Yes, you can move office IT and the server room without losing a working day – the trick is sequence, not speed. Back up everything first, label and inventory every device, decommission and recommission in a fixed order, and run the move after hours. Movers24 plans it around your business so the network is tested and live before staff walk in on Monday, all for one fixed price.
An office move only feels risky because of the IT. Desks and chairs forgive a bit of rough handling; a server that comes up with a missing drive does not. The good news is that a clean IT relocation is a process, not a gamble. Follow the order below and the worst case is a quiet weekend; the best case is staff who never notice the move happened at all. Here is the checklist we run on every office relocation.
Back up everything before a single cable is touched
The first rule of an IT move is that the data has to survive even if the hardware does not. Before moving day, confirm you have a full, verified backup and that it lives somewhere the move cannot touch – the cloud or an off-site copy, not the box riding in the van. Then write down what is plugged into what while the system is still running and you can see it.
- Take a verified backup. Run a full backup of servers, shared drives and critical workstations, and actually test that it restores. A backup you have never opened is a hope, not a safety net.
- Keep one copy off the truck. Cloud or an off-site drive that stays behind means a damaged or lost machine is an inconvenience, never a disaster.
- Record licences and credentials. Note software keys, admin logins and ISP details somewhere secure so nothing stalls the rebuild at the new site.
Label, photograph and inventory before you unplug
Most reconnection delays come from one question: where did this cable go? You answer it in advance with a phone camera and a roll of labels. Five minutes of photos at the old site saves an hour of guesswork at the new one.
- Photograph the back of every rack and desk before anything is unplugged, so the cabling pattern is on record.
- Label both ends of each cable and the port it came from. Colour-code by workstation or by rack unit.
- Build an asset list with every server, switch, PC, monitor and phone, plus its destination desk or room at the new office.
- Bag the small parts. Screws, mounts, power bricks and patch leads go in labelled bags taped to their device so nothing is hunted for later.
Decommission in the right order
Powering down is not just hitting the switch – it is doing it in an order that protects data and makes the rebuild predictable. Work from the edge of the network inwards, leaving the core for last.
- Workstations and peripherals first. Shut down desktops, printers and phones, coil their cables and pack them by the asset list.
- Then the network edge. Access points, desk switches and anything non-critical comes down once the workstations are off.
- Core and servers last. Shut servers down cleanly through the operating system, never by pulling power, and only after everything depending on them is already off.
One fixed price, after hours, fully insured. Movers24 plans your IT move around the business – evening, overnight or weekend – with our own permanent crew and full cargo insurance on every device. The price is agreed in writing before we start, office moves from EUR 59, with no out-of-hours surcharge sprung on you afterwards. Get a fixed-price quote for your office relocation.
The server room: last out, first in
The server room runs the whole business, so it is offline for the shortest time of anything you move: it comes out last at the old site and goes in first at the new one. Handle the hardware as the precision kit it is.
- Move servers upright and cushioned. They travel standing, padded and strapped in our own vans, never stacked loose with furniture.
- Secure drives and loose components. Hot-swap drives, cards and rails are removed or locked down so nothing rattles free in transit.
- Check the new room is ready. Power, cooling and the incoming internet line should be live and tested before the rack arrives, not discovered missing at midnight.
Recommission and test before anyone logs in
Rebuild in the reverse of how you took it down: core first, edge next, workstations last. The goal is a fully tested network before the first employee touches a keyboard on Monday.
- Servers and core network first. Rack, cable from your photos, power up and confirm the servers, internet and core services are healthy.
- Then switches and access points, followed by workstations, printers and phones reconnected to their labelled desks.
- Test before you sign off. Log in, open shared drives, send a test print and a test call, and confirm the backup is running again at the new site.
Move after-hours so Monday is just another Monday
The reason to do all of this in the evening, overnight or across a weekend is simple: the business never stops trading. Staff leave on Friday at one address and arrive Monday at another, with the network already up and tested. That is the whole point of an after-hours IT relocation, and it is how Movers24 plans every office move – one crew, one fixed price, no lost working day. For the wider plan beyond the IT, see our guide on an office move without downtime.
Frequently asked questions
Can you move our office IT without downtime?
Yes, in almost every case. The move is planned for a weekend or after hours, full backups are taken before anything is unplugged, every device is labelled and inventoried, and the kit is decommissioned and recommissioned in a fixed order. Done this way the network is back up and tested before staff return, so the business opens as normal with no lost working day.
How do you move a server room or server rack safely?
Servers and network gear come out last and go in first, so the room that runs everything is offline for the shortest possible time. Each unit is shut down cleanly, cables are labelled and photographed, drives and loose components are secured, and the equipment travels upright and cushioned in our own vans. At the new site it is racked, powered and tested before any workstation is reconnected. Every move carries full cargo insurance.
Do you move offices outside business hours?
Yes. Most office and IT relocations run in the evening, overnight or across a weekend so the business loses no trading time. Movers24 works 24/7 by arrangement with its own permanent crew, and the after-hours window is built into the fixed price agreed in writing up front, with no out-of-hours surcharge sprung on you afterwards.
About Movers24
Movers24 is a Tallinn moving company founded in 2018, with more than 4000 moves completed, our own fleet of 15 vans and a permanent vetted crew. Every move is fully insured and priced as a fixed quote agreed up front, in Estonian or English.
Moving the office?
One call, one fixed quote, planned around your business hours – with full cargo insurance on every device.