Start about eight weeks out: lease and plan
Read your current lease before you tell anyone. Find the notice period, the make-good duties and any end-date rules. Your landlord holds you to those terms, not to your moving plan.
Then pick a moving day and work backwards. Name one person to own the plan. Keep a single shared list of tasks, owners and dates.
Check the new premises as well. Ask who the building manager is, when you can get in, and whether lifts or loading docks need a booking.
Book internet first
Internet is the usual cause of downtime. The nbn guidance for moving says to start more than four weeks before the move. It says to check your new address, then contact your provider. The time it takes depends on the nbn technology at the address and on what is already installed there.
If the site was connected before and the nbn equipment is still there, a provider may be able to switch it on without a visit. If not, a technician may need to come, and someone may need to be on site. That page is written for homes. For an office, ask your business provider for its own timeframe and get it in writing.
Tell your current provider your move date so the old service ends on time. Do not cancel it until the new one works. Keep a mobile hotspot as a backup for the first week.
Four weeks out: movers and IT cutover
Get written quotes from at least two removalists. Ask what the price covers, what insurance applies to your goods, and how they handle IT gear. Book a date early, because month-end moves fill up.
For IT, list every device, line and service. Include phones, printers, door access, alarms, backups and cloud logins. Then plan the cutover in order.
- Back up all data before anything is unplugged.
- Label each cable and device by desk or room.
- Move servers and network gear first and set them up first.
- Test email, phones, printing and the file share before staff arrive.
If you can, keep the old office running for a few days. That way you can fix problems without stopping work.
Update your addresses within 28 days
The law sets a clock after you move. Business.gov.au says the ATO, ASIC and the Australian Business Register require you to report changes within 28 days. Three records may need a new address.
- ABN: your record needs a physical street address. A PO box or a tax or BAS agent address is not suitable as your main business address, unless you run your business as a tax or BAS agent.
- Company details: ASIC says a company must tell it within 28 days of a change to its registered office or principal place of business, or a late fee applies.
- Business name: if you hold a registered business name, update its details with ASIC too.
For a company, ASIC uses Form 484, Change to Company Details. If the company does not occupy the new registered office, you must name the occupier and say whether they agreed to its use. The change takes effect seven days after you submit it.
The wider address list
Those are the legal updates. Many other records also hold your old address, and each one can send mail or deliveries to an empty office.
- Bank, merchant and payroll accounts
- Insurance policies and broker records
- Suppliers, couriers and key customers
- Website, Google Business Profile, email signatures and invoices
- Stationery, signage and business cards
Set up mail redirection for the old address and keep it for months. Check it for missed invoices each week.
Moving day and the week after
Walk the new office the day before. Mark each room, desk and loading point so movers do not need to ask. Keep one person on site to sign off the delivery.
After the move, run a short test list: internet speed, phones, printers, backups and door access. Ask each team member to report problems the same day. Return keys and complete any make-good work under the lease.
The limit of this plan: every lease and provider differs, so treat the dates as a guide and confirm each one in writing.