OFFICE RELOCATION CHECKLIST

ASSIGN RESPONSIBILITIES FIRST

Nominate the relocation coordinator, inventory approver, building contacts and technology lead. Identify which tasks the removalist supplies. Create a destination register for furniture and equipment so departments are not independently giving conflicting placement instructions.

Start with a responsibility table inside your organisation. Name the person who approves the move scope, the person coordinating transport, the technology lead and the contacts who control each premises. Identify who can authorise changes during the appointment and name a backup. Ask departments to submit physical inventories in one agreed format, using destination codes that remain useful even if staff move between teams. Consolidate shared assets and resolve ownership before issuing the approved transport list. A removalist should not have to choose between competing instructions from different people who each believe their department has priority.

CONFIRM BUILDINGS AND TIMING

Obtain loading routes, lift requirements and the periods when both premises can be accessed. Check the proposed sequence with the removalist. Include attendance by authorised staff, especially if the relocation is planned outside ordinary business hours.

Get the actual building requirements before finalising the transport schedule. Record loading entrances, lift arrangements, access periods and any supplier documentation requested by management. Check when an authorised member of your staff must attend and who controls access devices. Put both premises on one timeline with the provider's proposed sequence. A collection slot and an unloading slot are not automatically compatible simply because each is available. If there is a conflict, resolve it with the relevant contacts before the booking, and record who is responsible for changing reservations if the schedule is later revised.

PREPARE EQUIPMENT AND RECORDS

Let the technology team define disconnection, packaging and reconnection. Assign custody of sensitive files and restricted assets. Use labels that support destination placement without displaying unnecessary confidential information. Record anything staff transport themselves.

Give the technology team ownership of shutdown and restart. Record which equipment can be moved after disconnection and what requires specialist attention. The Australian Cyber Security Centre recommends backing up important information and testing restoration, so include an IT-approved backup decision before devices are released. Decide how accessories and components remain identifiable without exposing unnecessary information. Assign custody for restricted files, access credentials and sensitive equipment, and record what staff carry separately. Transport labels should support placement, while internal controls determine who is allowed to handle the material behind those labels.

MANAGE THE COLLECTION

Check items against the approved inventory and separate anything remaining at the old premises. Keep an approval contact available for scope questions. Tell the business about unplanned additions rather than assuming the vehicle has spare capacity.

Before loading, walk each work area against the approved register. Check storage rooms, shared meeting spaces and items beneath desks. Separate furniture staying in the old premises and ensure equipment has been released by its technical owner. Keep the approval contact available to discuss unexpected additions with the supplier. Record accepted changes instead of asking staff to negotiate independently with individual crew members. Check the load record at handover and keep a copy outside the consignment. A controlled collection is one where the people onsite can explain what leaves, what remains and which version of the plan applies.

COMPLETE A STAGED RESTART

Direct essential work areas first, then verify furniture and equipment placement. Arrange technical checks after transport and assembly. Keep an outstanding-items list with the relevant supplier contacts so the end of unloading is not mistaken for completion of every relocation task.

At delivery, direct goods by destination code and check placement against the floor plan. Complete furniture assembly before treating an area as ready for technical setup where those tasks depend on one another. Let the technology team perform its checks, and give department leads a clear way to record missing items or unresolved work. Distinguish a transport concern from a network configuration task so the right person receives it. The vehicle leaving marks one milestone; an operational restart requires confirmation from the owners of the later tasks. Keep those milestones separate in your completion record.

KEEP AN EXCEPTION LIST UNTIL THE OFFICE IS USABLE

Use a short list with each outstanding matter, its owner and the next agreed action. Include delayed furniture, placement changes, assembly, technology checks and property handover issues where relevant. Review it with the coordinator rather than allowing concerns to spread across informal staff conversations. Office Removalists explains how to define the supplier's physical work, while Office Removalists Parramatta is useful when that premises is part of your project. Removalist Costs helps compare offers with different preparation inclusions. Once the inventory and timetable are approved, CRQ can invite quote responses at no charge. Select and book directly with the business whose scope fits the project, then use this checklist to coordinate the tasks your organisation and other suppliers still own.

SET A CLEAR STANDARD FOR CLOSING THE PROJECT

Agree the completion criteria before relocation day. Separate the supplier's physical deliverables from the organisation's operational milestones: delivered furniture, completed assembly, equipment checks and staff access can each require a different sign-off. Name the person confirming each one and decide where the record is kept. This avoids asking a transport crew to certify that business systems work or asking an IT lead to approve furniture handling they did not observe. Each owner should confirm the task within their responsibility and flag the next dependency.

Arrange a short review once immediate placement and restart checks are complete. Compare the approved inventory with delivery records, reconcile accepted variations and identify anything that still requires supplier follow-up. Check that restricted material and staff-carried assets reached their intended custodian. Keep invoices and approval records together so an unexpected charge can be discussed against the relevant decision. Finally, assign a date for the next review of unresolved matters rather than allowing them to become background office conversation. Closing the project means the remaining work is either complete or explicitly owned, not simply that the old premises are empty and the last vehicle has departed.