Planning an office move is one thing. Getting the communication right is another. Telling your staff too late, forgetting to update a key client, or missing a supplier notification can undo weeks of careful logistics. This guide walks you through exactly who to tell, what to say, and when.
When to Tell Your Staff the Office Is Moving
Your team should be first to know. Not second. Not third. The moment the move date is confirmed, your staff need to hear it directly from you before rumours fill the gap.
For most London businesses, four to eight weeks' notice is the minimum. If your team commutes long distances or has caring responsibilities, longer is kinder. A new office address can genuinely affect how people get to work, so give them time to plan. Share the new address, the nearest tube or bus routes, and anything you know about car parking as soon as you have it.
Be honest about what is changing and what is not. People want to know whether their desk set-up will be similar, whether they will still have a canteen, whether the commute will be longer. Answer those questions early and clearly, and you will have far less disruption on move day.
What to Put in Your Office Move Announcement to Employees
A clear internal announcement covers six things: the new address, the move date, what employees need to do before move day, what the removal team will handle, when normal working will resume, and who to contact with questions.
If your team will be working remotely on move day, say that upfront. If IT systems will be offline for a period, give your staff a realistic window. Uncertainty costs productivity. A one-page summary pinned to the company intranet, plus a short email from the managing director or office manager, is usually enough for smaller businesses. Larger teams may benefit from a dedicated Q&A session beforehand.
Your office removal team can help you plan the move around your people, including weekend or early-morning slots that keep disruption to a minimum.
Notifying Clients and Customers of Your New Address
Clients should not find out you have moved because their parcel came back undelivered. Give customers at least three to four weeks' notice, or more if they visit your premises regularly.
The most effective approach is a short, direct email from a senior contact at your business. Keep it brief: the new address, the move date, and confirmation that your phone numbers and email addresses are not changing. If clients visit your office regularly, include a map link or directions from the nearest tube station.
Follow the initial email with a reminder a week before move day. Update your email signature to show the new address from the day you move, not a week after. It is a small detail, but clients notice.
Updating Suppliers and Service Providers
Suppliers are easy to overlook because the relationship is often managed through a single point of contact rather than a shared inbox. Make a list of every supplier delivering to your office: stationery, catering, cleaning, couriers, IT hardware, trade suppliers. Contact each one directly with the new delivery address and the effective date.
Do not forget service contracts. Your broadband provider, alarm monitoring company, building maintenance team and cleaning firm all need the new address. In some cases, moving triggers a new contract or a notice period for the old premises. Check your lease and any facilities management agreements before assuming a simple address change is all that is needed.
If you are using secure storage during the move to hold archive files or surplus furniture while the new office is being fitted out, let relevant suppliers know about your temporary arrangements too.
What to Update Online Before Move Day
A surprising number of businesses complete their office move and then forget to update their online presence. Get ahead of it. In the week before you move, work through these:
- Google Business Profile: update the address and confirm it displays correctly on Maps
- Your website: homepage, contact page, footer, and any page that shows your address
- Companies House: update your registered office address if the move applies
- HMRC: notify them if your business address is changing
- LinkedIn company page and other social profiles
- Industry directories, trade body registrations and professional memberships
- Business stationery, email footers and invoices
For professional services firms, check whether your address appears on regulatory databases. An outdated address on Companies House can delay statutory correspondence, which is easily avoided with a little forward planning.
How to Time Your Move Around Your Communication
Pick your move date first, then work backwards. Friday evening and weekend moves give you a buffer before Monday morning so systems are back up before your team arrives. Planning an office move around your lease end date, IT migration window and team diary is as important as the removal itself.
A practical communication timeline for most London businesses: eight weeks out, brief your staff; six weeks out, notify clients; four weeks out, contact suppliers; two weeks out, send a reminder to clients; one week out, activate broadband, phone lines and IT access at the new address.
For smaller offices, a Luton van and a two-person crew can clear a ten-desk set-up in a morning. Larger relocations involving server rooms, archive files and canteen equipment need a planned crew with an office packing service to label, wrap and move everything so nothing ends up in the wrong room.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much notice should I give staff before an office move?
Four to eight weeks is the standard minimum for most businesses. If your team has varying commute lengths or the new location changes travel arrangements significantly, give as much notice as you can. Six weeks is a practical benchmark for London businesses, where commuting patterns vary widely.
Do I need to notify Companies House when my office moves?
Yes, if your registered office address is changing. You will need to file a change of registered office (form AD01) with Companies House. Do this promptly after the move and before any statutory correspondence is expected at the new address.
What is the best way to tell clients about an office move?
A short, direct email from a senior contact works well for most clients. Include the new address, the effective date, and confirmation that contact details are not changing. Follow up a week before moving and update your email signature on the day itself.
Should I use a specialist office removals company?
For anything beyond a very small move, yes. A professional, fully-insured office removals team handles packing, labelling, furniture dismantling and reassembly so your staff can focus on keeping the business running. Look for a company with goods-in-transit cover and £5m public liability insurance as standard.
Can you move an office over a weekend to avoid disruption?
Yes. Many London businesses choose Friday evening or Saturday moves to avoid losing a working day. Just Removals London works seven days a week, including early starts and bank holidays, so weekend and out-of-hours office moves are part of the standard service.
Ready to get your office move under way? Get in touch with Just Removals London for a free, no-obligation quote. Fixed prices, fully-insured crews, and a move day planned around your business.