The key to a smooth office move is starting the IT early. The internet connection is the thing most likely to hold you up: depending on the building, a new line can take anything from a few days to a few months, so order it as soon as you’ve committed to the new premises, ideally three months before you move. Then plan your phones, Wi-Fi and cabling, and treat move day as a security job as well as a logistics one. Here’s what to think about, and a week-by-week checklist at the end.
Order the internet connection first
How long a new connection takes depends on what’s already in the building and what kind of line you need:
- Full fibre broadband. BT Business says that where the fibre equipment is already installed, activation takes 1 to 3 working days. Where an engineer has to fit it, allow 9 to 18 working days. Where work is needed outside, such as digging or road permits, the timescale depends on that work, and complex jobs can take weeks before an installation is even scheduled.
- Leased lines. A dedicated business line takes longer. Ofcom’s quality standard has required Openreach to keep its average delivery time for these circuits to no more than 38 working days, roughly eight weeks, and individual orders can take much longer if new ducts or permissions are needed.
Before you sign the lease, ask what connections the building already has and where they come in. Once you’ve committed, order straight away, ask your provider for a committed installation date, and arrange a backup, such as a 4G or 5G router, in case the line is late. A missing connection is the one problem nobody can fix on move day.
Phones and keeping your numbers
Don’t move an old phone system into a new office without checking it first. Openreach’s old copper phone network is being switched off, and every line has to be moved to a digital service by 31 January 2027. A move is the ideal moment to switch to an internet-based phone system if you haven’t already. Our article on the digital switchover for business phones explains what’s changing.
With an internet-based system, your phone numbers aren’t tied to the building, so they usually move with you. If you’re changing phone provider at the same time, the new provider transfers (“ports”) your numbers. Get the port date confirmed in writing, keep it away from move day if you can, and don’t cancel the old service until the port has completed.
Check anything else that uses a phone line too. Openreach lists alarms, CCTV, payment terminals, lift systems and door entry systems among the equipment affected by the switchover.
Survey the new space
- Wi-Fi. A survey shows where access points need to go for good coverage, allowing for thick walls, meeting rooms and the busiest areas. Keep guest Wi-Fi separate from your business network.
- Cabling. Plan data points for every desk, printer, screen and access point, and get them installed and tested before the furniture arrives. Label everything.
- The comms cabinet. Decide where the network equipment will live. It needs power, ventilation and a lock.
- Power. Enough sockets near desks, and battery backup for the router, firewall and switches.
- Shared buildings. If the landlord provides a network, find out who controls it. Your business systems should run on a network you control.
Staying secure on move day
An office move is one of the easiest times to lose a laptop or leave data exposed. Keep it simple:
- Back up first. Check that a full backup completed before anything is unplugged.
- Keep an asset list. Record every device that leaves the old office and tick it off at the new one.
- Move the sensitive kit yourself. Servers, network storage and network equipment should be moved by your IT team, not packed in a removals crate.
- Set up the new network properly. The firewall, Wi-Fi passwords and admin accounts should be configured before staff connect, not changed later.
- Wipe old equipment. Anything you’re not taking needs securely wiping before it’s sold, recycled or thrown away. The NCSC is clear that simply deleting files isn’t enough.
Week-by-week checklist
12 weeks or more before
- Order the internet connection and a backup connection.
- Check the building’s existing lines, cabling and comms space.
- Check notice periods on your current broadband, phone and copier contracts.
8 weeks before
- Survey the Wi-Fi and network, and order the cabling.
- Plan the phone move and any number port, and check alarms and card machines.
- Decide which old equipment to replace rather than move, such as PCs still running Windows 10.
4 weeks before
- Cabling installed and tested. Comms cabinet ready.
- Connection installation date confirmed.
- Printer and copier move booked with the supplier.
- Asset list started, and staff told what to pack and what to leave for IT.
1 to 2 weeks before
- Firewall, switches and Wi-Fi installed and configured at the new office.
- Connection live and tested. Port date confirmed.
- Address updated on your website, email signatures, online listings and with suppliers.
Move week
- Full backup checked.
- Equipment shut down, labelled and moved, with sensitive kit moved by IT.
- Desks set up, and every phone, printer and Wi-Fi area tested before staff arrive.
After the move
- Someone on site for the first morning to sort out teething problems.
- Remote access checked for anyone working from home.
- Old lines cancelled only once everything works and any port has completed.
- Old equipment securely wiped and disposed of.
How we help with office moves
We plan and run office moves for businesses across Cardiff and South Wales, from ordering the connection to setting up the new office. We work alongside your landlord, telecoms partners and removals firm, and moves are quoted as a separate project so you know the cost up front. Find out more about our IT projects and office moves, network and Wi-Fi support and business phone systems, or book a call as soon as you have a moving date.
Sources
- BT Business, How quickly can I get Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) installed?
- Ofcom, Investigation into Openreach’s quality-of-service performance in leased lines
- GOV.UK, Telecommunications modernisation: connectivity timeline
- Openreach, Digital phones for home and business
- NCSC, Secure sanitisation and disposal of storage media