The IT Checklist for Moving a Manhattan Office

Moving a Manhattan office involves leases, contractors, furniture and movers. The technology side often gets left until the last few weeks, which is exactly how teams end up without internet on their first morning in a new space.

Here's a practical checklist to keep your move on track, from the moment you sign the lease to the first Monday in the new office.

As soon as you sign the lease

• Bring in your IT provider early. The earlier they see the space and the plans, the fewer surprises later.
• Check which internet providers serve the building. Not every carrier is available in every building. Building management can usually tell you who's already wired in.
• Order internet service. This is the step most likely to delay a move. Installation in Manhattan buildings can take weeks or longer, especially if new wiring is needed. Order early, and consider a second line from a different provider as a backup.
• Take inventory. List what's moving, what's being replaced and what's being retired: computers, printers, phones, network equipment and servers.

During design and construction

• Plan data drops. Mark where every desk, printer, TV, conference room and access point will need a network connection. It's far cheaper to add drops before walls close.
• Choose the network closet carefully. It needs adequate power, ventilation and enough space for a rack. A closet that doubles as storage, or has no airflow, causes problems later.
• Coordinate cabling with your contractor. Structured cabling should be scheduled with your general contractor and building management so it happens at the right point in construction.
• Plan the Wi-Fi. A new floor plan means new coverage needs. Access point placement should be designed around walls, ceilings and how many people will be in each area.
• Sort out the building riser. Your internet service may need to run through shared building pathways. Building management controls access, so get it scheduled.

A few weeks before the move

• Confirm the internet install date and make sure the circuit will be live and tested before move day.
• Test the cabling. Every drop should be tested and labeled.
• Install network equipment. Firewall, switches and access points installed and configured in the new space ahead of time.
• Plan phones. Port your numbers or set up new service, and confirm when the switch happens.
• Update addresses. Remember your domain registrar, Google Business Profile and any vendors that ship equipment to you.
• Tell your team the plan. Let staff know what to pack, what IT will handle and what to expect on the first morning.

Move weekend

• Back everything up before any equipment is unplugged.
• Move and reconnect computers, printers and any servers.
• Test every desk. Network connection, monitors, docking stations and printers.
• Check Wi-Fi coverage across the whole space, especially conference rooms.
• Confirm phones and internet failover are working.

First week in the new office

• Have IT on-site the first morning to handle the inevitable small issues.
• Update documentation with the new network map, closet layout and labels.
• Retire old equipment securely. Wipe drives before anything is recycled or discarded.
• Cancel old services at the previous address, including internet and phone lines.

The biggest lesson: start early

Almost every move-day IT disaster traces back to one thing: starting too late. Internet orders need lead time, cabling needs to happen before walls close and someone needs to coordinate the contractor, landlord, internet provider and phone vendor. Give that job to one person or one partner from the beginning, and moving day becomes just another Monday.