In short
An office move stays connected when the IT work runs in lead-time order: the internet connection is ordered the day the premises is confirmed, the site is surveyed and data points counted six to eight weeks out, cabling goes in while the ceilings are open, WiFi and phones follow the survey, and everything is tested the week before anyone carries a box.
Day one failures are almost never bad luck. They are the right jobs done in the wrong order.
Office moves fail backwards. The removal vans are booked to the day, the furniture arrives to the hour, and then the team sits down on Monday morning to WiFi that does not exist, phones that ring in the old building, and an internet connection that is still six weeks from delivery.
None of that happens because anyone forgot IT. It happens because IT was remembered at week three, and some of these jobs cannot be compressed into three weeks at any price. This is the checklist in timeline form, built around the lead times that actually govern a move.
The timeline, from exchange to day one
The day the premises is confirmed: order the internet connection
This is the single longest lead time in the whole move, and it is the one nobody can hurry later. Delivery to new premises can take weeks or months depending on what is already in the building. Ordering early costs nothing extra. If the line will not be live in time, that is the moment to plan an interim, and Starlink for business can carry an office while a fixed line catches up.
Eight to six weeks out: survey the building and count the points
Walk the new space against the desk plan and count what actually needs connecting: two points per desk, then printers, wall screens, access points, cameras and door entry. A survey reads the building's containment and quirks at the same time. This is also when the structured data cabling design gets fixed, because everything after it hangs off that design.
Six to four weeks out: cabling in while the ceilings are open
If there is a fit-out happening, this is the window where cabling is cheapest and cleanest, because the routes are accessible and one visit can carry every service. The comms cabinet goes in now too, labelled and certified, so the later trades have somewhere to land.
Four to two weeks out: WiFi and phones, in parallel
Access points go where the survey says, not where the ceiling looks convenient. The phone system moves in parallel: the new setup runs alongside the old one while the numbers port across, so there is never a day when callers reach nobody. Nobody's number changes, and the old office keeps answering until the new one is ready.
The final fortnight: security rides along, then test everything
CCTV, door entry and meeting room screens share the cabling that is already in, which is why they belong in this programme rather than as an afterthought with its own disruption. Then, the week before the move, everything gets tested from a desk: every point, every access point, every number, the guest WiFi, the door release. Snags found on a quiet Thursday are snags; snags found on day one are headlines.
The five things every move forgets
- The printer, which needs a point, a fixed address and somebody who admits to owning it.
- Door entry and the alarm, which were wired to something in the old building that is not coming.
- Power and ventilation in the comms room, which the cabinet needs before anything in it can run.
- Notice periods on the old lines and broadband, which keep billing until someone cancels them in writing.
- The people who are not moving: remote staff whose calls and access need to work from both buildings during the overlap.
Who does what
The move goes smoothest when three parties know their lanes. You own the decisions: desk plan, headcount, what needs connecting and when the building is available. The landlord or fit-out contractor owns access, containment routes and when the ceilings are open. The installer owns the design, the installation, the testing and the paperwork, and should be talking to the fit-out contractor directly rather than through you.
The one job that cannot be delegated is the first one: confirming the premises and ordering the connection. Everything else has a workaround; that one just has a queue.
How Core Comms can help
Moves are the job we are built for: one survey covers the cabling, WiFi, phones, connectivity and security, one programme sequences them against your move date, and one fixed itemised quote covers the lot. We work directly with fit-out contractors so the cabling lands while the ceilings are open, and we run the old and new phone systems in parallel so day one callers notice nothing at all.
For the budgeting side of the same project, our guide to office IT fit-out costs sets out how the numbers come together once the point count exists.
If you have just confirmed new premises, the clock on the connection has already started: talk to our team or call 0330 838 1000 this week rather than at week three.
FAQs
How far in advance should I order internet for an office move?
The day the premises is confirmed. Delivery to new premises can take weeks or months depending on what is already in the building, and it is the one lead time in the whole move that cannot be compressed later. Ordering early costs nothing extra.
Can we keep our phone numbers when we move office?
Yes. Numbers are ported to the new system rather than tied to the building, and the right sequence is to run the new setup alongside the old one until porting completes, so callers never hit a gap. Nothing needs reprinting.
When should data cabling be installed during a fit-out?
While the ceilings and floors are open, alongside the other first-fix trades. That window makes the installation cleaner and lets one cabling visit carry the desks, WiFi, CCTV and door entry together. Cabling squeezed in after decoration costs more and shows.
What if the internet is not live by moving day?
Plan the interim before it happens rather than after. A temporary connection such as Starlink for business can carry an office at full working speed while the fixed line is delivered, and it can be arranged in days rather than weeks.
How long does the IT side of an office move take?
Comfortably, eight weeks from confirmed premises to tested day one, with the connection ordered on day zero. It can be done faster where the building cooperates, but every week trimmed removes slack from someone else's lead time, which is where day-one surprises come from.
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