It's early November, and your office isn't working anymore. Maybe your team has outgrown the space, or hybrid working has left you paying for desks no one uses. You've been thinking about moving, but there's a voice in your head saying, "Let's wait until January. Fresh start, new year, all that."
Here's the truth: waiting until January might be the most expensive decision you make this year.
The new year brings a surge of companies all thinking the same thing. Availability tightens, competition heats up, and what could have been a smooth, strategic move in November becomes a scramble in the January rush. The good news? You still have time. And if you act now, you're not just avoiding the chaos; you're setting yourself up to start 2026 in the right space, with the right deal, and without the stress.
Why November and December Are Better Than You Think
Beat the January Rush
January is the busiest time in the London office market. Everyone with a New Year's resolution to "sort out the office situation" hits the market at once. Landlords and providers know this, and they price accordingly. Availability shrinks, viewings get competitive, and decision-making slows down because everyone's chasing the same spaces.
Move now, and you're ahead of the curve. You'll have more options, less competition, and a much stronger negotiating position. The same space that gets snapped up in a bidding war in January? In November, you have room to negotiate terms, rent, and flexibility.
Use Your Year-End Budget Strategically
If your business operates on a calendar-year budget cycle, November and December offer a narrow window to deploy any remaining CapEx or operational spend. Whether it's securing a deposit, funding a fit-out, or locking in a better lease structure, moving now means you can use this year's budget rather than waiting for next year's approvals to come through.
For finance teams, this is also the time to lock in known costs before Q1 forecasting begins. A lease signed in December gives you budget certainty heading into the new year, rather than starting January with a question mark over one of your biggest fixed costs.
Move During the Quiet Period
December might feel like an odd time to move, but operationally, it's often ideal. Many businesses slow down over the festive period, giving you a natural window to coordinate logistics, IT setup, and team transitions without disrupting day-to-day work. You avoid the chaos of moving mid-quarter when everyone's heads are down on deliverables.
For serviced offices in particular, moving in December means you walk into a fully-fitted, plug-and-play space just as the team returns in January. No downtime, no delays, and no "working from the coffee shop while they install desks" situations.
Start 2026 in the Right Space
There's something powerful about starting the year in a workspace that actually works for your team. It sets the tone. It signals growth, momentum, and clarity. Waiting until January means you're starting the year in the wrong space, again. Moving now means you hit the ground running in 2026. Your team is settled, your space supports how you actually work, and you're not wasting energy on real estate logistics when you should be driving the business forward.
What You Can Actually Achieve Before Year-End
Let's be realistic. You're reading this in November. You have less than eight weeks until the end of the year. So what's actually possible?
Serviced Offices: Move In by December
If you're looking for flexibility and speed, serviced offices are your best bet; and they're entirely achievable before year-end. These are fully-fitted, plug-and-play spaces that include everything from furniture and wifi to meeting rooms and kitchen facilities. No fit-out, no delays, no coordination with contractors.
We've moved companies into serviced offices in as little as five days when the timeline was tight. Realistically, if you start the conversation now, you could be moved in and operational by mid-December. That means you close out the year in the right space, and your team starts 2026 without missing a beat.
Serviced offices also give you flexibility if your plans change. Whether you're scaling fast and need to add desks, or you're still figuring out your long-term hybrid strategy, these spaces let you adapt without being locked into a rigid ten-year lease.
Traditional Leases: Get the Ball Rolling
If you're looking at a more traditional lease, whether that's a raw space you want to fit out, or a longer-term commitment that gives you stability and control, November is the time to start. While you might not be moved in by December 31st, you can absolutely get the process underway so that you're completing the deal in Q1 rather than starting from scratch in January.
Here's what's achievable before year-end:
Shortlist and view your top options: We can have you viewing properties within days, not weeks.
Negotiate heads of terms: Lock in your preferred space and agree on the commercial terms before the January rush hits.
Kick off legals and fit-out planning: Even if you're not physically moved in by December, you can have the deal structured, contracts moving, and your design team briefed so that you're hitting the ground running in the new year.
How We Make It Happen (Without the Stress)
We've helped hundreds of companies move offices across London and globally, and we know that budget, speed, and confidence are what matter most. You don't want to spend months trawling listings, chasing agents, or second-guessing whether you're getting a fair deal. You want clarity, options, and someone who knows the market inside out.
Here's how we work.
We Do the Heavy Lifting
First, we pull together all of London's available office space in one place, both serviced and traditional, and match it to your brief. You tell us your headcount, budget, preferred locations, and move-in timeline, and we handle the rest. No endless searching, no trying to figure out which buildings are actually available, no wasting time on spaces that don't fit.
If you're not sure exactly what you need, that's fine too. We'll jump on a call, talk through what's driving the move, and recommend the most suitable options based on what we know about the market and how your business works.
We Use Our Market Knowledge to Move Fast
Speed matters, especially when you're working to a tight deadline. We know the buildings, we know the landlords, and we know the providers. That means we can arrange viewings quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours, and plan a route around multiple properties in a single day so you're not spending weeks coordinating schedules.
We also know what deals are being done. We typically know what other tenants are paying in the same building or area, which gives us an edge when it comes to negotiating on your behalf. You're not walking into conversations blind; you've got someone who knows what's fair and what's not.
We Negotiate Hard (So You Don't Have To)
Once you've chosen a space, we handle the negotiations. Rent, contract length, break clauses, deposit, fit-out contributions, subletting rights; we know what to push on and where landlords have flexibility. Our relationships with landlords and providers mean we can often secure better terms than you'd get going direct.
And even after you've made your selection, we keep an eye on the market. If something better comes up, or if a landlord suddenly drops the rent on a comparable space, we let you know. We're working for you, not the landlord.
We Stay With You After You Move
Our job doesn't end when you sign the lease. We stay in touch, check in quarterly, and make sure the space is still working for you. If your needs change, if you're scaling faster than expected, or if hybrid working evolves again, we're here to support you through the next move.
Don't Wait. Start Now.
Here's the reality: if you wait until January, you're starting from behind. The best spaces will be gone, the market will be busier, and you'll spend the first quarter of 2026 distracted by office logistics instead of focused on growth.
But if you act now, this week, this month, you can move into a serviced office by December, or at the very least, get a traditional lease in the pipeline before the new year rush begins. You'll have more choice, better terms, and a clear head heading into 2026.
The opportunity is there. The timeline works. And we're here to make it happen.
Ready to move? Get in touch with our team, schedule a viewing, or browse our available buildings. Let's find your next space before the year runs out.
