What's included
A relocation is two projects running at once: building the new space and exiting the old one. The template runs both, because dilapidations are where relocation budgets quietly break:
- Requirements & search — Headcount forecast, space and ways-of-working requirements, budget, site search and shortlisting.
- Lease & legal — Heads of terms, due diligence, lease negotiation and signature, plus notice served on the existing lease. Milestone: lease signed.
- Design & fit-out — Test fits, detailed design, landlord approvals, permits, construction, furniture install and snagging.
- IT & connectivity — Circuit orders, comms room build, cabling, AV and meeting rooms, and network cutover planning — the workstream with the longest external lead time.
- Move planning & communications — Move vendor selection, staff communications, floor plans and seat allocation, crate distribution and the move-day runbook.
- Move & decommission — The move weekend, first-day floor support, old-site clearance and dilapidations settlement. Milestone: old site handed back.
How to customize it
- Anchor the plan to your existing lease expiry — that date is fixed and everything else negotiates around it.
- Add a break-clause or notice-period milestone; missing it is the most expensive mistake available on this project.
- Extend the IT phase to your provider's actual quoted lead time rather than a nominal one.
- Split the move weekend into departments or floors if you are moving more than a hundred people.
- Keep dilapidations as visible tasks — settling the old lease is a real workstream with a real cost, not an afterthought.
Scheduling tips
- Run the exit in parallel from day one. Dilapidations surveys and negotiations take months and are far cheaper handled early than under time pressure.
- Communicate seat allocation before the move, not during. The single biggest source of first-day chaos is people not knowing where they sit.
- Test the network before move weekend. The new space should be proven with real users on a pilot day rather than on Monday morning.
- Book the lift and loading dock early. In multi-tenant buildings these are shared resources with their own booking calendars.
- Plan a floor-walking support day. First-day issues are small and numerous; having IT and facilities visible on the floor resolves them in minutes.
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Frequently asked questions
How long does an office relocation take?
Typically 6–12 months from requirements to move-in for a mid-sized office, driven mainly by site search, lease negotiation and fit-out. The template uses a nine-month schedule you can adjust.
What is usually the longest lead time in an office move?
Telecoms and internet circuit provisioning at the new site, which frequently exceeds the fit-out duration. That is why IT and connectivity is a separate phase here rather than a line inside fit-out.
Does the template cover exiting the old office?
Yes. Notice, dilapidations and clearance run as tasks in parallel with the new-site work, because the exit is where relocation budgets most often overrun.
Is the office relocation template free?
Yes. Free Excel, PowerPoint and CSV downloads, and free online editing with no sign-up.