A practical business moving checklist

01Assign ownership and define the scope

Name one person to centralise decisions and an available deputy. Team leads can approve the contents of their zones, but one line of coordination prevents conflicting instructions on moving day. Share a focused contact list containing only the people needed for decisions and access.

Define what moves, what stays, what will leave under the organisation’s own disposal process and what belongs to another provider. Include storage, archives, common spaces, the kitchen and outdoor furniture. An item missing from the inventory is likely to be missing from the schedule too.

Set milestones for last use, start of packing, transfer, access to the new premises and planned restart. Decide who may approve a change if extra furniture or an unexpected access issue appears.

02Link the inventory to the destination plan

Give every destination room or zone a short code, such as B-12 for an office or S-02 for storage. Use that same code on the plan, furniture, boxes and equipment list. This keeps the destination clear even if a department name or seating arrangement changes.

For each workstation, record the desk, chair, storage, screens and main accessories without turning every cable into a separate inventory line. Photos can document the intended arrangement. Identify shared items and appoint someone to check that each set is complete.

Separate ordinary, sensitive, heavy and not-ready items. Dimensions, an approximate known weight and access photos help with unusual objects. Remember equipment stored away from the main working areas, including reserves and rarely opened cabinets.

03Plan IT and confidential records separately

Decide internally or with your IT provider who shuts equipment down, backs up data, labels connections and reconnects systems at the destination. Photograph connections before disassembly. Transport and technical commissioning are separate responsibilities and should be assigned explicitly.

Laptops, storage media, access tokens, keys and confidential records require a defined handover. Apply your organisation’s own rules for data protection, retention and destruction. Do not allow these items to disappear unnoticed into ordinary moving boxes.

List the functions that must work on the first day, such as reception, telephony, a minimum number of desks or access to essential files. Arrange for the responsible specialists to test them rather than treating physical arrival as proof that a system is operational.

04Pack in waves and label for the destination

Start with archives, reserves and seldom-used materials. Continue with personal storage and non-daily work items. Pack operational essentials last and make them the first group available at the new site. Give every wave a deadline and an owner who confirms completion.

Label two sides of each box with the destination code, a brief content description and priority. An employee name alone is unreliable because seats may change. Furniture components and their bags of screws should carry the same code as the main item.

Avoid overloaded archive boxes and open trays of office supplies. Prepare printers and other equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Handle toner, liquids and transport locks only as specified for that device.

05Confirm access and the day plan at both sites

Inspect loading routes, floors, lifts, door widths and possible vehicle positions at the old and new premises. Share known building hours, sign-in arrangements and shared loading access. Do not describe a bay as reserved until the relevant arrangement has actually been confirmed.

Prepare a schedule with contacts for opening, sign-off and room direction. Staff who are not needed for the move should remain clear of carrying routes. A distinct no-move area prevents personal belongings or active equipment from being loaded by mistake.

For a staged move, define which department or zone moves in each time window. Label temporary storage and handovers. Route changes on the day through the central move coordinator so that all affected teams receive the same instruction.

06Prepare acceptance and the return to work

Check priority rooms first on arrival. When destination codes match the plan, each team can inspect its own area without stopping the entire move. Record unresolved points in one shared list rather than scattering them across private messages.

Confirm that furniture is in the intended position and labelled parts are present. The assigned technical people should test systems. Remove labels and packing only after the destination and completeness have been confirmed.

Schedule a short follow-up after the first working day. It will show which remaining tasks disrupt operations and which can wait. Update the inventory and room plan so that they describe the new premises accurately.

• Coordinator and deputy appointed.
• Inventory complete with destination codes.
• IT and record responsibilities assigned.
• Restart priorities tested by their owners.