Is the location really the problem?
When trade is flat, premises are an easy thing to blame and an expensive thing to change. So it is worth testing the theory before signing a lease somewhere else.
Signs the location genuinely is the constraint:
- Passing trade matters to you and there is none. A shop on a street nobody walks down has a structural problem no amount of marketing fixes.
- Customers cannot park, or cannot find you. Both are location problems dressed up as marketing ones.
- You have outgrown the space, and the cost of inefficiency now exceeds the cost of moving.
- You are paying for space you do not use, which is the same problem in reverse.
- Staff are leaving over the commute, or you cannot recruit because of where you are.
- Deliveries, access or loading are a daily fight, which costs more hours than anyone counts.
Signs it is not the location: the same products sell fine online, competitors nearby are busy, or the drop-off coincided with a price change or a lost contract. Moving a business is disruptive and expensive, and doing it for the wrong diagnosis is the worst outcome available.
One check worth doing before anything else: if you are a local business, look at your Google Business Profile. A wrong or incomplete listing suppresses far more trade than a mediocre street position, and fixing it costs nothing.
What to check before you commit to new premises
The lease. Length, break clauses, rent review dates, whether it is inside or outside the Landlord and Tenant Act security of tenure provisions, and whether you can assign or sublet if the business changes. Get a solicitor to read it.
Dilapidations on the property you are leaving. This is the cost that ambushes people. At the end of a commercial lease you are typically liable for putting the premises back into the condition the lease requires, and a schedule of dilapidations can run to a substantial sum. Find out what you are exposed to before you plan the budget, not afterwards.
Business rates. Check the rateable value of the new property rather than assuming it resembles the old one, and check whether you qualify for small business rate relief, which can be significant for smaller premises.
Access and loading. Where does a delivery van stop? Is there a loading bay, a controlled parking zone, a height restriction, a goods lift? Ask specifically about lift dimensions if you are above ground floor, because that determines what furniture can ever reach the space.
Connectivity. Business broadband is not a same-week job. A standard line may take a fortnight; a leased line can take months. Order it the moment the lease is signed, and confirm whether phone numbers can be ported or whether you are changing them.
The neighbours and the footfall. Visit at the times your customers would, on different days. A parade that is busy on Saturday can be dead on Tuesday.
Tell the right people
Moving premises creates an administrative trail that is easy to leave half finished:
- Companies House, if the registered office is changing
- HMRC, for corporation tax, VAT and PAYE
- Your bank, insurers and lenders, since insurance in particular is tied to the address
- Google Business Profile, plus every directory and listing site that carries your address
- Your website, invoices, letterhead, signage and email footer
- Customers and suppliers, with as much notice as you can give
- Licences and permits, many of which are premises-specific and do not simply transfer
Your staff are the part people get wrong
A change of workplace is a change to a contractual term, and it deserves proper handling rather than an announcement.
Many contracts contain a mobility clause allowing the employer to change the work location, but Acas is clear that such clauses may only be used to make changes that are reasonable, and that employers should consult employees and representatives even where a clause appears to permit the change. Reasonableness turns on things like commuting distance, the notice given, and individual circumstances. Used badly, it risks breach of contract or discrimination claims.
Practically: tell people as early as the decision allows, consult properly, listen to the ones for whom the new commute is genuinely difficult, and consider what would make it workable. If you employ more than a handful of people, take proper HR or legal advice before you announce anything.
Moving the business without losing days
The point of planning an office or shop move is to lose as little trading time as possible.
- Move out of hours. Evenings and weekends cost more in labour and save more in downtime. We do this regularly for London businesses.
- Sequence it. IT and phones last out and first in, so the new premises are working before the desks arrive.
- Label by destination, not by origin. Every box and every desk should say which room and which desk position it lands in, ideally with a floor plan on the wall at the new site.
- Photograph the cabling behind anything you are unplugging.
- Do the clear-out first, not on moving day. Our guide to an office clear-out covers what you must legally keep, what to archive and how to dispose of the rest.
- Use storage for the gap. Old premises rarely end the day the new ones begin. Container storage collected from your door bridges it, and is also the sensible home for archive files, seasonal stock and furniture that does not fit the new layout.
- Book cleaning for both ends. The old premises may need it for the lease; the new one is far easier to clean before it fills up. See our guide to choosing an office cleaning company.
Choosing who moves you
The same rules apply as to any removals job, with more at stake because downtime costs money.
Get three quotes based on an actual site visit, not a form. Ask what insurance is carried and what it covers, whether the crew has done out-of-hours commercial work before, and how they handle IT equipment. Ask for a written quotation itemising everything, and confirm who is responsible if the schedule slips.
Cheap quotes in commercial removals usually mean fewer people and a longer job, and a longer job is downtime you are paying for twice.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my business should move premises? Look for structural problems the location causes: no passing trade where you need it, customers unable to park or find you, space you have outgrown or are overpaying for, staff leaving over the commute, or daily access and delivery difficulties. If the same products sell well online, the location may not be the issue.
What are dilapidations? The obligation to return commercial premises to the condition your lease requires at the end of the term. A landlord's schedule of dilapidations can be a substantial cost, so establish your liability before budgeting a move.
How long does business broadband take to install? A standard connection can take around two weeks; a leased line often takes months. Order as soon as the lease is signed and check whether existing phone numbers can be ported.
Can I make employees move to a new office location? Only where it is reasonable. Many contracts contain a mobility clause, but Acas advises that these may only be used for reasonable changes and that employers should consult staff regardless. Distance, notice and individual circumstances all matter, and getting it wrong risks claims.
Who do I need to tell when my business changes address? Companies House if the registered office changes, HMRC, your bank, insurers and lenders, Google Business Profile and directory listings, customers and suppliers, and any premises-specific licences.
Should an office move happen at the weekend? Usually, yes. Out-of-hours moves cost more in labour but avoid lost trading time, which is normally the larger number. Sequence IT and phones so the new premises are operational before staff return.
How we can help
RMV Storage & Removals has relocated London businesses for over fifteen years, including out-of-hours office removals, IT and furniture handling, packing materials, professional cleaning, and container storage delivered to your premises. We work across every area we cover, including Barnet and the surrounding North London postcodes.
Get in touch with your dates and we will work out how to do it without closing.
Written by Riki Migliori, Director at RMV Storage & Removals. Originally published August 2015. Fully reviewed and updated summer 2026.