The lorry is the cheap part of an office move. The expensive part is a team of people unable to work while somebody looks for the box with the router in it. So we plan the move around your reopening, not around the loading.
Cleantique relocates offices, clinics, NGOs, showrooms and small businesses within Nairobi and nearby, with the planning, labelling and timing that keep downtime to a minimum.
Who office relocation is for
- Companies moving to a new office block or floor.
- Businesses expanding, downsizing or consolidating premises.
- Clinics, consultancies and professional firms with sensitive files and equipment.
- NGOs and organisations moving between buildings or towns.
- Facilities and office managers coordinating a move alongside normal work.
Pre-move planning
Most office move problems are caused by things that happen weeks before moving day, not on it.
| Item | When | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| New office floor plan | Three to four weeks before | Everything else depends on it; numbering cannot start without it |
| Internet and phone lines at the new office | As early as possible | Often the longest lead time and the most common cause of a delayed reopening |
| Building access and goods lift booking | Two weeks before | Many Nairobi office blocks restrict goods lift use and moving hours |
| IT shutdown and restart plan | One to two weeks before | Agree who powers down, who moves servers and who confirms they are working |
| Disposal of unwanted furniture | One to two weeks before | Items left behind can cost you your deposit |
| Staff briefing | Two to three days before | Everyone packs personal items and labels crates with their desk number |
Our office relocation checklist gives a full timeline.
Workplace inventory
During the site visit we list what is moving, what is staying and what is being disposed of: desks, chairs, filing cabinets, meeting tables, kitchen appliances, IT equipment, files and stock. This inventory drives the vehicle and crew plan and becomes the checklist for moving day.
Staff coordination
Office moves go faster when everyone knows their part:
- Appoint one move coordinator on your side as our single point of contact.
- Give staff a simple packing guide and a deadline.
- Each person packs their own desk and personal items into crates labelled with their new desk number.
- Agree who stays on site during loading and who receives at the new office.
Workstations and office furniture
Desks, pedestals, chairs and cabinets are numbered to positions on the new floor plan before anything is packed. Desks are dismantled where needed, fittings bagged and taped to each piece, and everything is wrapped for the journey. At the new office, each item goes to its numbered position and is reassembled, rather than piled in reception.
IT equipment preparation
- Your IT team or provider backs up data and shuts down servers and network equipment.
- Monitors, computers and peripherals are packed and labelled by user and desk number.
- Cables are bagged and labelled with the equipment they belong to.
- IT equipment is kept together, loaded last and offloaded first.
- Your IT team reconnects and tests at the new office.
We handle the physical move. Network setup, data migration and testing belong with your IT team.
Sensitive documents
Files are packed into sealed, numbered crates by your staff. Crates with confidential or legal records can be kept together and accompanied by a nominated staff member. Nothing is opened or sorted by the moving crew.
Departmental labelling
Each department gets a colour or code, and every crate and item is labelled with department, desk number and room. Matching signs go up at the new office so the crew can place items without asking.
Business continuity
To keep downtime to a minimum:
- Move outside working hours: evenings, overnight or weekends.
- Move in phases for larger offices, one department at a time.
- Move IT last and set it up first.
- Keep a small essentials kit for reception and key staff on the first morning.
- Communicate the move date and any service interruption to clients in advance.
Building access and permissions
Many Nairobi office buildings require advance notice for moves, restrict goods lift use to certain hours, need a list of crew and vehicle details for security, and may ask for floor and lift protection. We confirm these at both buildings during the site visit and plan the schedule around them.
Unloading and setup coordination
At the new office we place furniture and crates to the floor plan, reassemble desks and storage, and walk the floor with your coordinator before we leave to make sure everything is where it should be.
What is excluded or quoted separately
- IT disconnection, network installation, data migration and testing.
- Electrical, data cabling and partition works at the new office.
- Disposal or donation of unwanted furniture.
- Secure document shredding.
- Post-move cleaning of the old premises and pre-move cleaning of the new, available through our office cleaning service.
What affects the quote
| Factor | Effect |
|---|---|
| Size of the office and number of workstations | Crew size, vehicle size and time |
| Amount of furniture to dismantle and reassemble | Time at both ends |
| Files and crates | Number of crates and whether we supply them |
| Access at both buildings | Goods lift availability, floors, loading bay rules |
| Timing | Evenings, overnight and weekends |
| Phasing | Single move or several stages |
| Disposal and cleaning | Added services |
Common mistakes
- Ordering internet at the new office too late.
- Not booking the goods lift at both buildings.
- Packing without a floor plan, so crates arrive in a heap.
- Moving IT without a shutdown and restart plan.
- Deciding about old furniture on moving day.
Why use a professional office relocation team
A professional team plans the move with you, brings enough people and the right equipment, works around your building's rules and your hours, and labels everything to the new floor plan. That is what turns a chaotic weekend into a Monday morning when your team simply sits down and works.
Areas we serve
We relocate offices within Nairobi, including Westlands, Upper Hill, Kilimani, Lavington, Karen and Embakasi, and to and from nearby areas such as Ruaka, Ruiru, Syokimau and Kitengela.
