Planning an office relocation without a structured checklist is one of the most common reasons commercial moves go wrong. Missed tasks, last-minute surprises, and Day 1 disruptions are almost always the result of planning gaps that a proper checklist would have caught weeks earlier.
This guide covers every stage of an office relocation programme — from the initial site assessment through to the post-move follow-up.
Phase 1: 6–12 Months Before Move Day
Appoint a relocation project lead or engage a relocation consultant. The first and most important decision. For moves involving more than 50 staff or complex IT infrastructure, a dedicated relocation logistics consultant manages all coordination so your project lead can focus on the business.
Conduct a relocation advisory engagement. Assess both your current and new sites. Document operational dependencies, identify specialist requirements, and produce a relocation scope document and indicative cost plan before committing to a programme.
Brief your key stakeholders. IT, HR, operations, and leadership all need early visibility of the relocation programme. The earlier they are involved, the fewer surprises arise in the planning phase.
Begin new site planning. Floor plan mapping, workpoint allocation, IT infrastructure requirements, and access planning should begin as soon as the new site is confirmed.
Phase 2: 3–6 Months Before Move Day
Complete an asset audit. Conduct a systematic audit of all furniture, equipment, and IT assets. Map every item to its destination workpoint. Identify items for disposal, storage, or replacement. This audit is the foundation of every contractor scope of work.
Obtain contractor quotes. Use the asset audit to brief contractors accurately. Quotes based on incomplete scope will always result in cost overruns.
Confirm IT infrastructure timeline. IT is almost always the critical path in a commercial relocation. Confirm new site infrastructure readiness, plan the cutover sequence, and build contingency time into the programme.
Develop the change management communications plan. Map your stakeholder groups and plan communications for each phase of the project.
Phase 3: 1–3 Months Before Move Day
Issue move packs to all staff. Every person in the move needs a personalised move pack: what they need to pack, when their area moves, what they need to do on move day, and who to contact.
Confirm Day 1 readiness requirements. Document every system, piece of equipment, and service that must be operational before your people arrive on Day 1.
Conduct site inductions. Ensure all staff are familiar with the new site before move day — floor plan, emergency procedures, parking, amenities, and access arrangements.
Phase 4: Move Day
Have a project manager on site. Move day is not the time to manage by phone. A relocation project manager on site resolves sequencing issues, manages contractor coordination, and ensures the Day 1 checklist is progressing.
Conduct an end-of-day debrief. Before leaving the site at the end of move day, walk every area and document any outstanding items. Issue a next-day overview to all stakeholders before close of business.
Phase 5: Post-Move
Conduct a Day 1 morning walk-through. Before your staff arrive, walk the new site to confirm everything on the Day 1 checklist is complete.
Issue a post-move communication to all staff. Acknowledge the move, communicate known issues and their resolution timeline, and provide clear contact details for any outstanding matters.
Review and close out the project. A formal project close-out — reviewing what worked, what didn’t, and what the final cost came to versus the plan — is valuable for any organisation planning future relocations.
Transition Consultants is a specialist relocation logistics consultancy operating Australia-wide. Contact us to discuss your office or commercial relocation.