An office relocation can look finished long before it is ready for staff. The desks may be in place and the coffee machine may be plumbed in, but a facilities manager still has to walk the building with a critical eye, checking the details that separate a smooth go-live from a first morning full of avoidable faults. In London, that pressure is sharper: shared entrances, controlled parking, loading bays, listed fabric, tight lifts and busy neighbours all affect how an office move lands. Whether the project has involved a full professional move, a phased departmental shift, or a final man and van run for overflow items, the same discipline applies. The pre-go-live inspection is not a box-ticking exercise; it is the point where contractors, building management and the occupier agree what is actually ready, what needs snagging, and what must be resolved before the first employee badges in. Strong facilities management here is about sequencing, evidence and clear communication, not last-minute heroics.
Access, Security and Life-Safety Checks Before Staff Return
The first checks should begin at the threshold. Facilities managers need to arrive as staff will, not as contractors have been doing for weeks, and test the full arrival route. That means confirming that the main entrance, reception doors, turnstiles, intercoms and accessible entry points operate correctly; that passes, keys and fobs have been issued, activated and tested; and that the loading bay or service entrance is no longer holding the move in “delivery mode”. In London, this matters especially where buildings share entrances, goods lifts or loading restrictions. A facilities manager should check that the building manager has restored normal access arrangements, that any suspended parking or loading permissions have been closed out, and that out-of-hours access will work for early shifts, cleaners and security. Access control should be tested across the building, not just at the front door, including plant rooms, comms rooms, storage areas and restricted floors.
Life-safety checks then take priority. The fire alarm system should be confirmed as fully operational, with any isolation or construction-mode override removed and tested in line with the agreed commissioning programme. Facilities managers should verify that call points, sounders, emergency lighting, fire doors, extinguishers and signage are in place and unobstructed after the move. Evacuation routes must be clear of packing materials, surplus furniture and contractor equipment; assembly points and refuge areas should be checked; and fire action notices should reflect the new layout, floor numbers and building procedures. Where the fit-out has involved alterations, the facilities manager should confirm that fire strategy information, compartmentation details and any relevant contractor sign-offs are available and understood. Do not rely on a verbal “it’s all done”; ask for the record, the test result or the named person who has signed it off.
Accessibility and vertical transport deserve the same scrutiny. Lifts should be commissioned, tested and available for staff and visitors, with any service-lift booking arrangements restored. Step-free routes, accessible WCs, handrails, door closers and refuge communication points should be checked against the finished layout. Security should also be walked end to end: CCTV coverage, alarms, reception procedures, parcel handling, key custody and out-of-hours contact lists. If the office sits within a multi-let London building, confirm how the landlord’s security team, concierge and facilities helpdesk will hand over faults or incidents. A polished reception area can hide a weak back-of-house route, so facilities managers should test the practical journey from street to desk, from desk to tea point, and from desk to fire exit before declaring the building ready.
Services, Connectivity and Environmental Readiness
Once people can enter safely, the next question is whether the building can support normal working. Facilities managers should check the power distribution in the areas staff will actually use: socket outlets, floor boxes, desk power, meeting-room supplies, kitchen equipment and printer points. Distribution boards and isolators should be labelled clearly, and any temporary supplies used during the move should be removed. Where the building has UPS or generator support, the facilities manager should confirm the agreed commissioning status and that the relevant teams know which circuits are protected. Metering should be readable and attributed correctly, especially in shared London buildings where service charges and sub-metering can become unnecessarily complicated after a relocation. Test under realistic load, not just at empty-desk level, and make sure any faults are logged with an owner and a deadline.
Mechanical and environmental services are equally important to the first week of occupancy. The facilities manager should verify that heating, ventilation and air conditioning are running in normal occupied mode, that the building management system reflects the new floor layout and occupancy times, and that filters, drains, leak detection and condensate routes have been checked. Tea points and kitchens need particular attention: water supply, drainage, boiling taps, dishwashers, fridges and extraction should all be tested before staff begin using them. Ventilation and temperature should be checked in densely occupied areas, meeting rooms and comms rooms, because a room that feels fine when empty can become uncomfortable quickly. Commissioning records and contractor handover sheets should be available, with clear escalation contacts for any persistent issue.
Connectivity and workplace technology are now part of the facilities remit even where IT leads the workstream. The facilities manager should confirm that the comms room is secure, cooled, clean and accessible; that racks and cabling are labelled; and that the helpdesk knows how to report connectivity faults without directing staff to the wrong team. Wi-Fi coverage, AV equipment, video-conferencing rooms, printers, access-control integration and meeting-room booking screens should be tested in the finished layout. Small details matter: cable management under desks, floor-box lids, storage for packing materials, and enough secure space for deliveries. A go-live can stall because a comms room is too warm, a door access reader is on the wrong network, or a contractor still holds a key to a riser. Facilities managers should close those gaps with a simple readiness tracker, showing what has been tested, by whom, and what remains outstanding before staff arrive.
Snagging, Handover Paperwork and the Occupant-Ready Finish
The final walkthrough should combine snagging with occupant readiness. Facilities managers should move through the building room by room, ideally with the contractor, building manager or move co-ordinator present, and record defects with photographs, locations and clear descriptions. Use a colour-coded tape or digital snagging list so the team can distinguish between safety-critical items, operational faults and cosmetic finishes. Check doors, glazing, ironmongery, ceilings, carpets, paintwork, skirtings, joinery, kitchen units, sanitaryware and furniture fixings. Confirm that cable management is complete, that floor boxes close properly, and that storage is sufficient for the way teams actually work. The snagging register should have an owner and a target date, but the facilities manager should also identify which items must be fixed before go-live and which can be scheduled afterwards without disrupting staff.
Cleaning and waste are often underestimated. A builders’ clean should leave the office ready for occupation, including glass, high-level surfaces, toilets, kitchens, carpets and meeting rooms. Packaging, crates, wrapping film and surplus furniture should be removed from fire routes and loading areas, with arrangements in place for recycling or disposal. If the move has involved packing services or a professional crew, confirm who is returning for crates and packing materials and when. Furniture should be checked for stability, ergonomics and correct assembly, while monitor arms, power modules and storage units should be tested in real use. The tea point, print area and reception should be stocked and functional, not merely installed. Small operational details—signage, wayfinding, first-aid points, post trays, waste streams and cleaning schedules—help staff feel that the building is genuinely open rather than still in project mode.
Handover paperwork is the evidence base behind the finished office. Facilities managers should confirm that O&M manuals, as-built drawings, warranties, equipment schedules, training records and contractor contacts are available in a shared location, with a clear route for raising faults. Fire safety records, emergency lighting tests, alarm commissioning and access-control administration should be filed together so they can be found quickly. Keys, fobs and passes should be reconciled, and the helpdesk should know how to log, prioritise and escalate issues during the first weeks of occupancy. For the practical final sweep—removing packing waste, clearing surplus furniture or arranging a late man and van collection—this resource can support the removal and clearance side of the programme without distracting the facilities team from technical sign-off. A final occupant-readiness check should also cover welcome information, building rules, lift bookings, loading arrangements and emergency contacts, so the first working day feels controlled rather than improvised.
