Relocating your office? Follow this comprehensive checklist to ensure your IT infrastructure is moved safely and securely with minimal downtime.
An office relocation is one of the highest-risk events in an organisation’s IT lifecycle. Physical handling, network reconfiguration, new infrastructure, and the coordination complexity of moving dozens of interdependent systems simultaneously creates significant potential for damage, data loss, and extended downtime.
The businesses that navigate relocations smoothly are the ones that started planning the IT component at least three months before moving day.
3 Months Before Moving Day
Engage IT Early in the Planning Process
The single most common mistake in office relocations is treating IT as a logistics afterthought — “we’ll sort out the computers when we get there.” The IT component of a move requires significant lead time:
- Internet service provisioning at the new location (NBN Business connections can take 20-60 business days to provision)
- Structured cabling installation (requires a licenced cabler and needs to be completed before furniture arrives)
- Firewall and network configuration
- Phone system porting or new service provisioning
Get your IT provider involved in the planning process the moment a relocation becomes confirmed, not when the moving truck is booked.
Conduct a Technology Audit at the New Location
Before committing to the new space, assess its IT infrastructure:
- How many network data points are installed, and where?
- Is there a server room or comms room? Is it air-conditioned?
- What internet infrastructure does the building have? (Fibre to the building vs NBN vs copper)
- What is the power supply situation? UPS requirements?
- Is there adequate power in the right locations for your equipment?
Discovering that the new premises has insufficient cabling on moving day is an expensive problem.
6-8 Weeks Before Moving Day
Design the New Network
Work with your IT provider to design the network layout for the new premises:
- Switch and access point placement
- VLAN design (staff, guest, IoT/printers, phones)
- Server room/comms room fit-out
- UPS sizing for critical equipment
Arrange Internet Service Provisioning
Submit your internet service application immediately — do not wait. Business NBN and fibre connections frequently have lead times that surprise organisations. Submit the application, confirm the expected installation date, and have a backup plan (4G/5G failover) for the period between moving day and service activation.
Order Replacement or Upgrade Hardware
Moving is an opportunity to refresh aging equipment. Hardware that will not survive another move-and-setup cycle (aging switches, old UPS units, network equipment approaching end-of-support) should be replaced as part of the move. Order lead times for networking hardware can be 4-8 weeks.
2-4 Weeks Before Moving Day
Arrange Structured Cabling
Structured cabling installation must be complete before furniture arrives. Book the cabling contractor, provide them with the network design, and confirm completion date at least a week before any other trades access the space.
Prepare Server Room or Communications Room
- Install equipment racks
- Confirm power requirements are met (dedicated circuits for UPS if required)
- Confirm cooling is adequate
- Label all rack positions and cable runs in advance
Document Current Configuration
Before disconnecting anything, document your current network configuration:
- Network diagrams (topology, IP addressing, VLAN layout)
- Switch and router configuration backups
- Firewall rules and configurations
- Wi-Fi SSID names and credentials
- Printer and other device IP addresses and configurations
Moving Day: The IT Sequence
The Order Matters
IT equipment should be disconnected in reverse dependency order and reconnected in dependency order:
Disconnection order:
- Endpoints (desktops, workstations)
- Printers and peripherals
- Switches and access points
- Servers and storage
- UPS units
- Firewall and router (last to leave the old site)
Reconnection order (new site):
- Firewall and router (first to arrive and connect)
- Core switch
- UPS units and servers
- Distribution switches and access points
- Printers and peripherals
- Endpoints
Label Everything Before Disconnecting
Every cable, every device, every rack unit should be labelled before disconnection. The time spent labelling saves hours of “what connects where” confusion at the new site.
Use Anti-Static Packaging for Electronics
Servers, networking equipment, and sensitive electronics should be packed in anti-static bags and foam-padded boxes — not general removal boxes. Physical damage and static discharge during transit are real risks.
Transport Servers Separately
Do not put servers in a moving truck with furniture. Transport them in a dedicated vehicle, upright (not on their side), padded and secured. Some organisations hire security couriers for server transport.
First Week at New Location
- Test all endpoints — connectivity, application access, printing
- Verify backup jobs are running to the correct targets
- Test remote access (VPN or cloud-based)
- Update your physical address in DNS records if you host any on-premises mail or web services
- Test phone system — inbound calls, outbound calls, voicemail
- Walk through each workstation with the assigned user
- Update address details in Microsoft 365 tenant, Google, and any external directories
- Test internet failover if you have a 4G/5G backup
Post-Move Security Review
A new physical environment introduces new physical security considerations:
- Are server rooms and communication rooms locked and access-controlled?
- Is Wi-Fi coverage adequate without creating signal spillage beyond the premises?
- Are security cameras and access control systems operational?
- Have visitor and guest network policies been configured for the new space?
CX IT Services manages office relocation IT planning and execution for Melbourne businesses — from pre-move network design through post-move support. Contact us to start planning your move.
