Corporate Office Relocation Checklist: Phase by Phase

A corporate office relocation looks simple from a distance: pack up, move, unpack. Up close, it is a project with a lease deadline, a building on each end with its own rules, an IT cutover that cannot fail, and furniture decisions that can swing the budget by tens of thousands of dollars.

This checklist organizes the work into phases, from early planning through the weeks after the move. It also includes a practical framework for one of the biggest questions in any move: should your office furniture come with you, or is it cheaper to liquidate it and install furniture sized for the new space?

In this guide:

• Phase 1: Planning (before 90 days)
• Phase 2: 90 days out
• Phase 3: 60 days out
• Phase 4: 30 days out
• Phase 5: Move week
• Phase 6: After the move
• Moving office furniture vs buying new
• Handing back the old space

Phase 1: Planning (before 90 days)

The decisions made here set the budget and the calendar for everything else. Rushing them is the most expensive mistake in a relocation.

• Name a move lead. One person owns the schedule, the budget and vendor communication. Give them authority to make day-to-day decisions.
• Form a small move team. Include facilities, IT, finance, HR and a representative from each major department.
• Confirm key dates. Note the new lease commencement, the old lease expiration, any early access period and the surrender requirements in your current lease.
• Read the surrender clause. Find out what must be removed from the old space, including furniture, cabling, signage and tenant improvements.
• Set headcount assumptions. Plan for today's team plus expected growth and hybrid attendance patterns.
• Start the space plan. Decide how many workstations, private offices, conference rooms and support areas the new space needs. Office Station offers free space planning for furniture layouts.
• Inventory your current furniture. Count everything, record brands and approximate age, and photograph representative pieces. This inventory drives the move-vs-replace decision.
• Build a draft budget. Include furniture, moving, IT and cabling, electrical, construction, decommissioning of the old space and a contingency.

Phase 2: 90 days out

• Finalize the floor plan. Lock the layout so furniture, electrical and data can be designed around it.
• Make the furniture decision. Decide what moves, what gets liquidated and what gets sourced for the new space. Use the framework later in this guide.
• Request vendor quotes. Get quotes from movers, furniture suppliers and installers, cabling contractors, electricians and a liquidator for the old space.
• Order internet service. Circuit installation can take longer than expected, so start early.
• Get building rules for both properties. Collect certificate of insurance requirements, freight elevator and dock reservation procedures, allowed working hours and floor protection rules.
• Check lead times. New furniture can involve manufacturing lead time and freight. In-stock pre-owned furniture is often available faster, which matters on a tight calendar.
• Plan the old space exit. Schedule decommissioning and removal to finish before the surrender date, with a buffer.

Phase 3: 60 days out

• Sign vendor agreements. Confirm scope, exclusions, schedules and payment terms in writing.
• Complete electrical and data design. Map every power and data location to the furniture plan.
• Order furniture. Place orders for anything being purchased so delivery lands before move week.
• Schedule the move sequence. Decide whether you are moving in one weekend or in phases by department.
• Start the address change list. Include clients, vendors, banks, insurers, payroll, licenses, website, business listings, letterhead and shipping accounts.
• Communicate with employees. Share the timeline, what they are responsible for packing and how seating will be assigned.
• Plan records and storage. Decide what to archive, shred or digitize instead of moving it.

Phase 4: 30 days out

• Confirm every reservation. Reconfirm dock times, elevator bookings and certificates of insurance with both buildings.
• Walk the new space. Check that construction, paint, flooring, electrical and cabling are on track for furniture installation.
• Finalize the seating chart. Label each workstation location on the plan.
• Distribute packing supplies and labels. Use a clear color or number system that matches the new floor plan.
• Back up systems. Schedule full backups before any equipment is disconnected.
• Arrange access for the new space. Keys, badges, alarm codes and parking.
• Confirm the liquidation plan. Tell your liquidator exactly what will remain in the old space after movers leave.

Plan your relocation with Office Station

Phase 5: Move week

• Protect both buildings. Floor, wall and elevator protection should be installed before the first piece moves.
• Install furniture before people arrive. Workstations should be in place and powered before IT sets up equipment.
• Follow a disconnect and reconnect plan. Label every device and cable, and assign IT staff to each area.
• Keep the move lead on site. Someone must be available to answer placement questions and resolve access issues.
• Do a final sweep of the old space. Check every room, closet and drawer before the movers leave.
• Test before day one. Confirm internet, phones, printers, conference room technology and access control work.

Phase 6: After the move

• Walk the new space with employees. Collect a punch list of missing items, damage and adjustments.
• Close out vendor punch lists. Confirm installers return for any missing parts or fixes.
• Complete the old space handback. Finish furniture removal, cabling removal and any restoration required by the lease, then schedule the landlord walkthrough.
• Update records. Finalize address changes, the fixed asset register and insurance schedules.
• Reconcile the budget. Compare actual costs with the plan while details are fresh.

Moving office furniture vs buying new

Many companies assume moving their existing furniture is the cheapest option. For freestanding desks, chairs and tables, it often is. For systems furniture and cubicles, the answer is less obvious.

Why reconfiguration costs more than people expect

Systems furniture is built to fit the floor plan it was installed in. A new space usually has different column spacing, window lines, power locations, aisle requirements and headcount. Making old workstations fit can require:

• New parts. Different panel lengths, corner connectors, end panels, worksurfaces and power components.
• Replacement of damaged pieces. Older components can break during disassembly and transport.
• Reconfiguration labor. Designing and installing a new configuration takes more time than reinstalling the old one as-is.
• Removal of what does not fit. Leftover pieces still have to be disposed of.
• Storage. If the move-in and move-out dates do not line up, furniture may need to be stored in between.

The alternative is to liquidate the old furniture and install pre-owned workstations sized to the new floor plate. Sometimes that costs more. Sometimes it costs less. The only way to know is to price both paths.

What drives the cost of replacing

The replace path has its own variables. The biggest is grade: liquidation-grade, remanufactured or new. After that come the number of workstations, station size, panel height, power, finishes and whether you need a matched set. Delivery depends on your address, building access and the size of the order, and installation depends on the number of stations and the complexity of the layout. Electrical is a separate trade on either path.

Every project is quoted individually. Office Station puts the furniture, delivery and installation on separate lines of a written quote, and space planning is free.

Plan for the old furniture

If you replace, the old workstations still have to leave. Every office is different, so there is no standard figure for that step. After a free walkthrough, Office Station recommends the best route for the old furniture, whether resale, a buy, a quote to clear, donation or recycling, or a mix, based on brand, age, condition, access and your deadline. Put that written recommendation next to your replacement quote before you decide.

Compare the two paths

Get a real quote for moving and reconfiguring your existing workstations: disassembly, transport, new parts, reconfiguration labor, disposal of leftovers and any storage. Divide it by the number of workstations. Then do the same with a replacement quote for the grade you would buy, adjusted for the recommended route for your old furniture. Comparing the two on a per-workstation basis keeps the decision honest.

Other factors beyond cost

• Fit. Sized-to-fit workstations can be planned for the new floor plate instead of forced into it.
• Timing. Installing furniture in the new space before move week means less downtime than disassembling, moving and reassembling over one weekend.
• Consistency. Reconfigured systems can end up with mismatched finishes and panel heights.
• Chairs are different. Task chairs are cheap to move and often worth keeping. If you need more, pre-owned office chairs can fill the gap.

Browse used cubicles or price a layout in the cubicle quote request. For planning footprints, see the cubicle size guide and used cubicle prices. Beyond workstations, pre-owned office furniture covers private offices, conference and support areas.

Handing back the old space

The relocation is not finished until the old space is surrendered according to the lease. Plan it with the same care as move-in:

• Remove all furniture that is not moving, and document that the space is empty.
• Remove low-voltage cabling if the lease requires it.
• Remove whiteboards, signage and wall-mounted items, then patch and paint as required.
• Handle IT equipment and e-waste through a recycler that provides documented data destruction.
• Complete any restoration work required by the lease.
• Schedule the landlord walkthrough with time to fix anything flagged.

The office decommissioning service covers this scope, and office furniture liquidation starts with a free walkthrough and a recommended route for the old furniture, case by case. Office Station is based in Phoenix and supports relocations and liquidations nationwide, with local teams in every major U.S. market, with pre-owned furniture and cubicle sales in Greater Phoenix.

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