This page explains what decides the cost of an office move in London, what a Universal quote covers and how to keep the figure down. Universal is a commercial-only relocation company, so everything here applies to offices and business premises, not homes. Every quote we give follows a site survey, because no two London office moves cost the same.
What a Universal quote includes
A Universal quote is built from the same services we offer across London, priced for your move and nothing you do not need. Depending on the job, it can include:
- Office move project management, with one point of contact for the whole programme
- Move planning and office space planning
- Crate hire, file mapping and packing
- Office porterage and the physical move between sites
- Office furniture dismantling, installation and fitting
- IT relocation, and server and data centre relocation where needed
- Business storage, and document and archive storage
- Office clearance, furniture reuse and WEEE recycling
Each element is itemised, so you can see exactly what you are paying for and take out anything your own team is handling. For the full service, see our page on office relocation in London.
What sets the price of an office move
The cost of an office move is built from a handful of factors. Some are fixed by your building and your dates, others you can influence. These are the ones that move the figure most.
Desks and headcount
The size of the move is the biggest single factor. The number of desks, people, meeting rooms and storage units decides how many crew, vehicles and crates the move needs, and how long it takes. A 20-desk team and a 300-desk floor are different jobs, even if they are moving to the same street.
Distance between sites
Distance matters, but in London it is usually travel time rather than miles that counts. A short move across central London can take longer than a longer run on open roads, once traffic, congestion and loading restrictions at each end are allowed for. Moves out to the South East add vehicle time and, on larger jobs, may need extra vehicles to keep the timetable.
Building access and lift availability
Access often has more effect on cost than distance. A building with a large goods lift, a loading bay and generous booking windows moves quickly. One with a single small lift, restricted loading times or stairs only needs more crew hours to move the same volume. Managed buildings also set rules on protection, inductions and timings, and those shape the plan from the start.
Out of hours or weekend work
Many London buildings only allow moves in the evening or at weekends, and many businesses prefer it so the working day is not lost. Out of hours labour costs more per hour, so the timing of the move is one of the clearest drivers of the final quote.
Crate volume
Every desk, filing cabinet and archive shelf needs packing. The number of crates, and how long you need them, follows directly from how much you are moving. Our crate hire is delivered before the move, labelled to your new floor plan and collected afterwards.
IT and server moves
Workstations, monitors and phones need decommissioning, protecting, moving and reconnecting, and a server or comms room needs its own plan and cutover window. The size and complexity of your IT estate is a significant part of any quote. Our IT relocation service covers the audit, the move and the testing at the new site.
Furniture dismantle and rebuild
Bench desks, storage walls, partitions and meeting room furniture usually have to be taken apart, moved and rebuilt. The amount of dismantling, and whether furniture is being reconfigured to a new layout rather than rebuilt as it was, affects crew time on both sides of the move.
Storage
Phased moves, refurbishments and surplus furniture often need somewhere to go between stages. Storage is priced on the volume held and how long it is held for. If your dates at each end do not line up, business storage can bridge the gap without a rushed move.
Clearance and recycling
Most moves leave furniture, IT equipment and paperwork behind. Clearing the old site, recycling electrical waste correctly and disposing of confidential material securely are all part of the cost, and the volume involved makes a real difference.
Insurance cover
The level of cover a move needs depends on what is being moved. High-value equipment, artwork, specialist items and sensitive archives should be identified at the survey, so the right cover is in place and reflected in the quote.
How the quote works
- Site survey. We visit both the current and the new premises to agree the inventory and check access, lifts, loading bays, IT and any specialist items. The survey is what turns an estimate into a reliable figure.
- Written quote. You receive a written, itemised quote based on the survey, not an open day rate, so you know the cost before you commit.
- Move plan. Once the quote is agreed, we build the plan: the sequence, the phases, the timings, the building approvals and the risks to manage on the day.
- Named move manager. A named move manager runs your move from the survey to the final sign-off, so there is one person accountable for the plan and the budget.
How to bring the cost down
Move out of hours where it saves you more
Out of hours work costs more per hour, but it often costs the business less overall. Your team keeps working, nobody loses a day, and many buildings give better lift and loading access in the evening or at weekends, so the move itself runs faster. Weigh the extra labour against the cost of a lost working day.
Phase the move
Moving in stages, a floor or a department at a time, can reduce the crew and vehicles needed at any one moment and keep the business trading throughout. Each phase adds some handling, and sometimes storage, so the split is worth planning with your move manager rather than fixing in advance.
Clear before you move
Do not pay to move things you will throw away at the other end. Clearing old furniture, equipment and paperwork before the move reduces the crates, crew time and vehicles you need, and it makes the new office easier to set up.
Reuse your furniture
Existing desks, storage and partitions can often be dismantled and rebuilt to a new layout rather than replaced. Reusing what you have avoids the cost of new furniture and cuts the waste the move produces.
The quickest way to know what your move will cost is a site survey. Tell us about your current and new premises and we will arrange it: get a quote.
