Guide
Office move checklist: IT, people and a week-by-week plan
For a small office, start about eight weeks out: get the building rules at both addresses, send each van firm a written inventory and book the goods lift. If the registered office changes, Companies House says to tell it within 14 days, and VAT-registered firms must tell HMRC within 30 days. On the day, crate every desk and label each computer to its new desk.
Eight weeks before: plan the move
Building access and IT take more planning than the van. Use the first fortnight to find out each building's rules.
- Name one person who owns the move and holds the floor plan.
- Ask the building manager at both addresses about goods lift bookings, permitted hours, floor protection and any certificate of insurance they want from the moving firm.
- Draw the new floor plan and give every desk a number.
- Ask your broadband and phone provider how long it needs to move or install a line, and book it.
- List what is not coming: old chairs, broken screens, files past their keep date.
- Ask two or three firms to quote from the same written inventory.
Four weeks before: bookings and paperwork
Book the firm, the lift and the date together, so one change does not strand the others. If the van has no legal place to stop outside, apply for a parking suspension now: of the councils in this site's parking table that publish a notice period, most ask for between 3 and 10 working days, and a few ask for up to 28.
Then work through who needs the new address:
| Who | What GOV.UK says |
|---|---|
| Companies House | Only if the registered office changes. File online; tell it within 14 days. The address is not official until Companies House registers it, and must stay in the same part of the UK. |
| HMRC, VAT | Tell HMRC of changes within 30 days. |
| HMRC, Corporation Tax | Update Companies House first, then tell HMRC. |
| HMRC, PAYE | Contact the employer helpline or write to HMRC. |
A trading address that is not the registered office is not filed at Companies House, but customers, suppliers, your bank, your insurer and your online listings all need it.
Two weeks before: IT, files and people
Back up every machine and shared drive, and check the backup opens. Photograph the cables behind each desk, then label each computer, screen and power lead with its new desk number. Decide who unplugs on the last afternoon and who reconnects, because moving the kit and setting up a network are separate jobs.
Shred confidential papers you no longer need before the move, not after, so fewer boxes of personal data travel.
If staff are packing and carrying, the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 apply. HSE sums up the employer's duty in three steps: avoid hazardous manual handling so far as reasonably practicable, assess the risk of any that remains, and reduce that risk. In practice, staff empty their desks into crates and the crew lifts the furniture and full filing cabinets.
The last week and moving day
Give everyone a crate allowance and a deadline. Empty filing cabinets or lock their drawers, as the firm asks. Take the server, keys, petty cash and anything with personal data with you rather than in the van.
On the day:
- Have someone at the old office to release the lift and sign off each floor.
- Have someone at the new office with the floor plan, directing each crate and desk to its number.
- Tick off the inventory as items go out and come in.
- Walk both buildings before the crew leaves, checking lifts, walls and door frames for damage, and photograph anything new.
Book IT support for the next morning, so faults are found before the phones start ringing.
The week after: loose ends
Return hired crates by the date agreed, or you may pay another week. Check that post is reaching the new address, and set up redirection if not. Update your address on invoices, email signatures, the website and maps listings, and confirm the old office has been handed back in the condition the lease requires.
Keep the moving firm's invoice and inventory together with any damage photos. If something was broken, report it to the firm in writing straight away, and check its terms for the deadline on claims.
What does a small office move cost?
AnyVan quotes small office removals from £59, and says the same-city office moves it arranged last year averaged under £300 (October 2026). Firms that charge by the hour usually set a two-hour minimum, and evening or weekend work can cost more.
The things that push a quote up are the number of desks and how much IT kit there is, a lift that is only available in short slots, and work outside normal hours. A professional packing service for files and kitchen items can save staff time, but price it separately so you can see what it adds.
Common questions
How far ahead should you plan an office move?
For a small office, about eight weeks gives time to agree building access at both ends, move the broadband, get quotes from the same inventory and apply for any parking suspension.
Do I need to tell Companies House if my office moves?
Only if the registered office changes. GOV.UK says to tell Companies House within 14 days, and the new address is not official until Companies House has registered it.
Who reconnects the computers after an office move?
Usually your own IT support, not the moving firm. The crew moves and places the kit; book IT for the morning after the move to reconnect and test it.
Can staff help carry things in an office move?
They can pack their own desks, but heavy lifting falls under the Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992, so leave furniture and full cabinets to the crew.