Office move checklist for Sydney
Set the date, then work back
An office relocation goes smoothly when the date is fixed early and everything else hangs off it. Pick a weekend or an evening that suits your trading hours, then work backwards.
About eight weeks out: confirm the new lease start, tell your landlord and building manager the notice dates, ask for a written scope and quote, and name one person inside your business to own the move. Around four weeks out: send staff their packing instructions, book lifts and loading areas at both buildings, and brief your IT provider. In the final week: finish packing non-essentials, confirm access arrangements in writing, and walk the old floor with your mover so nothing is a surprise.
BARI runs office moves after hours, so the date can be set around your business rather than through it. If you want to see how an office job is run, read about office removals in Sydney.
Sort out both buildings early
Most delays on moving day come from the buildings, not the furniture. Contact building management at both ends as soon as you have a date and ask about the following: lift bookings and protection of the lift, where trucks can stop (a loading dock or a loading zone), after-hours access and security, and any move-in or move-out rules.
Many buildings also ask for a certificate of currency before they allow a move. Ask for the exact wording they need, then request the certificate from your mover well ahead of the day rather than the afternoon before. BARI is fully insured, covering goods in transit and public liability, so confirm with your coordinator what paperwork you can have and when.
Write the agreed times, floors and access points down. A written scope covering access, lifts and what is moving is something BARI agrees with you before moving day, and it is the document everyone, including the building, can work from.
IT, phones and the things that stop work
Decide who disconnects and who reconnects before anyone picks up a monitor. Your IT provider or internet and phone carriers usually handle the network, servers and phone lines. Ask your coordinator whether the movers will unplug and carry workstations, and what you need to do first, so the responsibilities are clear.
Back up everything the week before and again the day before. Photograph the back of each workstation and label cables at both ends. Keep small, valuable or hard-to-replace items, such as laptops, hard drives and backup media, with a person rather than on the truck.
Book internet and phone connections at the new office early. Lead times can be longer than you expect, and a perfectly moved office is not much use without a connection on Monday.
Label every crate to a desk on the floor plan
Draw up a floor plan of the new office and give every desk, room and storage area a number. Then label every crate, workstation, cabinet and piece of equipment with its destination number, not just the name of the person using it.
This is how a labelled run sheet works. BARI accounts for workstations against a labelled run sheet and sets them where your new floor plan says, so the movers are never guessing which desk is which. Send the floor plan to your coordinator before moving day and put a copy on the wall at each entry point.
Use colour-coded tape for departments if it helps, and mark anything fragile or upright-only clearly. If you need packing crates, ask your coordinator early what can be arranged and what you should source yourself.
Staff: who packs what
Tell staff exactly what is expected. The usual split is that each person packs their own desk contents and personal items into labelled boxes or crates, while the movers handle furniture, filing cabinets and large equipment.
Ask people to take home plants, valuables and anything personal. Set a packing deadline the day before the move, and nominate a floor warden or two to check that every desk is clear and every label is correct.
On moving day, staff should stay out of the way unless they have a job. Your internal move owner should be reachable by phone, and one person should be at each end to make decisions. BARI assigns one dedicated coordinator from quote to completion, so you have a single contact on the day rather than a call centre.
The first morning: check off against the run sheet
On the first morning, walk the floor with the run sheet in hand and tick off each workstation, cabinet and crate against its desk number. Raise anything missing or damaged straight away, while the move is still fresh and the details are easy to confirm.
Test power, network, phones and printers before staff arrive. Keep a short list of snags from the first week and send it to the right person in one go.
BARI's office moves are within Sydney (an office moving interstate is quoted as an interstate move). If you would like to plan your office relocation, request a quote and mention your preferred date. For a sense of how truck time is charged, see how a BARI removal is priced, then take a look at our Sydney office removals service for the full picture.