For a small business the cost of a move is measured in downtime, not hours of van hire. A five to twenty person office can usually be relocated between Friday evening and Monday morning if the sequencing is right — and the part that goes wrong is almost always IT, not furniture.
Six weeks out: the boring critical path
Two things have long lead times and everything else depends on them: your broadband or leased line at the new address, and building access. Start both before you think about desks.
- Order broadband or a leased line at the new premises and get an install date in writing
- Confirm goods-lift booking, out-of-hours access and loading bay rules with the building manager
- Check the new floor plan against your actual desk and cabinet dimensions
- Agree the move weekend with staff and put it in the shared calendar
Two weeks out: inventory and labelling
Label by destination seat, not by origin. Every desk, monitor, chair, pedestal and cable box gets a code matching a position on the new floor plan, and the plan goes on the wall at the new address. It is the single change that most reduces Monday-morning chaos.
Photograph the back of every workstation before unplugging. Reconnecting is far quicker with a picture than a memory.
- Number every seat on the new floor plan and label items to match
- Photograph cabling behind each desk and in the comms cabinet
- Bag and tag screws, brackets and monitor arms per desk
- Nominate one person per department as the point of contact on the day
Data, servers and confidential paperwork
Back up before anything is unplugged, and move servers, backups and confidential files separately from general furniture where you can. Under UK GDPR you remain responsible for personal data in transit, so keep HR and customer files in sealed, labelled crates that stay accounted for.
Old records that are past retention should be securely destroyed rather than moved. Moving paper you do not need is paying twice: once to carry it, once to store it.
The weekend itself
Run the move in two waves: furniture and storage first, IT and desks second, so the space is ready when workstations arrive. Set up two or three test desks on the Saturday and log into everything before the whole floor is built.
We handle office relocations out of hours and at weekends across Glasgow, Coatbridge, Motherwell and Falkirk, priced per route rather than by guesswork.
- Wave one: storage, cabinets, furniture, boxes
- Wave two: workstations, monitors, comms equipment
- Test a small group of desks end-to-end before building the rest
- Keep a clearance run booked for old furniture and shredding
Frequently asked questions
Can you move an office outside working hours?+
Yes. Most business relocations we run happen on an evening or weekend so trading is not interrupted.
How is a business move priced?+
Per route rather than a flat rate: crew size, access at both ends and the volume of desks and storage. Send a floor plan or inventory and we quote in writing.
Can you dispose of old office furniture?+
Yes, as a clearance on the same visit, taken to a licensed transfer station with recycling separated.