Office Move Checklist: Everything Your Business Needs to Do Before Moving

A successful office move doesn't happen by accident — it's the result of meticulous planning, clear ownership, and consistent follow-through across dozens of concurrent tasks. Whether you're moving your Los Angeles business from Downtown to Century City, from El Segundo to Culver City, or from one floor of a Burbank tower to another, the same foundational checklist applies.

This guide is organized as a week-by-week timeline beginning 12 weeks before your move. Use it to assign responsibilities, track progress, and ensure nothing gets missed. For businesses with fewer than 20 employees, you can compress this into a 6-week timeline — but never less than that, no matter how simple the move seems.

12 Weeks Before the Move

Strategic Planning

• [ ] Confirm your new lease or purchase agreement and the possession date
• [ ] Establish a move date and build it into company-wide calendars
• [ ] Appoint a move coordinator (or committee for larger organizations)
• [ ] Define your move budget, including moving services, downtime costs, and setup expenses
• [ ] Obtain floor plans for the new space and begin departmental layout planning

Vendor Selection

• [ ] Research and solicit bids from at least three commercial moving companies
• [ ] Verify that each candidate carries commercial liability and cargo insurance
• [ ] Request references from corporate clients and verify them
• [ ] Ask about project management support, IT equipment handling, and after-hours availability
• [ ] Select your primary commercial mover and confirm the booking in writing

IT and Telecom

• [ ] Engage your IT team or an IT relocation specialist to assess infrastructure needs
• [ ] Contact your internet and telecom providers about service transfer timelines at the new address
• [ ] Determine whether phone numbers will be ported or replaced
• [ ] Begin documenting current server configurations, cable runs, and network diagrams

10 Weeks Before the Move

Inventory and Audit

• [ ] Conduct a complete inventory of all office furniture, equipment, and supplies
• [ ] Identify items to be moved, donated, sold, recycled, or discarded
• [ ] Arrange disposal or donation of surplus furniture and equipment
• [ ] Identify any specialty items requiring custom crating or climate-controlled transport

Building Coordination

• [ ] Contact building management at both locations to understand move-in/move-out rules
• [ ] Reserve freight elevators at both buildings for your move date
• [ ] Confirm parking and loading dock access for moving trucks
• [ ] Obtain required certificates of insurance from your moving company for building management
• [ ] Understand any restrictions on move hours (many LA buildings restrict moves to weekends or evenings)

Employee Communication

• [ ] Send an initial company-wide announcement about the move
• [ ] Share the move date, new address, and high-level timeline
• [ ] Address anticipated employee concerns (commute, parking, workspace assignments)
• [ ] Create a move FAQ document and publish it on your intranet or shared drive

8 Weeks Before the Move

Space Planning and Design

• [ ] Finalize departmental layouts and desk assignments for the new space
• [ ] Confirm placement of server room, reception, conference rooms, and storage areas
• [ ] Order any new furniture or equipment required for the new space
• [ ] Coordinate delivery of new purchases to align with your move-in date

Address Updates (Phase 1 — Internal)

• [ ] Update your address with the U.S. Postal Service
• [ ] Notify your bank and financial institutions
• [ ] Update your insurance policies with the new address
• [ ] Notify key vendors and suppliers

IT Planning

• [ ] Finalize IT cutover plan (staged vs. simultaneous)
• [ ] Order new hardware or networking equipment as needed
• [ ] Schedule internet and phone installation at new location at least 2 weeks ahead of move date
• [ ] Plan for temporary connectivity during the transition (mobile hotspots, temporary ISP service)

6 Weeks Before the Move

Packing Preparation

• [ ] Order packing supplies: boxes, labels, bubble wrap, foam, tape, markers
• [ ] Develop a labeling system (department + room number + priority)
• [ ] Distribute packing supplies to department leads with clear instructions
• [ ] Identify what LuxeMove's packing team will handle vs. what employees will pack personally

HR and Facilities

• [ ] Update employee handbooks and directories with new location details
• [ ] Confirm parking arrangements, access badges, and key distribution for the new space
• [ ] Communicate the move to your building's property manager if you're moving out of a managed building
• [ ] Coordinate with building management about any required repairs or cleaning at the old location

External Communications

• [ ] Begin notifying clients and partners of your upcoming address change
• [ ] Prepare a change-of-address email template to be sent closer to the move date
• [ ] Update your email signature to include a note about the upcoming move

4 Weeks Before the Move

Address Updates (Phase 2 — External)

• [ ] Update your Google Business Profile with new address (takes time to process)
• [ ] Update your website, contact page, and all location references
• [ ] Update business listings on Yelp, LinkedIn, industry directories, and any local LA directories
• [ ] Update your business license with the city of Los Angeles or relevant municipality
• [ ] Notify your payroll provider and any benefits administrators

Operational Readiness

• [ ] Confirm your movers have final floor plans and labeled inventory lists
• [ ] Conduct a final walk-through of the new space to confirm construction or buildout is complete
• [ ] Confirm IT installation is scheduled and on track
• [ ] Test phone lines and internet at the new location

Packing Begins

• [ ] Non-essential items (archival files, seasonal supplies, overflow equipment) should begin packing now
• [ ] Label all boxes with department, destination room, and handling instructions
• [ ] Begin cataloging and labeling IT equipment with the IT team's guidance

2 Weeks Before the Move

Final Preparations

• [ ] Confirm all moving logistics with your moving company (arrival time, crew size, equipment)
• [ ] Send a final move announcement to all employees with detailed instructions for their personal workstations
• [ ] Confirm elevator reservations and loading dock access at both buildings
• [ ] Prepare an "open last, unpack first" box for each department (essentials for day one at the new office)
• [ ] Arrange for security or access badge deactivation at the old location after the move

IT Final Steps

• [ ] Back up all critical data before IT begins disassembly
• [ ] Label every cable, device, and component according to the IT relocation plan
• [ ] Arrange for temporary IT support on move day and the days immediately following

Move Week

Two Days Before

• [ ] Complete packing of all non-essential workstation items
• [ ] Confirm headcount and role assignments for move day (who supervises at old location, who receives at new location)
• [ ] Prepare a contact sheet with all key move-day phone numbers (move coordinator, movers, building managers, IT lead)

Move Day

• [ ] Be present or have a representative at both the old and new locations
• [ ] Conduct a walk-through of both buildings before movers depart
• [ ] Sign off on inventory when boxes and furniture arrive at the new location
• [ ] Photograph any damage observed during the move for insurance purposes
• [ ] Ensure the old space is clean and cleared per your lease exit requirements

First Week at the New Location

• [ ] Confirm IT systems are operational (phones, internet, printers, servers)
• [ ] Send a move-complete notification to all clients, vendors, and partners
• [ ] Remove move-related notes from your email signature
• [ ] Schedule a post-move debrief with your coordinator and department leads
• [ ] Submit any damage claims to your moving company promptly
• [ ] Collect employee feedback on the move experience

Final Notes

The businesses that move most successfully are those that treat their office relocation as a project — not an event. By working through this checklist phase by phase, you protect your operations, your people, and your client relationships throughout the process.

LuxeMove provides full-service commercial relocation across Los Angeles County, including project management support, professional packing, IT equipment moving, and furniture installation. Our teams regularly work in Century City, Downtown LA, Culver City, El Segundo, and Burbank — and we know what it takes to move in every corner of this city.

Visit our services page to learn more, or contact us to get a custom quote for your upcoming office move.