Order the internet first
Internet is the item most likely to delay a move. Check what is available at the new address: whether fibre is already installed into the tenancy, what speeds are offered and whether a backup option such as 4G, 5G, fixed wireless or Starlink works there. If fibre needs installing, the process can involve a site survey, building owner consent and several visits, so order it as early as the lease allows.
Plan a backup connection from day one, even a temporary 4G service, so the move does not hinge on one installation going perfectly. If you have a static IP address at the old office, ask whether it can move, because some cloud services and partners may allow access only from that address.
Choose the comms cupboard location
Pick a central, lockable, ventilated space near where the fibre enters the tenancy, so cable runs stay under 100 metres and the incoming connection reaches the rack easily. Avoid kitchens, toilets, storerooms and spaces under water pipes. Confirm with the landlord what ventilation or cooling is possible. Make sure the space is big enough for a rack with room to grow.
The cupboard needs power outlets for the rack, UPS and any server. Those must be installed by a registered electrician, so include them in the electrical scope for the fit-out. Getting this right at the start is far cheaper than retrofitting ventilation or power after the walls are closed. Ask too whether the building has a shared riser or main distribution frame you need to connect to.
Plan cabling with the fit-out
Mark up the floor plan with every desk, meeting room, printer, screen, access point, camera and door controller. Decide how many data outlets each location needs, allowing spares, and where ceiling cables go for Wi-Fi and cameras. Coordinate with the fit-out company so data cabling happens while walls and ceilings are open and is kept separate from power.
Ask the cabling team for a certification test report, a labelled outlet plan and photos of the finished cabinet. Agree a labelling scheme in advance so the plans, outlets and patch panels all match. Remember that data cabling is low-voltage work; anything involving mains power is for the electrician. Order two or three spare runs to the comms cupboard for anything forgotten.
Design Wi-Fi for the space
Use the floor plan, wall types and expected head count to plan access point locations, ideally with a predictive survey. Pay attention to meeting rooms, glass partitions, kitchens and any areas with heavy walls. Each access point needs a ceiling data cable back to a PoE switch, which should already be in the cabling plan.
This is also the moment to set up proper network separation: staff, guests, phones and devices on their own VLANs, with firewall rules agreed before go-live. Building it right in an empty office is much easier than reworking a live network later. Record the design in your documentation as you go, so the first version of the network diagram exists on day one rather than being reconstructed later.
Phones, printers and everything else
Confirm how phones will work: desk handsets on PoE, softphones on laptops, or both. If you are moving phone numbers or changing provider, start the porting process early and agree the cutover time. Plan printer locations near data outlets, update scan-to-email or scan-to-folder settings and arrange for any leased copiers to be moved by their supplier.
Do not forget the items other trades install: cameras, door access, alarm panels, meeting room screens and building controls. Agree which network each one joins and who supplies the credentials, so nothing is plugged in at random during the final week. A short coordination meeting with the trades a few weeks before handover avoids most of the last-minute surprises.
Test before staff arrive
Install and configure the network equipment a few days before the move if possible. Test internet speed and failover, Wi-Fi coverage in every room, phones, printers, scanning, and access to key cloud and server applications. Walk the office with a laptop and phone on a video call to find weak spots. Fix issues before the moving trucks arrive, not after.
Keep a technician on hand for the first morning in the new office, and update all documentation to reflect the new layout. A move planned this way, with Office IT or any capable team running the checklist, means staff sit down, log in and get on with their work, which is the whole point.
In short
- Order internet and a backup connection as soon as the lease is signed.
- Choose a central, lockable, ventilated comms cupboard early.
- Cable while walls and ceilings are open, with a test report and labels.
- Design Wi-Fi and VLANs before go-live, not after.
- Test everything, including failover, before staff arrive.