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The Complete Office Move Guide

Planning an office move involves more moving parts than most people anticipate - and the mistakes made early are the most expensive to fix. This guide covers every stage of the process, from defining your requirements and finding the right space, to managing the move itself and arriving ready on day one.

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How to start planning an office move

Most office moves go wrong because the planning starts too late. People focus on finding the new space and underestimate everything that has to happen before, during, and after the physical move. The result is rushed decisions on furniture, IT systems that are not ready on day one, and a team arriving at a half-finished office.

How long does an office move take - and when should you start?

For a company of 30 to 100 people, allow a minimum of four to six months from decision to move-in. Here is a realistic breakdown of how the time is used.

  • Months 5-6: Define requirements and begin searching. Set your brief - size, location, budget, lease length, must-haves.
  • Months 3-4: Shortlist, negotiate, and sign. Legal review of the lease can take four to six weeks.
  • Months 2-3: Plan the fit-out, furniture, and IT. If you are using a furniture subscription, start the design process immediately.
  • Month 1: Final preparations and team communications. Confirm the move date and arrange commercial removals.
  • Move week: The physical move itself should be the least stressful part if everything before it has been planned properly.
Office move planning timeline showing key milestones from decision to move-in day

Defining your office requirements before you search

Before you look at a single space, you need a clear brief. Without one, viewings become inefficient and decision-making is driven by what you happen to see rather than what you actually need.

  • Headcount and growth trajectory. How many people do you need to seat today? How many in 18 months?
  • Zone requirements. How many workstations, meeting rooms, breakout areas, focus zones?
  • Location priorities. Transport links matter more than most founders admit.
  • Budget. Include rent, service charge, rates, fit-out, furniture, IT, and contingency.
  • Lease flexibility. How long are you prepared to commit? Do you need break clauses?

The office move checklist

  • Legal and lease: Review notice periods, instruct a solicitor, check dilapidations obligations.
  • Space planning: Get a floor plan early. Brief your furniture provider on zone requirements and headcount.
  • Furniture: Decide on your model early. A circular subscription can install in two to six weeks.
  • IT: Audit infrastructure. Plan connectivity and hardware installation. Confirm broadband lead times.
  • Communications: Update registered address, website, notify HMRC, Companies House, banks, and suppliers.
  • Team: Communicate the move date and what to expect. Share the design of the new space if you have one.

Choosing the right furniture model for your new office

Furniture is one of the most consequential decisions in an office move. A circular subscription converts a large capital cost to a predictable monthly operating expense, builds flexibility into the model from day one, and removes the end-of-life disposal problem. For a full IT migration checklist alongside furniture and people planning, see our dedicated office relocation guide.

Key Takeaways

  • Start planning at least four to six months before your move-in date.
  • Define your requirements before you search - headcount, zones, location, budget, and lease flexibility.
  • Furniture should be planned at the same time as the lease, not after.
  • IT migration is the highest-risk element of most office moves. Plan it early and test it thoroughly.
  • The handback of your old space carries financial risk. Understand your dilapidations obligations and clear responsibly.

Moving offices in the next six months? Talk to NORNORM about designing and furnishing your new space - with a 3D proposal in 48 hours.

FAQs

We're planning to move offices in the next six months. When should we start and what should we think about first?

Planning six months out is ideal for a 50-person company. Start by defining your requirements - space size, budget, lease flexibility, and non-negotiables. Begin searching for spaces at around the five-month mark, allowing time to view, shortlist, and negotiate. Sign by month three so you have 12 weeks for fit-out, IT migration, and communications. If you are using a furniture subscription, design and installation can typically happen within four to six weeks of agreement, which fits comfortably inside that timeline.

What's a realistic timeline for planning an office move for a 50-person company?

For a 50-person company, allow a minimum of four to six months from decision to move-in if you want to do it properly. The process typically breaks down as follows: one to two months to define requirements and search; one to two months to view, shortlist, and negotiate a lease; and two to three months for fit-out, IT setup, furniture installation, and team communications. Trying to compress this timeline significantly increases the risk of arriving at an unready space or making rushed decisions on furniture and IT that cost more to fix later.

We're moving offices and I've been asked to lead the project. Where do I even start?

Start with four things: your current lease end date and notice period, a clear brief for the new space (size, location, layout requirements, budget), a project leader with the authority to make decisions, and a rough timeline working backwards from your move-in date. Everything else - viewing spaces, negotiating leases, planning IT migration, selecting a furniture model - flows from having these four things defined clearly at the outset.

What do most companies get wrong when planning an office move?

The most commonly underestimated costs in an office move are dilapidations on the old lease (the cost of reinstating the space to its original condition), furniture disposal, IT migration downtime, and the cost of a poorly planned fit-out that needs to be partially redone. If you are buying furniture outright, add depreciation and future disposal to the total. A furniture subscription removes several of these hidden costs - there is no disposal problem, no large upfront spend, and no assets left behind when the lease ends.

How much notice do you need to give before moving out of a commercial office?

The notice period is usually defined in your lease - check the break clause and the lease termination provisions carefully. For most commercial leases, the standard notice period ranges from three to six months, though some require 12 months for formal termination. If you are exercising a break clause, there are often strict conditions that must be met for the break to be valid - including vacant possession and compliance with repair obligations. It is worth getting legal advice before serving notice to ensure the break is not invalidated on a technicality.

How do we plan the furniture for a new office without it becoming the last-minute panic?

Furniture is often planned last and given least time, but it affects day-one readiness more than almost anything else. If you are ordering new furniture through traditional suppliers, lead times can be eight to sixteen weeks or longer. A circular furniture subscription is the most reliable way to compress this timeline - because furniture is already in stock, installation can typically happen within two to six weeks of design approval. Start the furniture process at the same time as lease negotiation, not after you have signed.

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