Moving can be a very stressful experience, but if you need to move a piano, then you must look for good piano movers well ahead of the moving date. Look for piano movers that willingly give you references that you can talk to, or better still, choose movers by word of mouth.
If you cannot find someone, you can always inquire at a music store if there is anyone they recommend for moving pianos.
Just as an aside, I have memories going back to my early childhood, of walking beside an upright piano as my dad wheeled it down the road back to my grandparents house. It was a quiet neighbourhood, fortunately, but I’m not sure that it was very good for the piano! I think today’s piano movers would cringe at this treatment of a musical instrument, and it is not to be recommended!
Because of the irregular shape and size of pianos, especially grand pianos, they can be very challenging to move, especially when moving to a high rise building. Since pianos are weighty too, the lightest being a few hundred pounds, and the biggest topping over 1000 pounds, it takes a great deal of organization and man power to move them.
Since pianos are difficult to manoeuvre because of their weight and shape, rather than trying to get them up and around staircases, piano movers prefer to haul them up the outside of a building if possible.
But don’t worry, experienced piano movers know what they are doing and will wrap the piano to keep it safe during transportation.
Once the piano is at its new location, the piano movers will generally tune it to make sure it is in perfect condition and pitch for you at your new location. This does mean that the moving can be a little pricey, but so are new pianos anyway. By using a recommended specialist company, you will be given guarantees about the condition of the piano upon its setup at the new location. If your piano means a lot to you, then these insurance guarantees will too, and it is worth paying for that protection. I think we can probably all remember seeing video of a piano smashing to the ground when the rope around it broke. It is not a pretty sight, and is one that you will not see, if you use professional piano movers.
So, get a quote from several piano movers, compare their rates, estimated time for the move. Make sure you find out whether there are any hidden costs for moving your piano, and check into insurance and guarantees. Once you have done all that, go with the company that you feel most confident about, and that can move your piano on the date you request.
Once all this is done, you can relax, knowing that you have got professionals on the job, and that these piano movers know what they are doing, having likely done it many times before.
grand piano - a challenge for piano movers
