Office move checklist: 8 weeks, step by step

by | 2026. 10. 09. | Moving, Tips

Office staff packing computer equipment before an office move

Eight weeks is enough to move an office if every task is in place: survey, floor plan, labelling, lift and parking, files, first working day. This checklist lists week by week what to arrange and when.

The success of an office move is not decided on moving day but in the weeks before it. The transport itself is usually done over a weekend or two evenings after working hours. What cannot be squeezed into that time is the preparation: the decisions, the labelling and getting the files ready.

The list below sets out the tasks in chronological order. For an office of 10–20 people, 3–4 weeks of preparation is enough; for a larger office building or institution it is worth starting 8 weeks ahead.

8–6 weeks before: decisions and survey

Appoint a person in charge of the move who has the authority to make decisions. Most hold-ups occur because on moving day there is nobody on site who can say where each cabinet goes.

Request an on-site survey at both addresses, and show us the storeroom, the archive and the kitchenette too. The survey determines how many movers and how big a truck are needed, and therefore the price. Our survey is free, and afterwards we give you a written quote in which you can choose between an hourly rate and a fixed price.

At the same time, decide what is not coming along. We take away surplus office furniture, files for disposal and old office equipment in one go, and every box not moved is a working hour saved. The office move page describes the process in detail.

4 weeks before: floor plan, labelling, notifications

Request or draw up a floor plan of the new office, and give every room a number or name. This will be the basis for labelling: every box and piece of furniture gets the same marking, so nothing has to be worked out at the new address.

Assign workstations in advance. If everyone knows which desk they are going to, computers and monitors travel labelled by workstation, and on Monday morning everyone finds their own machine.

Notify the change of address wherever there is a lead time: the court of registration and the tax authority via your accountant, your bank, insurer, internet and phone provider, and postal forwarding. Moving or setting up the internet connection has the longest lead time, so it is worth starting that first.

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2 weeks before: lift, parking, house rules

In Budapest this is the logistics week. Check with the building manager or the owners' representative at both addresses: can the goods lift be used, does it need to be booked, is weekend work prohibited, and where can the truck stop?

Measure the inside of the lift and its load capacity. For a large conference table or a safe, this determines whether the job is done by lift or by stairs, and that shows in the working hours. In restricted downtown zones we can also obtain the vehicle access permit.

Order the boxes. With us they are free, with only a refundable deposit. On request, for the fee stated in the quote, we deliver them before the move, or you can collect them at our premises at an agreed time, so your colleagues can pack in advance.

The last week: packing and files

Files are the most delicate part, because their order has to be preserved at the new location. We offer alphabetical file boxing, labelling and shelving in order, so the folders go back on the shelves in the same order. Dismantling and reassembling Salgó shelving systems is also part of the service. We have a separate page for larger, stand-alone archives: archive moving.

Ask your colleagues to pack their personal belongings and the contents of their drawers themselves, in their own box marked with their name. Data backup also falls in this week, and on the day before the move the machines must be switched off and the cables photographed or labelled.

Arrange for your IT person to be there on the same day we deliver. We pack, transport and unpack the computers and office equipment, labelled by workstation, but setting up specialist systems, the network and servers again is the job of your IT provider.

On moving day and afterwards

Have someone in charge at both addresses at the same time: one person at the old office who sees what goes onto the truck, and one at the new address who says where everything goes. Before leaving, walk through the old office: drawers, cupboards, kitchenette, storeroom, letterbox and the document left in the copier.

After the move, it's time to transfer the utilities, replace the signs and name plates, and update the address on the website, in the invoicing system and in e-mail signatures. Once you have unpacked, let us know and we will collect the empty boxes.

Frequently asked questions about organising an office move

For an office of 10–20 people 3–4 weeks, for a larger office building or institution 6–8 weeks in advance. The end of the month and weekends fill up first. These are guideline lead times; a move at shorter notice is also possible.

The transport is usually done over a weekend or two evenings after working hours, so that the office is up and running on Monday morning. Preparation and packing take longer.

Yes, on request also after working hours and at weekends, to keep disruption to a minimum.

A fixed price is more convenient if you need a predictable amount for the budget; the hourly rate if the quantity may still change. We provide both in writing after the survey.

Yes. We offer alphabetical file boxing, labelling and shelving in order, so the folders go back in the same order.

We pack, transport and unpack the computers and office equipment, labelled by workstation. Setting up specialist systems, the network and servers again is the job of the company's IT provider.

Sources

This list is based on 25 years of experience with office moves in Budapest. Last updated: 9 October 2026.

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