With almost a third of British workers now splitting their time between home and the office, companies are being forced to rethink how they relocate their workspaces.
Office for National Statistics data shows 28% of working adults are now hybrid workers. What began as a crisis-driven change has become the standard way of working for many.
This shift hasn’t killed the office – it has changed its purpose entirely.
Offices return with a new look
UK office occupancy has climbed back to around 40%, according to Remit Consultant, the highest level since the pandemic. People are coming in again, but not to fixed desks that sit empty half the week. Instead, offices are being redesigned with collaboration hubs, meeting rooms and flexible seating.
Business expansion now accounts for 42% of office relocations in London (Sumomove), but companies are taking smaller spaces. In 2024, a record number of deals were signed for offices under 10,000 sq ft (Business Money), reflecting a shift towards quality over quantity.
This is pushing businesses to rethink how much space they need, where it should be and what it’s meant to achieve.
The classic office move is disappearing
The familiar Friday-to-Monday relocation is fast becoming outdated.
Research from the British Association of Removers shows companies that plan 12 to 18 months ahead face 68% less disruption than those that rush (Sumomove). Rather than moving everything at once, businesses are transitioning in stages. Departments move gradually, furniture is stored temporarily and teams keep working throughout.
It may seem more complex, but this approach keeps operations running and allows companies to adjust as they go.
Office relocations are now higher risk
Modern offices are packed with specialist furniture, integrated tech and modular structures that are expensive to replace if damaged.
Get the move wrong and businesses face broken equipment, delayed installations and costly downtime – risks few companies can afford.
Sustainability now shapes decisions
Environmental reporting and ESG goals mean businesses are reconsidering what happens to their old office assets. Throwing everything away and starting fresh is increasingly unacceptable.
In 2024 alone, more than 27,000 items of office furniture and IT equipment were refurbished through circular economy programmes, saving an estimated 2,000 tonnes of CO₂e (European Business Magazine).
More organisations are choosing to reuse, resell or recycle equipment, particularly when downsizing for hybrid working.
A spokesperson from SFI Logistics, a UK commercial logistics company that handles office moves and installations, put it plainly:
“The old model of everyone packing up on Friday and starting fresh on Monday just doesn’t work anymore. Companies want to keep operating while they transition, which means moving bit by bit. You need proper planning, people who know what they’re doing with the install, and somewhere to store things in between. It’s a different approach entirely.”
This is the new normal
With hybrid working now embedded and office attendance stabilising, the transformation of workplaces shows no sign of slowing.
For many businesses, relocating is no longer a one-off task but a continuous process of adapting space to match how people really work.
And with nearly one in three employees still splitting their week between home and the office, workspace strategy is becoming a core business priority.
