A small office move usually lands on one person who already has a full-time job: the office manager, the practice manager or one of the directors. There’s no project team and no spare week.
This guide is for that person. It covers what to decide first, what a removals company should handle, what you’ll need to do yourself, and how to get everyone working again on the first morning. If you’d rather hand the move to us, see our office removals service or office removals in London.
What counts as a small office move
There’s no official definition. Our quote form treats one to ten desks as a small office. In practice it’s any office where one person can plan the move alongside their normal work. Once you’re past that point you need a proper project plan, and our office move project plan is a better place to start.
The four decisions to make first
1. The move date and the access windows
Your move date is set less by you than by the two buildings. Many commercial landlords only allow moves outside core hours. Ask both landlords or building managers:
- When are moves allowed?
- Is there a goods lift, and does it need booking?
- Where can a van load, and does a parking bay need suspending?
- What paperwork do they want from your mover?
2. What moves, what goes and what’s new
Walk round with a notepad. For every item, decide whether to move it, get rid of it or replace it. Small offices often find that a lot of the furniture isn’t worth moving. Buying new furniture for the new office can make moving day simpler, as long as delivery is booked before you arrive.
3. Who owns IT on the day
This is where small moves most often go wrong. Decide now:
- Who unplugs and labels the computers, screens and phones?
- Who moves the router, switches or any small server?
- Who sets them up again and checks they work?
Our crews crate, protect and label IT equipment to its new position. Book your own IT provider for the move date now: we can coordinate the disconnection and reconnection with them, and we’ll build the schedule around when they can attend. Our guide to moving office IT explains how the work splits between your mover and your IT people.
4. One person in charge
Even in a five-person office, one person should own the plan and be the mover’s single contact. Everyone else just needs to know what to pack, and by when.
A simple timeline from booking to the first morning
| When | What |
|---|---|
| As soon as the lease is signed | Book the mover’s survey. Order broadband and phone lines for the new office |
| 4–6 weeks before | Confirm the date with both buildings. Book the goods lift and parking if needed. Book your IT support |
| 2–3 weeks before | Decide the new seating plan. Clear old files using our business archiving guide |
| 1 week before | Agree with your mover when the crates and labels will arrive. Staff start packing anything they won’t need that week |
| Last working day | Staff pack their desks, label everything to the new plan and unplug their own equipment if agreed |
| Move day | The mover loads, moves and places everything to the plan. Your IT provider reconnects |
| First morning | Someone checks every desk, printer and phone works |
Connectivity is the item to order first. Lead times for business lines run to weeks and can’t be squeezed once your date is fixed, and it’s one of the few things a mover can’t speed up. For a fuller list, see our office relocation checklist.
Packing a small office: who does what
You choose how the packing is split. We offer full packing, partial packing or materials only. A common arrangement is for staff to pack their own desks while the mover handles everything else: shared cupboards, the kitchen, the meeting room.
Use crates rather than cardboard boxes. They stack, close and cope with stairs better. We use reusable plastic crates where we can, with colour-coded labels so every crate lands in the right room at the new address.
Give everyone a simple rule: one crate per person for their desk, labelled with their name and new desk number. Anything personal and valuable goes home with them.
Phones, broadband and post
- Broadband: order it for the new address as early as you can.
- Phones: if you use internet phones, they may work wherever the broadband works. Check with your provider before the move.
- Post: set up redirection, and update your address with your bank, HMRC, insurers and suppliers. If your registered office is moving too, update Companies House.
- Website and Google Business Profile: change the address the week you move.
Moving over a weekend to keep trading
We offer evening and weekend office moves, and they’re the simplest way to avoid losing a working day. A weekend plan for a small office might look like this: staff pack on Friday afternoon, we load that evening or on Saturday morning, and your IT provider sets up over the weekend. On Monday everyone sits down at their new desks.
Check first that both buildings allow weekend moves, and that your IT provider can attend when you need them.
What drives the cost
We won’t quote a figure without a survey, but these are the things that set the price:
- Volume: how much is moving, not how many people work there.
- Access at both ends: stairs, lifts, parking and how far the van is from the door.
- Timing: out-of-hours rates are often charged separately, so ask for them in writing before you pick your date.
- Extras: packing, dismantling and reassembling desks, crates, storage, and clearing old furniture.
Our office relocation costs guide goes through each of these.
Getting a quote
Send us your headcount, both addresses and your preferred dates, and tell us about any stairs or lifts at each end. We start with an on-site or video survey, then give you an itemised written quotation built on an agreed inventory, with anything chargeable separately set out at the survey.
Request a quote, or read more about our office removals service and office removals in London.
Frequently asked questions
How long does a small office move take?
It depends on how much is moving and on access at both buildings, so the survey sets the timetable. The planning takes longer than the move: order broadband and book building access several weeks ahead.
Can we move a small office at the weekend?
Yes, if both buildings allow it. We offer evening and weekend moves, and they’re the simplest way to avoid losing a working day.
Do we need to pack our own desks?
It’s up to you. We offer full packing, partial packing or materials only. Many offices have staff pack their own desk contents into crates while the mover handles the rest. Agree it in advance so nothing is missed.