Office Relocation Checklist for IT & Phone Systems

Moving offices without a plan is how businesses end up with no internet, no phones and no access to their files on day one. Use this checklist to keep your technology running through the move or hand the whole thing to our Brisbane and Melbourne team.

At a glance, a well-planned relocation means:

• A free site assessment of your new office’s power, cabling and connectivity
• One team for your server, network and phone system relocation
• Number porting and internet orders scheduled around your move date

Why office moves go wrong without an IT plan

A desk move is straightforward. Moving your servers, network and phone system without disconnecting your business for weeks is not. Internet connections can take two to four weeks to activate at a new address, phone numbers need to be ported before your old line is cut off, and a server that is unplugged and packed the wrong way can take days to bring back online.

This relocation checklist covers everything you need to plan an office IT and phone system relocation, from the first site visit to your first full day back online. If you would rather hand it to a team that has done this before, see how Databox Solutions manages IT relocation as a single project including your infrastructure and phone system so you are not juggling separate vendors on moving day.

Plan around a 2–4 week connection lead time. That is the typical activation time for a new Business NBN connection. Enterprise Ethernet or fibre can take longer, which is why connectivity needs to be ordered 8 to 12 weeks before your move.

We see the same avoidable problems on nearly every relocation that is not planned in advance.

• No internet on move-in day: Business NBN connections typically take two to four weeks to activate. If the order goes in the week of the move, your new office opens with no connection at all.
• Lost or delayed phone numbers: porting a number to a new address is not instant. If the port is not lodged early, calls to your main line can drop out or ring dead for days.
• Damaged servers and hardware: servers and network switches are sensitive to how they are packed, transported and reconnected. Poor handling can turn a working server into a warranty claim.
• No backup before disconnecting: once a server is unplugged, you have lost your easiest chance to back it up. If something is damaged in transit with no recent backup, that data may be gone for good.
• No address update for Triple Zero: VoIP phone systems need the service address updated for Triple Zero (000) calls whenever you move. It is a legal requirement, and easy to forget.
• No testing before staff arrive: Wi-Fi, printers, phone extensions and shared drives all need testing before your team walks in. Finding the faults after everyone arrives costs a day of productivity.

Your office IT & phone system relocation checklist

Work through these five phases in order. Connectivity and number porting have the longest lead times of anything on this list, so the earlier items matter most.

8 to 12 weeks before the move: plan

• Walk through the new site with your IT provider before signing the lease, checking power points, the comms room and cable pathways
• Confirm the new site has enough power and ventilation for a server or comms rack, if you are keeping one on-site
• Check NBN, fibre and mobile coverage at the new address before you commit to it
• Book your new internet connection early. Business NBN typically takes two to four weeks; Enterprise Ethernet or fibre can take longer
• Get a fixed quote for cabling, racking and equipment relocation
• Decide whether to relocate your existing servers or move to cloud-hosted infrastructure while you have the chance
• Start the number porting process for your phone system now, so your existing numbers carry over without a gap

4 to 6 weeks before the move: prepare

• Order new cabling, patch panels and racking if the new site needs it installed before you arrive
• Confirm your number porting request has been lodged and get an estimated completion date
• Take a full inventory of every device: computers, monitors, printers, phones, network switches, access points and cameras
• Label every cable and device with its destination in the new office
• Run a full backup of your servers and critical data while everything is still connected
• Order any new hardware, such as routers, switches, access points or UPS units, with enough lead time to arrive before the move
• Notify your internet and phone providers of the exact move date

1 to 2 weeks before the move: final checks

• Confirm the new site’s internet connection is live and tested before moving day, not on it
• Confirm cabling and racking installation is complete at the new site
• Schedule the IT and phone system move for a weekend or after hours to minimise downtime
• Set up temporary call forwarding in case the move takes longer than planned
• Back up everything one more time. This is your last chance before anything gets disconnected
• Brief your team on the new Wi-Fi details, printer setup and any temporary workarounds

Moving day

• Photograph the rack and cabling layout before disconnecting anything, so reassembly is fast
• Pack equipment in the order it will be reinstalled, so what you need first comes off the truck first
• Transport servers and networking equipment separately from general office furniture
• Reinstall and power on network equipment first: router, switches, firewall and access points
• Reinstall the phone system hardware and confirm dial tone before staff arrive
• Test internet speed and Wi-Fi coverage across the whole new office
• Test every phone extension, voicemail and call routing rule before you call it done

First week after the move: settle in

• Confirm every workstation can reach shared drives, printers and business applications
• Test incoming and outgoing calls from every extension, including the main line and after-hours routing
• Check that ported numbers are showing correctly on caller ID
• Update your Google Business Profile, website and email signatures with the new address
• Update your VoIP phone system’s registered address for Triple Zero (000) calls. This is a legal requirement in Australia
• Do a walk-through with your IT provider to catch and fix any lingering issues
• Recycle old cabling and hardware responsibly, or trade it in towards new equipment

Who needs an office IT relocation plan?

If any of these sound like your situation, start planning your move now.

• Lease expiring soon: your current lease is ending and you need your new office connected and operational the day the old one ends.
• Growing teams: you have outgrown your current space and need a new office set up to support more staff, more devices and more calls.
• Downsizing or hybrid moves: you are moving to a smaller footprint and need your network, phone system and server setup redesigned to match.
• Healthcare, legal & finance: your data handling needs to stay compliant through the move, with no gaps in security or availability of client records.

Download the relocation checklist here

Why Australian businesses choose Databox Solutions

One team for the whole relocation, not three separate vendors to coordinate.

• ISO 9001 & ISO 27001 certified: your data handling and project quality are covered by independently audited standards.
• Brisbane & Melbourne based: technicians on the ground for site visits, equipment moves and day-one support.
• One project, not three vendors: we manage your IT infrastructure and phone system relocation together.
• Number porting handled for you: we lodge and track the porting of your existing numbers, so your main line follows you.
• Fixed quote before you commit: you get a clear, fixed quote for the relocation before work starts.
• Australian data, Australian team: your backups, configuration and call data stay in Australian hands throughout the move.

Frequently asked questions

How far in advance should I start planning an office IT relocation?

Start at least 8 to 12 weeks before your move date. Internet connections and phone number porting have the longest lead times of anything in the move, and Business NBN alone can take two to four weeks to activate. Starting late is the single biggest cause of a slow, disruptive relocation.

Can you port our existing phone numbers to the new office?

Yes. We lodge and track the porting request for your existing numbers so your main line, and any direct extensions, follow you to the new address without a gap in service. We recommend starting this process at least six weeks before the move.

Do you handle both the IT relocation and the phone system, or just one?

We manage both as one project. Your servers, network equipment, workstations and phone system are relocated, reinstalled and tested together, so you are dealing with a single team instead of coordinating an IT provider and a phone provider separately.

What happens if our new internet connection is not ready in time?

This is exactly why the internet order needs to go in 8 to 12 weeks out. If a delay does happen, we can arrange a temporary 4G or 5G backup connection to keep your team online while the permanent connection completes.

Do I need to update anything for Triple Zero (000) calls after moving?

Yes, if you use a VoIP phone system. Australian regulations require your registered service address to be updated whenever you move, so emergency services are sent to the right location if someone dials Triple Zero. We handle this update as part of every relocation we manage.

Related services: IT Relocation Services · Business Phone Systems · Business Internet · Managed IT Services · IT Support