Planning an Office Move: Your 8-Week Timeline
Turn chaos into a checklist with this practical timeline.
Most office moves go sideways because people underestimate how much prep they actually need. You can't just call movers a week before and expect smooth sailing.
Eight weeks sounds like a lot of time. It's not. Between coordinating with landlords, sorting what stays and what goes, prepping IT systems, and keeping your business running — those eight weeks disappear fast.
Here's a realistic timeline for planning an office move in Boise. Not the perfect-world scenario where everything goes exactly as planned. The real-world version where stuff comes up and you need buffer time built in.
8 Weeks Out: Foundation Work
Two months before your office move, you're setting up everything that comes later. This is all coordination and paperwork. It's boring but essential.
Book your commercial movers. Good moving companies in Boise fill up, especially during busy seasons. Eight weeks gives you options. Wait until four weeks and you're taking whoever's available, not who you actually want.
Measure both spaces. Walk through your current office and your new space with a tape measure. Pay attention to doorways, elevators, and stairwells. That conference table might fit in your current space but won't make the turn in your new building. Find out now, not on moving day.
Create a floor plan for the new office. Decide what goes where before move day. When movers ask "where does this desk go?" you need an answer that doesn't require a committee meeting. A simple floor plan saves hours during the move.
Notify your landlord and vendors. Lease requirements, utility shutoffs, mail forwarding — all the administrative stuff that takes weeks longer than you think. Start these conversations early.
6 Weeks Out: The Purge
Here's where you actually make the move cheaper and easier. Every piece of furniture you don't move is money saved and space gained.
Walk through your office with brutal honesty. That broken chair you've been meaning to fix for a year? Not worth moving. The filing cabinet full of papers from 2015? Probably time to let it go. Old equipment nobody uses anymore? Leave it behind.
Schedule junk removal for stuff you're ditching. Don't leave this until the last minute. You don't want to be frantically dealing with unwanted furniture the day before your move.
Inventory what's actually moving. Create a list, take photos if needed. This helps movers quote accurately and helps you track everything during the move. It's tedious work, but you'll be glad you did it when you're trying to figure out if anything went missing.
4 Weeks Out: IT and Infrastructure
One month before your office move, you're dealing with the stuff that keeps your business running. Internet, phones, servers, printers — all the technology that everyone takes for granted until it doesn't work.
Order new internet service. Internet providers in Boise need time to schedule installations. If you wait until two weeks out, you might be running your business on a hotspot for the first week in your new space. Not ideal.
Plan your IT relocation. If you have servers, network equipment, or complex setups, bring in someone who knows what they're doing. Moving computer equipment isn't the same as moving furniture. One wrong move can cost thousands in damaged hardware or lost data.
Update your business information everywhere. Your address shows up in more places than you think. Google Business Profile, website, email signatures, letterhead, business cards. Start making that list now so you're not scrambling later.
Order new supplies. Moving boxes, packing tape, labels, markers. Don't assume your movers provide everything. Ask what's included and buy what's not.
2 Weeks Out: Pack and Communicate
Two weeks before the move, things get real. This is when the actual packing happens and when your team needs clear direction.
Start packing non-essentials. Anything you don't need for daily operations gets boxed now. Archive files, extra supplies, decorations, seasonal items. Label everything clearly with what's inside and what room it goes to. Your future self will thank you.
Confirm details with your movers. Double-check the date, time, and scope of work. Make sure they have accurate information about both locations, including parking restrictions and building access. Surprises on move day are expensive.
Tell your employees exactly what's happening. When packing starts, when the move happens, when they'll have access to the new office, what they should bring with them on move day. The more clarity you provide, the smoother everything goes.
Notify clients and customers. Send out an email blast about your upcoming move. Include your new address, any service interruptions, and your new contact information. Do this while you still have time to answer questions, not the day before you move.
Moving Week: Execute the Plan
This is what all that planning was for. If you've followed the timeline, move week should be organized chaos instead of complete disaster.
Pack everything remaining. The last few days before the move, box up daily-use items. IT equipment, desk supplies, personal items. Everything not bolted down should be ready to go.
Protect what matters. Wrap monitors, disconnect equipment properly, secure loose items. Your movers handle the heavy lifting, but you know which items are fragile or expensive. Take extra precautions with anything you can't afford to replace.
Designate a point person. Someone needs to be available on move day to answer questions and make decisions. Movers will have questions. Your team will have questions. Having one person responsible prevents confusion.
Do a final walkthrough. After everything's loaded, check every room, closet, and storage area. Check bathrooms, break rooms, and outdoor spaces. People always forget stuff. Don't be one of them.
First Week After: Settle In
You're in the new space. Boxes are everywhere. Nothing works quite right yet. That's normal. Give it a week before you decide you made a terrible mistake.
Unpack essentials first. Get the critical stuff working before you worry about decorations. Desks, computers, phones, break room. Basic functionality before comfort.
Test everything. Internet connection, phone lines, printers, security systems. If something doesn't work, you want to discover it immediately while the problem is fresh, not a month later when you've forgotten the details.
Get organized. Designated spots for supplies, clear labeling for storage areas, everyone knows where things live. The effort you put into organization now saves hours of "where did we put that?" conversations later.
Expect a week of adjustment. People will complain about parking, desk configurations, the kitchen layout, and everything else. Some complaints are legitimate and need addressing. Others just need time. Give your team space to adapt before making major changes.
How We Help With Office Move Planning
We move businesses in Boise every week. Small offices, large companies, everything in between. And we've seen what works and what doesn't when it comes to planning.
When you book with us, we walk through this timeline with you. We help you figure out what you actually need, what can wait, and how to avoid the common mistakes that turn office moves into nightmares.
We also offer after-hours and weekend moves so you're not shutting down during business hours. Your office gets moved, your customers never notice, and Monday morning everyone shows up to the new location ready to work.
The Bottom Line on Office Move Planning
Eight weeks gives you enough time to handle an office move without panic. More time is better. Less time means cutting corners and hoping nothing breaks.
The businesses that have smooth moves are the ones that follow a timeline and stick to it. They don't procrastinate the boring parts. They don't assume everything will just work out. They plan, prepare, and execute.
Your office move doesn't have to be a disaster. Start early, stay organized, and work with professionals who've done this before. That combination makes all the difference.
Planning an Office Move in Boise?
We'll walk you through the timeline and handle the heavy lifting. Get a free quote today.