Office Move: How to Plan a Successful Relocation

Start Planning Earlier Than You Think

The most common mistake businesses make when planning an office move is underestimating the lead times involved in technology infrastructure. Leased line installations take 30-60 working days from order. FTTP installations take 2-4 weeks. Porting phone numbers to a new VoIP system takes 2-4 weeks. Migrating IT systems and security configurations takes additional time on top.

The practical implication: technology planning should begin as soon as a move is confirmed — ideally 3-4 months before the target move date for anything involving a leased line, and at least 6-8 weeks out for broadband-only relocations.

Step 1: Check Connectivity at the New Premises

Before finalising a lease, check what internet connections are available at the shortlisted premises. The connection types available at the new location will directly affect your budget and what is achievable on your timeline.

• Run an availability check for all relevant technologies: FTTC, FTTP, leased line
• Get indicative pricing for each available option
• For leased lines, request a survey to confirm the excess construction charge (ECC) — this can vary enormously and is worth knowing before committing to a lease

If connectivity at a shortlisted premises is poor or expensive, this is worth weighing against rent and other factors when making the lease decision.

Step 2: Order Your New Connection Early

Once the move is confirmed and the new premises is agreed, place the connectivity order immediately. Do not wait until other elements of the move are finalised.

• Leased lines: order at least 10-12 weeks before move-in date
• FTTP: order at least 4-6 weeks before move-in date
• FTTC: order at least 3 weeks before move-in date

Request that the installation is completed and tested at least one week before your move date — this gives time to resolve any issues without impacting the move itself.

Step 3: Plan Your Phone Number Migration

Following the ISDN switch-off in December 2025, all business phone lines are now VoIP-based. An office move is the natural point to review your telephony setup. Key considerations:

• Number porting: If you want to keep your existing numbers, initiate a porting request to your new VoIP provider at least 4 weeks before the move. Number porting takes time and cannot be rushed.
• Call routing during transition: Arrange call forwarding from old numbers to a temporary or mobile number to cover the porting window.
• Handsets and headsets: Physical VoIP handsets at the new location need to be configured for the new connection and SIP registrations updated.

Step 4: Review Your Cybersecurity at the New Premises

An office move introduces several cybersecurity considerations that are easily overlooked:

• New public IP addresses mean all VPN configurations, IP whitelists and firewall rules need updating
• New network hardware (router, switch, access points) at the new premises must be configured to your security standards — do not plug in new devices with default credentials
• Physical security at the new premises (server room, network cabinet access) should be reviewed
• The PSTN/ISDN transition is a good trigger to review your full cybersecurity posture

Step 5: Plan Your IT Infrastructure Migration

For businesses with on-premises servers, network-attached storage (NAS) or local network infrastructure, the physical relocation requires careful planning:

• Transport of server hardware should be handled professionally — hard drives are sensitive to shock during transit
• Network cabling at the new premises should be surveyed and tested before move-in if possible
• Plan for a reconnection and testing period after physical hardware is installed at the new location

Cloud-hosted systems and SaaS applications are not affected by the physical move, which is one reason many businesses use an office relocation as a catalyst to migrate remaining on-premises infrastructure to the cloud.

Using AMVIA for Office Move Support

AMVIA provides end-to-end support for business relocations — from connectivity availability checks at the new premises, through installation coordination, VoIP migration and number porting, to IT infrastructure support at the new location. Managing these workstreams through a single provider simplifies coordination significantly and reduces the risk of interdependencies being missed.