The Ultimate Business Relocation Checklist: A Step-by-Step Guide for Hawai‘i Moves

Relocating your business is a complex operation that affects your entire organization. In Hawai'i, where island logistics can add unique challenges, a clear plan is even more critical. 

That's where a well-structured business relocation plan comes in. 

Whether you're expanding, downsizing, or simply moving to a better location, a solid plan—backed by a comprehensive relocation checklist—will help you: 

• Stay on schedule 
• Minimize operational disruptions 
• Communicate clearly with your team and vendors 
• Avoid unexpected costs or delays 

As experienced commercial movers in Hawai'i, we've helped companies of all sizes manage smooth transitions across O'ahu, Maui, Kaua'i, and both sides of the Big Island. In this guide, we'll walk you through the complete business relocation timeline, from early planning to post-move setup. We'll also offer our expert tips along the way. 

At the end, you'll find a downloadable business relocation checklist to help you track every step of the move. 

6–12 Months Out 

Step 1: Start Early Planning for Your Office Relocation  

A successful office move starts long before moving day. The decisions you make in the early stages—especially in a place like Hawai‘i where timelines and office moving logistics can get complex—set the tone for the entire process. 

In other words, early planning allows you to identify potential challenges and reduce surprises down the line. 

Below, you’ll find the essential steps during this early planning phase: 

1. Review Your Current Lease 

If you haven’t already, start by reviewing the terms of your current lease. Are there penalties for early termination? Are you required to restore the space to its original condition? These details can affect your timeline and your budget, so it’s important to understand your obligations from the start. 

2. Set a Realistic Relocation Budget 

Moving a business involves careful coordination of logistics to protect your business assets and minimize down time. Your budget should include: 

• Commercial moving services, including packing materials and labor 
• IT setup and disconnection/reconnection 
• Furniture purchases or upgrades 
• Utility shut-off/setup at your new location 

You may also want to budget for unexpected costs. For a Hawai‘i business relocation, this may include last-minute unexpected purchases, temporary storage, overages if your move takes longer than expected, or extra labor if you need to hire additional help to speed up your move. Planning for these expenses up front will help you avoid surprises later. 

3. Define Your Key Dates and Deadlines 

During the planning process, start by working backward from your desired move-in date. Identify critical milestones—like when you need to notify your landlord, secure your new lease, finalize contracts with movers, and communicate with your team. 

4. Begin Exploring New Office Spaces 

If you haven’t already secured your new location, now is the time to start looking. In addition to lease terms and the features of the space itself, make sure to consider: 

• Proximity to clients and partners 
• Parking availability for staff and visitors, especially if your new location will be in a place like Honolulu, where parking can be scarce 
• Building access hours, if applicable 

Step 2: Build Your Relocation Team 

Once you’ve got a plan, your next step will be assembling the right team to help you execute it. In this phase, you’ll focus on assigning ownership and keeping your office moving logistics organized from within. 

1. Assign a Relocation Project Lead & Consider a Committee  

Choose someone to take point on the move, if that’s not something you plan on doing yourself. This person will coordinate logistics, manage the business relocation checklist, and act as the go-to contact for vendors and staff. 

For larger businesses, consider creating a steering committee with a representative from each department. This will both assist with buy-in from key stakeholders and help ensure you’re not accidentally overlooking team-specific details and moving logistics.  

2. Delegate Appropriate Responsibilities 

Even the team lead can’t do everything. Make sure to delegate key responsibilities to the right internal parties, such as:  

• An IT lead for disconnecting and reconnecting equipment 
• A facilities lead/office manager for coordinating access, furniture, and layout 
• An HR or admin lead for employee communication 

These might be the same team members who sit on your steering committee, or you may decide to delegate these roles to different team members. 

3. Keep Employees in the Loop Early 

Don’t wait until it’s time to pack to communicate the move to your team. Announce the move once it’s confirmed—ideally 3–6 months in advance. Share the reasons behind the move, key dates, and how it will affect each department. 

This is also the time to address employee concerns about changes in commute, workflow, and logistics like parking. Speak to these concerns early and communicate answers to all employees.  

4. Notify Clients, Partners, and Service Providers 

As you put together your moving plan, don’t forget to include any notifications to external contacts that rely on your current address. This might include: 

• Clients and customers 
• Vendors and delivery services 
• Insurance providers 
• State or local agencies 
• Utility companies  

Additionally, if your old address appears on any promotional materials—your website, business cards, any printed brochures—you’ll need to plan and budget for those changes. 

Step 3: Choose the Right Commercial Movers 

The commercial moving company you choose to partner with can make all the difference between an easy transition and a logistical headache. A team with significant commercial moving experience will understand the unique challenges that come with the logistics of moving an office—meeting tight timelines, careful handling for sensitive equipment to protect high-value assets, and minimizing down time. 

As you evaluate your options, consider the following: 

Experience with Commercial Moves 

Not all commercial movers are equipped to handle business relocations, and some simply don’t have a solid track record behind them. Look for a company with proven experience in office and industrial moves to partner with. Ask specifically about: 

• Experience with moves similar in size and complexity to yours 
• Their ability to handle installation of any office furniture and furnishings. Prioritize commercial movers who have experience with common office furniture brands such as Hahn, Herman Miller, Steelcase, Hayworth, and Knoll 
• Any projects that have involved heavy items or specialty equipment similar to yours 
• Whether they can offer debris removal services once the job is complete 

Finally, if these partners can offer references from other Hawai‘i-based businesses, even better. 

A Certificate of Insurance 

Insurance is a must for a commercial move. Confirm that any potential moving partners can provide a certificate of insurance for your move. A COI verifies the coverage in place and helps streamline the claims process if anything is damaged along the way. If a commercial mover hesitates or pushes back on providing a COI, consider that a red flag worth taking seriously. 

Off-Hours Moves to Minimize Downtime 

Not every business can afford to shut down operations for a move. That makes it important to work with a commercial mover offering off-hours service to keep downtime to a minimum.  

As you evaluate commercial movers, ask about their availability—and pricing—for office moves during nights, weekends, and holidays. This can offer you greater flexibility for scheduling your move, while minimizing impact to clients. 

Uniformed Staff 

In some cases, a move may need to take place during business hours, meaning movers will be visible to clients. 

When vetting commercial movers, ask whether they can provide professional, uniformed crews. A mover that can deliver a polished, presentable team gives you greater flexibility if plans change or timing becomes a challenge. 

Finally, it’s important to schedule with your movers as early as possible to secure your ideal date and time. Once you decide on a partner, lock in a move date with them as soon as possible. 

3–6 Months Out 

Step 4: Coordinate Office Moving Logistics 

With your relocation plan and moving team in place, this is the time to start coordinating the operational details of your move to prevent last-minute issues and keep everything on schedule. 

Reserve Building Access and Any Needed Permits 

Reach out to your current and future building managers to confirm, as applicable: 

• Freight elevator reservations 
• Loading dock access 
• Parking arrangements or required street permits 

Requirements will vary widely depending on the property, so give yourself plenty of time to secure any assets you need. 

Prepare for IT Transitions 

Work with closely your IT team and/or your phone and Internet provider to ensure a smooth handoff from one location to the next. Key tasks include: 

• Backing up all company data 
• Planning server and workstation migration 
• Scheduling Internet and phone service installation at the new office 
• Verifying wiring, cabling, and network requirements at the new location 

To keep your team connected, we suggest prioritizing IT setup at your new office location. Make sure your commercial mover is aware of the order in which you want to disconnect and reconnect your IT assets so they can plan their aspects of the move accordingly. 

Take Inventory and Decide What’s Moving 

Create a detailed inventory of all office furniture, electronics, and equipment. Decide what to keep, sell, donate, or dispose of. This step will save time during packing and setup at the new office. 

For items that need disposal, ask your commercial moving partner if they can assist with disposing of any unwanted furniture or furnishings. This can add significant ease to your relocation. 

Order New Equipment and Furnishings 

If you plan to upgrade furniture, signage, equipment or other furnishings, place your orders as soon as possible. Additionally, make sure to order any new printed materials you’ll need, including updated brochures and business cards. 

If you choose Royal Hawaiian Movers as your commercial moving partner, we can assist with coordinating freight to Hawaii, in concert with our sister company, Approved Forwarders. Let us know when you reach out for a quote, and we’ll put together an all-in-one logistics solution to move your new furnishings and equipment to Hawai‘i, including local delivery to your new location.

Final Weeks & into Moving Day 

Step 5: Secure Final Confirmations & Last-Minute Details 

As your move date approaches, you'll find your focus shifting to execution. This phase is about making sure you've checked off all the boxes, coordinated final details, and ensured nothing slips through the cracks. Here's a quick run-down of what to keep tabs on: 

Confirm Schedules and Contacts 

Double-check all timing with your commercial movers, landlords/building managers, and internal teams. Confirm: 

• Move-in/move-out dates and times 
• Any elevator/loading dock reservations 
• Access procedures for all locations; nothing derails a move faster than not being able to get into your new office space promptly 
• Emergency contacts for your current and future landlords/building managers 

Pack and Label Effectively 

If your commercial mover will be handling the packing, clarify with them what your team needs to pack versus what they'll handle. For example, some customers choose to have staff members pack their own desk and surrounding areas. Confirm any specific packing and labeling requirements and communicate everything to your team members. 

Prepare to Update Your Address and Notify Contacts 

Make sure your new address is updated across all platforms: 

• USPS mail forwarding 
• Business licenses and local permits 
• Bank and insurance accounts 
• Website, social media platforms, and email signatures 

If you receive regular foot traffic from customers or potential customers, prepare a mini-marketing campaign to direct everyone to your new location. 

Prepare a Move Day Essentials Kit 

Set aside a box or tote with items you'll need right away at the new office: 

• Keys and/or access cards 
• A basic set of tools 
• A few basic cleaning supplies 
• A core set of office supplies (pens, tape, scissors, etc.) 

Keep this kit with your relocation lead or front desk staff so it's ready as needed. 

Step 6: Settle into Your New Location 

Once everything is in place, your focus will shift to getting back to business as quickly as possible. This phase will be all about setting up essential systems, communicating with your team, and tying up any remaining loose ends. 

1. Prioritize Critical Areas 

Start by setting up the spaces and systems your team needs to get operational: 

• IT and networking equipment so your team can be ready to respond to inquiries or answer customer requests 
• Breakrooms and restrooms to ensure the comfort of your team 
• Conference rooms or meeting spaces to keep business running as usual 
• Reception and front-of-house areas, if you receive visitors 

Once the core areas are operational, you can turn your attention to decor, signage, and finishing touches. 

2. Communicate Internally and Externally 

Let your staff know when everything is ready to resume normal operations—and where to find essentials in the new layout. You'll also want to notify clients, vendors, and service providers that the move is complete and business is operating from the new address. 

3. Wrap Up Loose Ends 

Check off any remaining items from your relocation plan, including: 

• Disposing of packing materials, ideally with the help of your commercial movers 
• Closing out old utility accounts 
• Finalizing any post-move walkthroughs or lease obligations at your previous location 

If you used a commercial moving company that delivered excellent service, now also is a great time to leave them a review on their preferred platform. (We know they'll appreciate it!)  

Need Help Moving Your Hawai'i Office or Business? 

Royal Hawaiian Movers has deep experience handling commercial relocations across O'ahu, Maui, the Big Island, and Kaua'i. Whether you need packing services, equipment handling, or end-to-end move management, our team can tailor a solution for your business. 

Get in touch to learn how we can support your office move—on your schedule, within your budget, and with minimal disruption. We'd love to put together a complimentary quote for your move.