Almost a third of British workers now split their week between home and the office, and it’s completely changed the way companies approach moving offices.
The latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show 28% of working adults in Britain are now hybrid workers. What started as a pandemic necessity has become the new normal, and it’s not going anywhere.
But here’s the thing: remote work hasn’t killed the office. It’s just changed what offices are for.
Offices are back, but they look different
UK office occupancy has climbed back to around 40% (Remit Consultant), the highest it’s been since COVID. People are coming in, but not in the same way. Instead of assigned desks gathering dust on Wednesdays, offices are being redesigned around collaboration spaces, meeting rooms and flexible setups that actually reflect how teams work now.
Business expansion now accounts for 42% of London office moves (Sumomove), but companies are taking less space. A record number of deals were signed in 2024 for spaces under 10,000 sq ft (Business Money), as businesses focus on quality over quantity.
And that’s forcing companies to rethink everything: how much space they need, where it should be, and what it’s actually supposed to do.
The traditional office move? It’s dying out
Remember the classic Friday-to-Monday office relocation? Pack up, shut down, reopen elsewhere. That’s becoming a relic.
Research from the British Association of Removers shows that businesses starting planning 12-18 months ahead experience 68% less disruption compared to rushed relocations (Sumomove). Instead of one-day moves, businesses are moving in stages. Departments shift gradually, furniture gets stored temporarily, and teams keep working throughout.
Instead, businesses are moving in stages. Departments shift gradually, furniture gets stored temporarily, and teams keep working throughout.
It’s messier on paper, but it keeps the lights on, and it gives companies room to adjust as they go, especially when no one’s entirely sure how much space they’ll need six months from now.
Moving offices has gotten a lot more complicated
Modern offices aren’t just desks and filing cabinets anymore. There are modular pods, integrated tech, acoustic panels, specialist furniture – things that cost serious money and don’t travel well if mishandled.
Get the move wrong, and you’re looking at broken equipment, delayed setups, and expensive downtime. For businesses already watching every penny, that’s a risk they can’t afford.
Sustainability is now part of the equation
ESG targets and environmental reporting mean companies are paying closer attention to what happens to their old furniture and equipment. Binning everything and starting fresh? That’s increasingly off the table.
In 2024 alone, over 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 businesses are reusing what they can, reselling the rest, or making sure it’s recycled properly, especially when downsizing or reconfiguring for hybrid work.
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 isn’t a phase, it’s the new reality
With hybrid work now entrenched and office attendance levelling off, the reshaping of workspaces isn’t slowing down.
For many companies, moving office is no longer a one-off project. It’s an ongoing process of adapting space to match how people actually want to work there.
And with nearly one in three workers still bouncing between home and office, how businesses handle their workspace is becoming less about logistics and more about strategy.
