For most businesses, closing for a week to move premises simply isn’t an option. Clients still expect replies, phones still need answering and staff still need somewhere to work. That’s why so many companies planning an office relocation in London choose to move over a weekend: pack down on Friday evening, move and set up across Saturday and Sunday, and open the doors on Monday as if nothing had happened. This guide explains how a no-downtime weekend move works and what to sort out beforehand.
Why a weekend office move makes sense
A weekend move keeps disruption to a minimum. Your team works a normal Friday, the heavy lifting happens while the building is quiet, and on Monday everyone arrives at a working office. Goods lifts and loading bays are also usually less busy at weekends.
The trade-off is time. You have roughly 60 hours between the last person logging off on Friday and the first person logging on on Monday, so every hour needs to be planned. If you’re at the very start of the process, our office moving checklist covers the wider timeline.
Plan the move in phases
A successful weekend move is decided weeks in advance. Work through it in phases:
- Clear out early. Archive boxes, old files and spare furniture can be moved or disposed of beforehand, so the weekend only covers live working kit.
- Move non-essentials first. Meeting-room furniture, storeroom contents and archive boxes can go midweek or the weekend before.
- Split large moves. If you have several floors or departments, it is often safer to move one group per weekend than to try everything at once.
- Book a survey. A survey of both buildings sets the crew size, vehicles and number of crates.
Floor plans, labelling and crates
On a weekend move there’s no time to stand in the new office wondering where things go. Before moving day, produce a floor plan of the new office with every desk, cabinet, printer and meeting room numbered. Then give every item a label that matches:
- use a different colour for each department or floor, so the crew can sort loads at a glance;
- label every crate, monitor, PC and chair with the destination desk number;
- put a copy of the floor plan on the wall by the entrance and at each lift at the new building.
Lidded plastic crates beat cardboard boxes for office moves: they stack securely, close without tape and are quicker to load and unload. Each member of staff usually needs one or two for desk contents.
Coordinate IT disconnection and reconnection
IT is the part of an office move most likely to cause Monday-morning problems, so agree responsibilities with your IT team or provider early. As a rule, they should shut down, back up and disconnect servers, network switches, phone systems and anything else holding data, and then reconnect and test them at the new site. The removal crew’s job is to pack that equipment safely, move it and place it exactly where it belongs.
Before the weekend, check that broadband and phone lines are live at the new office, that network points are in the right places and that you have enough power sockets near desks. Ask your IT provider to be on site, or on call, on Saturday afternoon and Sunday, when the reconnection happens.
Friday evening: the pack-down
Staff should finish packing personal crates by Friday lunchtime, then log off and leave their desks clear. Once the IT team has shut down and disconnected equipment, the crew moves in. Monitors go into padded sleeves, PCs and laptops into crates, cables are bagged and labelled, and furniture is dismantled where needed. Loading usually starts the same evening, so the vehicles are full and ready to go first thing on Saturday.
Weekend building access at both ends
Many London buildings have strict rules on out-of-hours moves, including goods-lift bookings, loading-bay times, floor protection and paperwork such as risk assessments and insurance certificates. Confirm these with building management at both the old and new offices before you fix your date, and make sure a contact with keys and alarm codes is available all weekend. Our guide to building rules for London office moves goes into this in detail.
Saturday: delivery and placement
Saturday is the main moving day. Furniture goes in first and is reassembled to match the floor plan, followed by crates, IT equipment and everything else. Because every item is labelled with a desk number, the crew can put each one in its final position rather than leaving piles by the door. By the end of the day the new office should look like a working office, just without anything plugged in.
Sunday: set-up and Monday-morning readiness
Sunday is for reconnection and checks. Your IT team reconnects servers, network equipment and workstations, while the crew finishes any remaining furniture, removes packing materials and empty crates from desks and makes a final sweep of the old office. Before you lock up, walk the floor yourself:
- does every desk have its screen, PC, phone and chair?
- are printers, Wi-Fi and phone lines working?
- are kitchen, reception and meeting rooms usable?
- is the old office empty and ready to hand back?
Build in contingency
Even good plans meet surprises, such as a late fit-out or a lift out of service. Agree a fallback before the weekend. Essentials can go in first so that key teams can work on Monday, while anything that won’t fit, or isn’t needed yet, goes into secure storage and is delivered later. Keep a short list of who to call for building access, IT, the landlord and the removal team, and share it with everyone involved.
Keep your staff in the loop
A few weeks before the move, tell staff the date, what they need to pack and by when, and what they should leave for the crew. On the Friday, send a reminder with the new address, building entry instructions and their desk number. On Monday morning, have someone at reception to welcome people and handle any snags.
Frequently asked questions
Can a whole office really be moved over one weekend?
For most small and medium offices, yes. The usual pattern is to pack and load from Friday evening, deliver and place furniture on Saturday, then reconnect IT and finish set-up on Sunday. Larger offices or multi-floor moves can be split into phases over two or more weekends so that each one is manageable.
Who disconnects and reconnects our computers and servers?
Your IT team or IT provider should shut down, disconnect and reconnect servers, network equipment and anything that holds data. Our crews pack, label and move the equipment and place it exactly where the floor plan shows, so your IT people can reconnect it quickly. We agree the timings with them in advance.
What happens if the new office isn’t ready on the day?
It happens more often than you’d think, with fit-outs running late or a lift out of action. A good plan includes a fallback: furniture and crates can go into secure storage and be delivered once the space is ready, while essential equipment goes in first so key staff can keep working.
How should staff pack their own desks?
Give each person a crate or two, a colour-coded label with their new desk number, and a deadline, usually Friday lunchtime. Personal items, papers and drawer contents go in the crate; monitors, PCs and phones are left for the crew and IT team to handle.
Weekend office relocations with K1 Removals
K1 Removals is an established London removals company handling commercial, domestic and international moves, with insurance cover up to £1m. For office relocations, our uniformed crews work evenings and weekends, plan around building rules at both addresses and coordinate with your IT provider, so you can open on Monday with minimal disruption. Find out more about our office removals service.
Planning an office relocation in London? Book a free survey and get a tailored quote or call 0330 103 0041.