How much does it cost to move office in the UK?

UK office moves usually start from about £3,500 for small moves, but bigger, multi-site or IT-heavy relocations can cost £20,000 or more.

If you are planning an office move, the first thing you'll want is a realistic budget. 

The second thing you'll want is a fool-proof plan that won't leave you panicking once the first van arrives and somebody realises the lift is too small for the boardroom table.

The truth is, office relocation costs vary a lot. A small, easy office move across town is very different from a multi-floor London move, a phased relocation, or a multi-site project where you are moving teams in stages without shutting the business down.

Here, we talk you through all the costs you need to take into consideration when planning an office move.

Planning an office move? Get in touch with SFI for professional office relocations that come fully project-managed to keep your business moving. 

The headline figure: what most businesses spend on an office move

 

As a rough starting point, many UK office moves cost somewhere around £3,500+ for smaller to medium-sized projects, with bigger moves costing more depending on how complicated they are.

According to evolve, the average cost of an office move is:

• Around £3,500 to £7,000 for offices in the 3,000 sq ft range (or similar size projects)
• Around £6,100 to £23,000 for offices 10,000 sq ft and above

It's worth noting however, that these are only the headline figures. For many businesses, especially those in London, costs can grow sharply when they think about access and specialist removals. 

So, how do you budget?

 

The main office move cost categories to budget for

 

1) repairs and restoration at your current office

Most commercial leases ask you to hand the space back in a set condition. This could include having to strip out, clean, repair and redecorate the space.

Depending on what your specific lease says, this can cost anywhere from £7 to £30 per sq ft. 

However, there are some things that might drive this estimate up, including:

• If your company has installed partitioning that needs to be removed
• Intense damage to floors or walls
  

If you are planning the move and thinking “we definitely changed the layout more than we remember”, plan for this early. It is one of the biggest budget blowouts.

 

2) Fit out and refurbishment in the new space

Your new office may also need work done on it before you can properly move in and get back to work, even if it looks “ready” on viewing day. 

Fit-out costs can go up and down depending on the spec and complexity of what you need, but as a general estimate, it's worth planning around £20 to £90 per sq ft for refurbishment and fit-outs.

However, some higher-end builds might go beyond this. 

Some bigger budget items include:

• Meeting room and office booth installations
• Any power, data or AV changes you need to make
• Kitchen or breakout area re-dos
• Accessibility upgrades if needed

 

3) professional office moving costs

This is the bit most people think of first: packing, removals, transport, and set-up.

For moves that are mostly furniture and standard equipment, costs usually rise based on:

• total volume of items (number of workstations is often a better measure than headcount alone)
• the time needed for the move (access issues in central city locations can double labour time)
• distance between sites
• disassembly and reassembly needs

At SFI, we recommend budgeting based on a personalised site survey, because office moves are rarely “one size fits all”. If you want a bespoke survey by our professional moving team, get in touch with SFI today.

Also read our guide: office move checklist.

 

4) Surveys, legal fees, and schedule of condition

These parts of the move are often overlooked in the moving budget because they do not feel like “moving costs”, but they would sit in the relocation budget.

To give you an idea of what to include:

• Premises surveys can range from £750 to £5,000
• Solicitor costs can range from £2,000 to £8,000 (sometimes more depending on how complicated the lease is)
• A schedule of condition is often around £1,000 to £2,000 (and can be higher depending on the space)

 

5) IT relocation and downtime prevention

If your business relies on servers, devices, specialist networking, or any regulated IT equipment, you're going to need movers that know what they are doing.

This is where SFI’s specialist IT office relocation services can help. Our team of professional movers handles the tech, so your business can get back online as soon as possible. 

Get in touch for a bespoke quote.

 

Extra costs that often catch people out

 

Even well-run office relocations can be hit by smaller extras that add up.

Some hidden elements to look out for include:

• Additional insurance (especially for high-value items)
• Packaging materials, crates, and specialist protection
• Parking, permits, loading bay restrictions, and fines
• Business storage if the new space is not ready on schedule
• Waste disposal, furniture recycling, and clearance
• Delays caused by access issues (lifts, stairs, security, long carries)

If you are planning to clear old furniture, archive material, or unwanted kit during the move, explore our commercial office clearance and recycling service.

 

What affects the price of an office move the most?

 

Office size

A bigger office usually means more furniture and more labour, but density matters too.

Fifty desks packed efficiently can be easier to move than thirty spread across multiple floors with awkward access.

 

Access and building constraints

This is the one that businesses underestimate the most. A “simple” move becomes expensive when:

• There is no loading bay
• The lift is slow or too small
• You have long carry distances from van to desk
• You have strict move-in windows managed by building teams

A proper survey upfront can help protect your budget.

 

How phased the move needs to be

If you can't shut down operations for a day, you may need a multi-phase moving plan: moving departments in stages, setting up interim working areas, or handling out-of-hours moves.

This is exactly where experienced project delivery pays off. 

 

Multi-site moves

Multi-site relocations need coordination across different teams, different building rules, and often different timelines. You are not just moving, you are managing a programme.

If you are relocating multiple sites, see how SFI can help with our multi-site office moves for UK businesses.

 

Installations and set-up 

If your move involves:

• Complicated workstation layouts
• Meeting room tech and wall-mounted screens
• Pods, booths, or specialist furniture systems

…you need a team that can install properly, not just “drop and run”. 

 

A simple way to build a realistic budget

 

We encourage businesses to budget by pulling together:

1. Fixed costs (surveys, legal, schedule of condition, known fit-out works)

2. A detailed move scope and survey from a specialist mover
   

3. A contingency of 10% to 15% for the unknowns (access delays, minor works, timeline changes)

If you want to pressure-test your plan before committing, get in touch for a bespoke quote.

 

How long does an office move take?

 

The physical move might be one to three days for many offices, but the wider relocation is rarely that quick.

For mid to large moves, it can often take around 4 to 8 months in total, sometimes longer for refurbishments, multi-site relocations, or phased moves. The earlier you start planning, the more control you have over cost, downtime, and risk.

 

Why businesses use SFI for complex office moves

 

When a relocation is easy, plenty of moving companies can carry boxes.

When it is multi-phase, multi-site, or IT-heavy, you need a partner who can plan, coordinate, and deliver without disrupting the business.

SFI supports office relocations that need:

• Phased project delivery to keep teams working
• Specialist handling of IT and sensitive equipment
• Expert installations so the new space is operational quickly
• Clearance and recycling to reduce what you pay to move

If you are building a budget and want a clearer, survey-based estimate, get in touch with SFI for a bespoke quote today.