An office move has one challenge that a household move doesn’t: the business still has to function. Employees need clear instructions about where to report and what to expect. Customers should still be able to reach your business. Computers, furniture, records, equipment, internet service, and access to the new building all need to be coordinated so they are ready when your team needs them.
Planning early can reduce disruption and help everyone know what they’re responsible for. Use this office moving checklist as a starting point, then adjust the timeline for the size and complexity of your business.
8–12 Weeks Before the Move: Build the Plan
Start by determining exactly what is moving and what isn’t.
Walk through the current office and identify furniture, files, technology, equipment, inventory, supplies, artwork, and other items that will need to make the move. This is also the right time to decide what should be sold, donated, recycled, disposed of, or placed into storage rather than paying to move things the business no longer needs.
If you haven’t already selected a moving company, schedule an on-site estimate. A commercial mover should see the space, understand the inventory, and learn about access at both locations before developing the moving plan.
Gerber provides free on-site estimates for business moves throughout the Kansas City area.
Learn more about Gerber’s office and commercial moving services.
Assign an Internal Move Coordinator
Choose one person—or a small team for a larger organization—to coordinate the move internally.
This doesn’t mean that person has to perform every task. Their job is to keep information moving between management, employees, the moving company, building management, IT providers, furniture vendors, and anyone else involved. Having a clear point of contact also prevents different departments from making conflicting arrangements.
Review the New Space
Get an accurate floor plan and decide where departments, workstations, offices, shared equipment, storage, and common areas will go. This information eventually becomes part of the labeling plan. Movers can work much more efficiently when a desk marked Accounting 204 has a clearly identified destination rather than requiring someone to decide where it belongs after it reaches the new building.
6–8 Weeks Before: Coordinate the Details Outside the Moving Truck
Contact building management at both locations and ask about moving requirements. Some buildings restrict moving to certain hours or require reservations for loading docks, service elevators, or freight entrances. There may also be requirements for insurance documentation or protection of floors, elevators, and common areas. Make sure parking and truck access have been considered as well.
This is also the time to confirm your technology plan. Coordinate internet service, telephone systems, network equipment, servers, printers, security systems, and any specialized equipment your company depends on.
Your mover can transport computers and electronics, but your IT team or technology vendor may need to handle shutdown, backup, disconnection, network configuration, and reconnection.
Tell Employees What to Expect
Employees don’t need every logistical detail, but they do need clear instructions. Communicating early gives people time to prepare instead of turning the final afternoon into a rushed cleanout.
Let them know:
- The moving date and expected work schedule
- When personal work areas need to be packed
- What employees are responsible for packing themselves
- How boxes and equipment should be labeled
- What should be taken home rather than moved
- Where to report at the new location
- Whether remote work or altered schedules will be used during the transition
4–6 Weeks Before: Decide What Needs Professional Packing or Storage
Not every business handles packing the same way. Employees may be able to pack files, books, office supplies, and personal work areas, while the moving company handles furniture, electronics, artwork, fragile items, or equipment. Other businesses choose professional packing for most of the office so employees can keep working as long as possible. Discuss those responsibilities with your mover before packing begins.
Gerber also provides custom packing and crating for items that require additional protection.
Learn about Gerber’s packing and crating services.
Consider Whether Everything Is Going Directly to the New Office
Temporary storage can be useful when the move involves more than a simple transition from one finished office to another. For example, the new location may not be completely ready, replacement furniture may arrive on a different schedule, or renovation work may leave only part of the office available at first. A company that is downsizing may also need time to decide what to do with surplus furniture and equipment before disposing of it.
If some items will need to be stored, identify them early rather than sorting them out on moving day.
Gerber owns a 72,000-square-foot containerized storage facility in Bonner Springs that can be incorporated into commercial moving plans.
Learn more about Gerber’s storage options.
2–4 Weeks Before: Create the Labeling System
Labeling is one of the simplest ways to make an office move faster. Choose a consistent system based on the layout of the new office. Depending on the business, that might mean department names, room numbers, workstation numbers, colors, or a combination of several of these.
Then use the same system on:
- Boxes
- Desks
- Chairs
- Filing cabinets
- Computer equipment
- Shelving
- Departmental equipment
- Other items with a specific destination
Post corresponding labels or signs in the new office so the moving crew can identify destinations immediately.
A good labeling system reduces questions during unloading and helps prevent everything from accumulating in one staging area that employees then have to sort themselves.
One Week Before: Protect Business Continuity
By the final week, the focus should shift from planning the move to making sure the business can keep operating.
Back up critical computer systems and business data according to your company’s IT procedures. Confirm that essential services at the new office will be active when needed.
Prepare a list of contacts for the move coordinator, mover, property managers, IT team, security provider, utilities, and other essential vendors.
Think specifically about what employees will need during the first day at the new location. Items such as laptops, chargers, passwords or access credentials, keys, employee records, basic office supplies, and critical paperwork shouldn’t disappear into an unidentified moving box.
If the company will continue serving customers throughout the move, establish a backup communication plan. That might mean forwarding phones, using mobile phones temporarily, having some employees work remotely, or clearly notifying customers of limited availability.
The Day Before the Move
Walk through the office one more time. Make sure boxes are closed and labeled, personal belongings have been removed, and anything that should not be moved is clearly identified. Confirm access arrangements with both buildings. Check loading dock or elevator reservations and make sure keys, badges, alarm codes, or building contacts will be available.
The internal move coordinator should also have the final destination plan ready for the moving crew.
Moving Day
The goal on moving day is not to redesign the plan. It’s to execute the one you’ve already created. Have the designated move coordinator available to answer questions, but avoid having large numbers of employees directing movers independently.
Keep hallways, doorways, elevators, and loading areas clear. Make sure pets, children, customers, or unnecessary personnel aren’t moving through work areas where crews are carrying furniture and equipment.
At the new office, confirm that room and workstation labels are visible before unloading begins.
Before the moving crew finishes, walk through both locations to identify anything that was overlooked or placed incorrectly.
The First Few Days After the Move
An office doesn’t have to be completely finished before employees return, but the essentials should work.
Prioritize:
- Technology and communications
- Employee workstations
- Customer-facing areas
- Shared equipment
- Records and frequently used supplies
- Lower-priority storage and decorative items
Create a central punch list rather than having every employee independently report moving issues to different people. The internal move coordinator can then work through the remaining tasks systematically.
This is also a good time to identify furniture, boxes, or equipment that may need to go into storage or be removed after the move.
A Good Office Move Starts Before Moving Day
The actual transportation may take a day or a weekend. The planning begins much earlier.
Giving employees clear responsibilities, coordinating technology and building access, developing an organized labeling system, and making packing and storage decisions ahead of time can make the difference between a short transition and weeks of disruption.
Gerber Moving & Storage has helped Kansas City-area businesses relocate for decades. Gerber’s commercial moving crews use specialized equipment for office furniture, files, partitions, computers, electronics, and other business assets, with packing and storage services available when they’re needed.
Planning a business relocation? Request a free on-site estimate from Gerber so the moving plan can be built around your space, equipment, schedule, and business needs.
Request an Estimate
The best way to give you a fair, accurate price is to have a Gerber representative visit your home or business. This service is free—there is no charge for us to do an on-site survey and prepare an estimate.
