Business · 4 min read · Updated 6 November 2026
Office move or closure: a 6-week plan for clearing old IT equipment
Why IT is often the last thing sorted
In most office moves the furniture, removals and new fit-out get booked early, and the old IT is left until the final week. That is when equipment gets dumped in a cupboard, handed to the removals crew or left behind for the landlord to clear, and it is exactly how drives with customer data end up unaccounted for.
Treating IT clearance as its own workstream, with one named person responsible, avoids most of the problems. The plan below works for a move, a downsize or a full closure.
A clear plan also saves money. Equipment that is identified early can be offered for reuse or remarketing while it still has value, collections can be batched instead of booked in a rush, and you avoid paying removals crews to move kit that will only be thrown away at the new site.
Six to four weeks before
- Export or update your asset register so every laptop, desktop, server, switch, printer and phone has a serial number and location
- Mark each item as moving, reusing elsewhere, or disposing
- Identify every data-bearing device, including printers, NAS boxes, CCTV recorders and phone systems
- Check leases on copiers, phone systems and any leased servers so they are returned to the right company
- Ask your landlord what the lease says about removing cabling, comms cabinets and air conditioning in the server room
- Get a quote for collection and data destruction, with the method for each device type stated
Three to two weeks before
- Confirm the collection date, ideally the day after the last working day
- Book the goods lift and loading bay with building management, and ask about permits for parking
- Tell staff which devices they hand in and when, and collect laptops from remote and part-time workers
- Remove devices from Microsoft Intune, Autopilot, Apple Business Manager or any other management tool once they are no longer needed
- Back up anything that is not already in the cloud and confirm the backup restores
The comms room and network kit
Servers, storage arrays, switches, firewalls and wireless access points are often forgotten because nobody uses them directly. Network equipment holds configuration files that can include passwords, VPN keys and internal addresses, so reset it to factory settings or have the configuration wiped before disposal.
If the server room is being stripped, decide early who removes racks, UPS units and patch cabling. UPS batteries are usually lead-acid and count as hazardous waste, so they need a consignment note in England and Wales. Racks and cabling may be required to stay or go under your lease, so check before anything is taken out.
Collection day
- Have one person on site with the asset list to check items out
- Keep data-bearing devices in a locked room or sealed cages until they are loaded
- If you have chosen on-site shredding, witness it and note serial numbers
- Sign the waste transfer note and any hazardous waste consignment note, and keep copies
- Walk every floor afterwards to check nothing has been left in desk drawers, cupboards or ceiling voids
If the collection is spread over more than one day, lock away anything already checked out and keep a running tally against the asset list at the end of each day. Note any items that turn up which are not on the register, such as old drives in a cupboard, and add them before they leave so the paperwork is complete.
Typical timings
| Office size | Typical IT items | Typical collection time |
|---|---|---|
| Small office, up to 15 staff | 20 to 60 items | 1 to 3 hours |
| Medium office, 15 to 75 staff | 60 to 300 items | Half a day to one day |
| Large office or multi-floor | 300 or more items plus comms room | One to several days |
These are guide figures. Lift access, distance to the vehicle and whether drives are shredded on site all change the time needed.
After the move
Within a few weeks you should receive a collection report and certificates of data destruction listing serial numbers. Match them against your asset register and chase any gaps straight away, while the provider still has the job open. Update the register to show each item as disposed, with the date and certificate reference, and file the paperwork centrally so it is not lost if the person who ran the move leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Can the removals company take our old IT?
They can physically move it, but most removals firms are not set up to destroy data or treat WEEE, and many are not registered to carry waste. Use them for equipment that is moving with you, and use a specialist for anything being disposed of, so you get proper data destruction certificates and waste paperwork.
What if the lease ends before we can clear everything?
Agree access with the landlord in writing before the lease end date, or book the collection before your final day. Leaving equipment behind usually means the landlord clears it and charges you, and you lose control of any data on it. Data-bearing devices should never be left on a site you no longer control.
Should we move old equipment and sort it out later?
Only if it is genuinely going to be used. Moving equipment you plan to dispose of costs removal time, takes up space in the new office and often ends up stored for years, losing whatever resale value it had. Disposing of it from the old site is usually cheaper and simpler, and the paperwork links cleanly to the old office and lease end.
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