Office move checklist for small businesses in West Yorkshire

What should a small business office move checklist include?

A good office move checklist covers five things. They are your lease and notice dates, IT and broadband, your staff, the physical move itself and updating your address everywhere it appears. Planning each one early is what keeps a move from disrupting trading.

For a small office anywhere in West Yorkshire, three months is a comfortable lead time. Allow more if you need new broadband. This checklist is set out as a rough timeline, so you can see what to start first. Keep it in a shared document so the whole team can see progress.

It is written for small teams, from a handful of desks to a few dozen. In these businesses, the owner or office manager is usually running the move alongside everything else.

What should you check in your lease before you move?

Start with your current lease. Find the notice period, any break clause dates and how notice must be served, as missing a date can tie you in for longer. Check what condition you need to leave the premises in, as some leases require you to remove fixtures or redecorate.

For the new premises, confirm the date you get the keys and whether you can access the space before the move to plan the layout. Ask the landlord or managing agent about loading areas, parking, lift use and any building rules about when moves can happen.

If anything in either lease is unclear, ask your solicitor or surveyor before you commit to dates. Lease terms vary widely, and a quick check early on is far cheaper than a dispute later.

How far ahead should you sort IT, phones and broadband?

Contact your broadband provider as soon as you know the new address. A standard business connection can take weeks to install, and a dedicated leased line can take considerably longer. Ask for a firm installation date in writing and build your move around it.

Talk to whoever looks after your IT about the server, network equipment, printers and phone system. Decide who will disconnect, pack and reconnect each item, and when. Back up all data before anything is unplugged, and check the backup works. Make a note of any equipment that is leased, as the leasing company may need to be told about the new address.

Check whether your phone numbers can move with you, and plan a fallback, such as mobile hotspots, in case the connection is late. A few days without internet can cost a small business more than the move itself.

How do you keep staff informed during an office move?

Tell your team early and keep them updated. People want to know the new address and how their commute changes. They also want to see the new space and understand what they are expected to do on the day. A short weekly update by email or in a team meeting is usually enough.

Give each person clear jobs. Most offices ask staff to clear and pack their own desks, personal items and paperwork, while one person coordinates the shared areas. Set a date for clearing out old files, and arrange secure shredding for anything confidential.

Plan how the business keeps running. Agree who will answer customer calls on the day, and put a note on your website and voicemail if response times will be slower. You might divert phones, ask staff to work from home for a day or two, or move in stages so key functions are never offline.

How should you label everything for an office move?

Use a simple system that matches a floor plan of the new office. Give each desk or area a number or colour, mark it on the plan, and label every box, chair and piece of equipment to match. The crew can then put things in the right place first time.

Label computers and their cables together, and bag small parts such as mice, keyboards and chargers with the screen they belong to. Mark boxes holding confidential records clearly, and decide who will keep an eye on them during the move.

Stick a copy of the floor plan by the entrance of the new office on moving day. It saves the crew asking where each item goes. Keep a spare roll of labels handy for anything that gets missed.

Should you move your existing office furniture or buy new?

Measure the new space before you decide. Large desks, boardroom tables and cabinets that suited the old office may not fit the new layout. Some may not even get through the doors and stairwells. Some pieces may be worth replacing rather than moving.

If you are ordering new furniture, check delivery lead times. Try to have it arrive before you move in, or after the old furniture has gone. Decide what will happen to anything you are not taking, whether that is selling it, donating it or offering it to staff.

Our office removals service covers desks, chairs, cabinets, IT equipment and boxes. Simple flat-pack dismantling and reassembly is included, and complex furniture assembly is listed separately on your quote.

Can an office move happen outside working hours?

Many small businesses prefer to move when the office is closed, so trading is not interrupted. If you would like an out-of-hours or weekend move, ask us when you request a quote. Tell us your preferred date and time and we will do our best to fit around you.

You can get a fixed written price using the short form at get a quote. Alternatively, send a short video walk-round of the office on WhatsApp. Most office moves do not need a site visit, and we usually reply the same working day.

Who do you need to tell about your new business address?

If your registered office address is changing, update it with Companies House, which you can do online. Tell HMRC about your new business address too, including for VAT and PAYE if you are registered for them. Contact your new council about business rates.

Update your Google Business Profile, as this is where many customers find your address and directions. Google may ask you to verify the new location. Change your address on your website, invoices, email signatures, letterheads and any online directories.

Finally, tell your customers, suppliers, bank, accountant and insurers. A short email to customers a few weeks before the move, and another on the day, keeps everyone informed. For a wider list of contacts, our guide on who to tell when you move is a useful reference.