Plan the office handover, not just the truck
An office move connects people, furniture and working systems. This page focuses on relocating occupied workstations and shared office spaces: who prepares each department, where each item belongs and what must be ready before staff return. It is a practical planning guide, not a promise of uninterrupted operations or a fixed completion time.
For the broader scope of a business relocation, see our commercial-moving service overview. Use this office checklist alongside your floor plan and your own IT and building arrangements. Spry Movers can discuss the physical move; confirm the particular handling, packing, disassembly and placement tasks you need rather than assuming every task is included.
Build the scope and inventory by department
Ask each department to list desks, chairs, monitor stands, cabinets, boxed supplies and shared furniture. Separate items going to the new office from items staying, being collected by a vendor or being disposed of under a separate arrangement. Count cartons as well as large furniture; add photographs, dimensions and access notes for bulky pieces.
Name one customer move coordinator who can approve the inventory and placement plan. Give each department a contact responsible for preparation. Record decisions in one shared list so the crew does not receive conflicting instructions from several employees. Identify who can authorize a change to the agreed work on moving day.
Label workstation destinations before packing
Give each destination room and workstation a unique code, such as Floor 2–Room B–Desk 04. Put that code on cartons and furniture using labels suitable for the surface. Keep a matching floor plan at the destination and provide the coordinator with a copy. A destination code is more useful than an employee name alone when staff share desks or change departments.
Label detachable parts and their hardware together, and ask which furniture needs preparation before the crew arrives. Keep corridors and exit routes clear. Confirm final desk positions before unloading so furniture is not placed in a route needed for later deliveries.
Arrange building, loading and elevator access
Contact management at both buildings about loading areas, truck clearance, permitted moving hours, freight elevators and any reservation process. Obtain written access instructions and identify the person who will unlock doors or meet the crew. Confirm any required documentation with the mover in advance; do not assume a building requirement is already satisfied.
Share stairs, long carries, narrow turns, elevator dimensions and temporary parking restrictions when requesting the quote. Ask the building who provides required floor or elevator protection. Tell the coordinator when access windows expire so the unloading sequence can be planned around them.
Sequence departments and coordinate IT vendors
Agree which areas can be packed early and which must remain usable until an agreed cutoff. A staged move may need separate inventories, trips or visits; ask how these affect the written scope and scheduling. Keep the destination receiving area clear for the first load and identify furniture needed before other work can begin.
Your IT team or vendor should plan backups, shutdowns, cable identification, equipment preparation and reconnection. Arrange leased printer or specialist-equipment vendors separately where required. Do not assume movers disconnect servers, configure networks or certify equipment after transport. Confirm safe transport preparation and responsibility for each device before it is packed.
Keep confidential records under customer control
Have an authorized employee identify confidential files, financial records, personnel documents, access credentials and sensitive devices. The customer should arrange their secure handling and transport under its own policies, separate from ordinary moving cartons. Avoid writing sensitive information on public-facing labels or sending confidential records with quote photographs.
Assign a responsible employee to keys, access cards and the office opening kit. Keep necessary paperwork, contact numbers and essential supplies available instead of packing them where they cannot be reached during unloading.
Use a reopening checklist
Before employees return, walk through with the customer coordinator and check the agreed delivery and placement against the inventory. Record missing items or visible concerns promptly and follow the reporting process in your moving agreement.
- Check department and workstation labels against the destination plan.
- Keep entrances, corridors, exits and required building access clear.
- Have IT staff or vendors test power connections, network access, phones, printing and necessary applications.
- Check that customer-controlled records, keys and access cards reached their designated custodians.
- Tell staff where to report placement or setup issues and what remains unavailable.
Questions for a useful office-moving quote
Send the department inventory, both addresses, floor plans, proposed dates, building access windows and coordinator details. Describe packing needs, furniture preparation, destination placement and any staged sequence. Explain who is responsible for IT, leased equipment and confidential records.
Ask what labor, transport, packing materials, furniture disassembly or reassembly, protection supplies and travel are included. Ask how waiting for an elevator, changed inventory, extra visits or revised access affect charges and scheduling. Request the applicable payment, cancellation, valuation and claims terms in writing; this guide does not establish prices or guarantees.