Office Relocation Checklist: Key Takeaways
- An office relocation checklist helps you organize every task from planning to post-move follow-up
- To ensure a successful move, make sure there’s clear task ownership and deadlines; hold regular team check-ins to monitor progress
- Switching to digital checklists improves real-time collaboration and visibility across teams
- Common mistakes to avoid include underestimating move complexity, using paper checklists and disregarding employee communication
Moving offices? Even when you’re relocating just a few blocks away, this can throw your team off track — unless you’ve got a solid plan to keep things going.
A clear, organized checklist can help you avoid chaos, missed deadlines and frustrated teams.
In this guide, we’ll share:
- A detailed office relocation checklist
- Practical tips for using and managing your checklist
- Common relocation mistakes and how to avoid them
- Why switching to digital checklists makes the process easier
Don’t let your next move disrupt business.
Use doForms to create a relocation checklist
Business Moving Checklist
Not sure where to start? We’ve prepared a step-by-step checklist that covers everything from early planning to post-move activities so you don’t miss anything important.
Pre-Move Planning (6+ Months Before the Move)
- Appoint an internal relocation lead or committee.
- Define the reason and goals for relocation.
- Set your relocation budget.
- Assess the needs of your team and what the new space should have.
- Research and shortlist commercial real estate agents.
- Request quotes from moving and IT vendors.
- Review your current lease for exit clauses and fees.
- Visit new locations to evaluate accessibility and tech readiness; make sure they offer everything you need.
Mid-Planning Phase (3–4 Months Before Relocation)
- Finalize and sign lease for new space.
- Design the layout of your new office and think about the seating plan.
- Notify your current landlord of your move.
- Research and schedule a moving date with professional movers.
- Confirm data and IT infrastructure needs, including internet, server rooms and wiring.
- Place orders for new furniture, hardware and signage.
- Inform your employees about the relocation.
- Create individual department checklists for packing.
Execution Prep (1–2 Months Out)
- Finalize floor plans and seating charts.
- Notify USPS, vendors and banks of your change of address.
- Coordinate with IT to test new systems and internet service in the new location.
- Begin packing non-essential equipment and files.
- Label all boxes by room and priority levels.
- Update your business address on all platforms: Google, websites and marketing channels.
- Share move-day expectations and instructions with employees.
Final Countdown (1–2 Weeks Out)
- Confirm move logistics with vendors and team leads.
- Create and distribute move-day schedule.
- Assign relocation supervisors for each department.
- Pack up all remaining office items.
- Inspect your new office before the big day.
- Back up all essential data and systems.
- Secure sensitive documents and tech.
Moving Day
- Ensure supervisors are onsite to guide movers.
- Check off deliveries and items as they arrive.
- Install and test all tech and network infrastructure.
- Walk through your old and new offices.
- Report any damage or issues immediately.
- Hand over old keys and access cards.
After You’ve Moved
- Confirm all employees have settled in the new workspace and are working normally.
- Finalize loose ends such as utilities and old vendor contracts.
- Update compliance and safety signage.
- Schedule IT audits and walkthroughs.
- Celebrate the move with your team.
Why Careful Office Relocation Planning Matters
Moving offices isn’t just about rearranging desks. It changes how your teams work, how you meet deadlines and even how clients experience your service.
A well-managed relocation keeps your business fully operational, minimizes downtime, protects your data and hardware, and helps you steer clear of compliance headaches.
It also sets the stage for future growth, supporting a digital workforce, improving team collaboration or consolidating departments.
From planning to post-move tasks, checklists streamline every stage of relocation
Office Relocation Checklist Tips
Creating a detailed checklist is the first step when you’re moving your operations. How you use that checklist can make or break your move.
Start With Categories
Break your move into core categories: IT, HR, Facilities, Communications and Finance. Then develop task lists within each of these groups. This will help you keep things organized and facilitate delegation of tasks across departments.
Assign Task Owners
Name a person or team for each of the tasks on your relocation checklist. Avoid vague assignments and opt for names and job roles to ensure every stakeholder knows what their tasks are and when they are due.
Include Deadlines
Some tasks can’t begin until others are finished. For example, you can’t install servers until your networking is complete.
Add dependencies and target completion dates to each checklist item so your team can plan and prioritize accordingly.
Schedule Review Meetings
- Set up weekly or bi-weekly relocation check-ins with department leads to:
- Review checklist progress
- Unblock stalled items
- Capture new data and tasks
Go Digital
Manual checklists can quickly become outdated, especially during a fast-moving relocation.
Switch to a digital checklist system, which allows you to:
- Assign and track tasks in real time.
- Set automated reminders and status updates.
- Instantly log completed tasks with photos, notes or signatures.
This makes the relocation process easier and more transparent, especially if your teams are working across multiple locations.
A few smart planning tips can save your team time, confusion and last-minute chaos when moving offices
Common Mistakes To Avoid During Office Relocation
Even with careful planning, office relocations can go off track if you don’t manage to avoid common pitfalls.
One of the biggest mistakes companies make is underestimating the complexity of the move and forgetting about IT systems, compliance checks and vendor coordination.
That’s why it helps to put someone in charge early on, someone who can keep all the moving pieces, from scheduling to team updates, running smoothly.
Assign a dedicated relocation manager or team early. They will oversee logistics, timelines and communication between departments.
Another common error is relying on manual processes, using paper checklists and scattered spreadsheets. This often leads to duplicate work, missed deadlines, and poor visibility.
With a digital checklist, everyone stays on the same page, and you don’t have to chase down updates or wonder who’s doing what.
Finally, failure to communicate relocation details to employees can lead to chaos and reduced productivity.
Keep your staff informed at every stage and use feedback after the move to improve future processes.
Create Office Relocation Checklists With doForms
doForms was built for busy teams like yours, helping turn complicated moves into organized, step-by-step processes with just a few taps.
With our modern mobile forms solution, your relocation checklist stops being just a document. Think of it as a command center your team can actually work from.
Using our app, you can:
- Create checklists that match what your team needs, whether it’s setting up Wi-Fi or keeping employees in the loop. Add dropdowns, checkboxes, or reminders that walk your team through each task so they don’t have to rely on guesswork.
- Need to know where things stand? You’ll see real-time updates as your team checks things off, using time-stamped updates.
- Use mobile devices on move day, with your team snapping photos, checking things off their to-do lists, and flagging issues as they arise, all from their phones and tablets.
- Automate notifications and reminders about upcoming tasks, overdue items and urgent issues.
- Keep everything in one place that everyone can access without digging through inboxes or spreadsheets.
Still using paper office relocation checklists?
Switch to digital ones with doForms
Office Relocation FAQs
Why do I need an office relocation checklist?
A relocation checklist will help you organize your move, reduce the risk of missing important steps and ensure each department knows what exactly they are responsible for. It gives you a structured way to manage tasks, timelines and vendors throughout the process.
What should I include in my office relocation checklist?
Make sure your checklist covers all major phases of the move: pre-planning, space design, IT setup, communications, vendor coordination, moving day logistics and post-move activities. You should also assign a responsible person or department to each task.
How does a relocation checklist differ from a project plan?
A project plan outlines high-level goals, dependencies and timelines. A relocation checklist breaks those goals into actionable, trackable tasks, making it easier for your team members to stay on task and respond quickly.
What should I look for in an office relocation checklist app?
Look for features like mobile access, task assignment, digital signatures, syncing of information and system integration. doForms offers all of this and more.
Can I use mobile forms for post-move feedback?
Yes. M bile forms are perfect for collecting employee comments, logging equipment issues, and tracking post-move tasks.
Can I use the same checklist for multiple office locations?
Each relocation may require its own checklist due to differences in lease terms, building codes, tech infrastructure, and staffing. Consider using a template-based digital checklist that you can easily duplicate and adapt.
