When a family moves house, a delay is an inconvenience. When a business moves, a delay costs money by the hour. The good news is that office moves are far more predictable than domestic ones, because you control the timing.
Here is the checklist we work through with commercial customers across Hull and the East Riding.
Three to six months out
- Confirm the new lease and the exact handover date
- Check the notice period on your current premises — this catches people out
- Produce a floor plan of the new space with every desk, meeting room and storage area marked
- Appoint one internal move coordinator with authority to make decisions
- Book your commercial removals provider and arrange a site survey of both premises
Two to three months out
- Brief your IT provider. Broadband and phone line installation at the new site has the longest lead time of anything on this list. Start it now.
- Audit what you actually need to move. Office moves are the best decluttering opportunity a business ever gets.
- Arrange secure disposal of old records — our document shredding service handles confidential material with certificates of destruction
- Tell your staff. Early, and with the floor plan.
One month out
- Update your address everywhere it appears: website, Google Business Profile, letterheads, invoices, email signatures, social profiles
- Notify customers, suppliers, your bank, insurers and Companies House
- Order any new furniture so it arrives before the move, not after
- Arrange parking, lift access and out-of-hours building access at both ends
- Confirm the crate delivery date
The week before
- Every employee packs their own desk into labelled crates
- Label crates by destination — floor, room, desk number — not by owner
- IT backs everything up and photographs the back of every server and workstation before anything is unplugged
- Confirm the running order with your removals coordinator
- Put a clear out-of-office plan in place for the move window
Move day
Most commercial moves are best run on a Friday evening or over a weekend, so staff leave one office and arrive at another with no working day lost. IT should be reconnected and tested before anyone returns.
Keep the coordinator on site at the destination, not the origin — that is where the decisions need making.
The first week in
- Walk the floor and fix the small things immediately
- Confirm every address update has actually gone live
- Check post is being redirected
- Return crates promptly — most providers charge by the week
What about the things that will not fit yet?
Archive files, spare furniture and seasonal stock rarely need to be in your new premises on day one. Commercial storage keeps them accessible without paying office rent to house them.
Frequently asked questions
How long does an office move take?
A small office of 10–20 people can be moved over a single weekend. Larger sites are usually phased across departments.
Should we move in phases or all at once?
All at once is cleaner if you can manage it. Phased moves mean running two sites, two networks and two sets of keys.
Who is responsible for IT disconnection and reconnection?
Normally your IT provider, not your removals company. Agree the boundary in writing early — it is the most common gap in an office move plan.
Planning a move in Hull or East Yorkshire?
Hardakers have been moving families and businesses across Hull, Beverley, Cottingham, Hessle and the East Riding since 1870. Call 01482 323069, request a free quote or get in touch and we will talk you through your options — no obligation.
