Signing the lease is the easy part. Most of the stress in an office move happens in the eight weeks either side of it — and most of it is avoidable if you start the list early. Here's what founders consistently forget.

Before you sign anything

• Agree your real budget, including rent, service charge, business rates, fit-out and dilapidations on the old space — not just the headline rent
• Check the break clause and notice period against how confident you are in your growth plan
• Understand what rent-free period you're getting and whether it covers your fit-out time
• Line up your timeline against your current lease expiry so you're never paying for two offices longer than you have to

Fit-out and lead times

• Get fit-out and furniture quotes early — lead times on desks, chairs and cabling can run to several weeks
• Book any lift or out-of-hours access you'll need for the move itself
• Sort buildings insurance and contents insurance for the new space before you move a single box
• Confirm internet and phone lines are ordered with enough lead time — this is the one that catches almost everyone out

The admin nobody enjoys

• Update your registered address at Companies House and with HMRC
• Tell your bank, insurers, and any suppliers who send you physical post
• Set up mail redirection from the old address
• Update your website, Google Business Profile and email signatures
• Order new signage, access passes and parking permits where needed

Bringing the team with you

• Tell the team early — a new commute affects people's lives more than most business decisions you'll make
• Decide desk policy before moving day, not after
• Walk the space for accessibility needs, not just headcount

None of this is complicated on its own. It's the sheer number of small things, all landing at once, that makes moves stressful. Getting someone to run the search and keep the moving parts in order is usually the difference between a smooth move and a chaotic one.