Moving house and moving an office are not the same job, and the companies that do them well are not always the same companies. Plenty of firms that will shift a three-bed semi beautifully have never sequenced a server room or worked around a business that can't afford to close. So the first thing to know when you're choosing a commercial removals company is that "they moved my sister's house and were great" is not the recommendation it sounds like.
Here's what actually separates a firm that can move a business from one that can only move a home.
Do they survey before they quote?
This is the fastest way to sort the serious firms from the rest. A commercial mover worth hiring will want to see both buildings before they give you a price. Not a phone estimate, not a form. An actual survey, in person or by video, of where you're leaving and where you're going.
Why it matters: the price and the plan for a business move depend almost entirely on things you can't describe down the phone. The access at both ends. Whether there's a lift, and whether it's booked. How much IT there is. Whether the loading bay has a time restriction. A firm that quotes without seeing any of that is guessing, and you'll find out what they missed on the day, usually when it's too late and too expensive to fix.
If a company is happy to price your office move sight unseen, that tells you how they'll handle the rest of it.
Have they done your kind of move?
A ten-person accountancy practice and a warehouse full of racking are completely different jobs. Ask directly whether they've done moves like yours, and listen for specifics rather than reassurance.
The things that need real experience: relocating IT and servers without extending the downtime, moving confidential files without losing any, handling out-of-hours or phased moves so trading isn't hit, and dealing with the heavier end of things if you've got workshop or warehouse equipment. A firm that goes quiet or vague on any of those that apply to you is telling you something.
How do they handle the IT?
For most offices, IT is the part of the move that decides whether Monday goes well. So it's worth pressing on.
A good answer sounds like this: they'll label workstations by user and desk before unplugging, pack servers and comms kit with anti-static protection, and move it all in a planned sequence built around your IT team or supplier, so the equipment is in place and ready when your people come to bring the network back up. Note what they're not claiming: a removals firm shouldn't be telling you they'll reconnect and configure your network. That's your IT people's job. What you want is a mover who understands that and plans around it, not one who blurs the line and leaves you unsure who's responsible for what.
Insurance: ask what's actually covered
Every firm will tell you they're insured. The useful question is what that insurance actually covers, and to what value.
Standard carrier liability, sometimes called goods in transit cover, is usually limited and calculated by weight, which for expensive-but-light kit like IT equipment can leave a big gap. Fuller removals insurance is a separate thing. For a business move, where a single server or a room of monitors can be worth more than all the furniture combined, it's worth understanding exactly where you stand before the van arrives, not after something's damaged. A straight-talking firm will explain the difference without being cagey about it.
Can they be flexible on timing?
Business moves rarely run to a tidy plan, because they're tied to leases, fit-outs, and completion dates that slip. The firm you want is one that can work evenings and weekends, phase the move if you can't close, and hold a provisional booking when your date is still moving around.
Ask how they handle a date that changes at short notice. The answer will tell you whether you're dealing with a company that understands how business moves actually work, or one that'll treat a slipped completion as your problem.
The small signals that tell you a lot
Beyond the big questions, a few smaller things are worth noticing. Do they give you a named contact, or does every call reach someone different? Does the person who surveys the job brief the crew who turn up, or is there no connection between the quote and the day? Do they turn up to the survey when they said they would? None of these are on the quote, but all of them predict how the move itself will go.
The truth is that most of what goes wrong with a business move is foreseeable at the survey stage. A firm that plans thoroughly up front, asks the awkward questions, and gives you one person who owns the job is worth more than one that's a bit cheaper and a lot vaguer.
What we'd say
We survey every commercial move before we quote, give you a named point of contact, and plan the IT, the timing, and the access around your business rather than ours. If that's the kind of move you're after, our office removals team is happy to talk it through and see both buildings first. For a free, no-obligation quote, fill in our contact form or call 0800 043 5393.