Rules
Many London buildings limit move hours, lift use, and loading bay time. If you book movers first, you may lose your slot or pay extra for waiting time. Confirm rules in writing before you lock dates.
Mistake 2 — Leaving IT planning until the last minute
Internet installs and phone changes can take weeks. If you leave IT late, your team arrives at dead Wi-Fi and silent phones. List every device early, then test everything before Day 1.
Myth — “Small offices don’t need a proper timeline.”
Small teams feel disruption faster. One missing cable or lost key can stop half your staff. A simple timeline keeps packing, access, and setup in order, so you reopen smoothly and stay calm.
Real London Office Move Examples: Downtime + IT
Weekend move to cut downtime
A 20-person team moved from Shoreditch to the City on a Saturday. We packed by zone, used “open-first” crates, and placed IT first. By Monday 9 a.m., phones and Wi-Fi worked, desks matched the seating plan, and work started on time.
IT cutover plan that avoids chaos
A growing agency planned internet and phones six weeks early. They tested Wi-Fi, printers, and meeting rooms two days before staff returned. On Day 1, one switch failed, yet a spare fixed it fast, so meetings ran as normal.
Office Move Tools, Templates & Checklists
Keep your move plan simple and easy to follow. Use a one-page office relocation checklist to track tasks by week. Add an office relocation planning checklist for roles, vendor contacts, and building bookings. Keep a packing label sheet (team, zone, desk ID), an asset list for IT and keys, and a Day-1 test list for Wi-Fi, phones, printers, and meeting rooms.
What’s “hot” right now
Many London teams now plan moves around hybrid work, so seating plans change more often. As a result, move dates can feel tighter, even with flexible leases. At the same time, buildings often run stricter move slots, lift rules, and sign-in steps. So if you book early and confirm everything in writing, you save time, avoid last-minute reshuffles, and keep stress lower.
Conclusion
Start early with one move lead and a clear timeline. Then book lift and loading bay slots, and lock your mover dates in writing. Next, treat IT as a top task, so your internet and phones work on Day 1. After that, label crates by zone and team, so unpacking stays quick. In week one, use a snag list to fix small issues before they turn into big delays.
For a faster plan, download the checklist. If you want someone to check access rules and timings, book a short site survey. And if you need office movers in London, request a quote and keep your team working with less stress.
Frequently Asked Questions
Start 12–24 weeks ahead. Pick a move lead, confirm dates with both buildings, and book lifts/loading bays early. Then line up movers, IT, packing, and clearance today first.
Plan IT first. Keep a remote-work day ready, move after hours when possible, label everything, and test internet, phones, and Wi-Fi before staff arrive next morning on site.
Use zones, labels, and an asset list. Add lift and loading bay bookings, IT cutover steps, packing crate counts, and a day-one setup checklist for each team.
Choose a London firm with site surveys, insurance, and written access plans. Ask about lift sizes, loading bay timing, out-of-hours work, IT handling, and clear pricing in writing.
Book the internet early and set a cutover plan. Back up data, tag devices, move servers last, and test Wi-Fi, phones, printers, and access control before opening day-one doors.
