5 Things to Consider When Moving a Piano
I’ve moved my grand piano 9 times since I purchased it 28 years ago. When I say “moved,” I don’t mean nudging it across the floor or placing it in another room; I mean complete relocation—across town, across the state, and (once) halfway across the country. Flights of stairs have been involved, as have small elevators, and changes of climate and humidity levels. Given my passion for changing domiciles, I’ve wished more than once that I’d chosen to take up the violin or the guitar—any instrument, in fact, that weighed less than 700 pounds. But my piano is my friend, confidant, and voice—where I go, it goes too.
Warning: moving a piano—especially a grand piano—is never easy or inexpensive. It is, however, doable. As I’ve been asked multiple times for advice on how to relocate with a piano, here are my tips for making sure that you and your piano survive the transition with a minimum amount of damage.
Hire reputable piano movers
Moving a piano is expensive, and many people are tempted to allow furniture movers to move their instrument. I strongly advise against this. While regular movers are adept at maneuvering a sofa or bed frame, most have little experience handling a piano. Stuff happens, and when it does, piano movers know how to best protect and (if necessary) fix anything that might go wrong.
Always choose a company that is licensed, bonded, and insured. As piano dealers move pianos all the time, I’ve found them to be a reliable resource for tracking down the best piano movers in your area. If you are relocating long distance, most piano movers will work with national (of, if needed, international) companies to haul your piano to its new home.
This expertise costs money, but is worth every penny. Example: I once knew of a piano mover who hit a cow with his truck while driving through an open range. The cow didn’t survive (sadly), but because the piano had been carefully and professionally prepared for the journey, it emerged unscathed.
Do your homework
Before you call and ask a moving company for a price quote, know the answer to these things:
How many steps will movers need to navigate—on both ends of the move?
Will they need to put the piano into an elevator? If so, how big is the elevator? Don’t guess—measure.
Are there any tight corners the movers need to know about?
And (if moving out of the area), how far away is your new destination?
The more complicated the move (stairs, elevators, crane, tight corners), the more expensive it will be because the moving company will need to assign additional people to do the job.
Plan for the unexpected
Sometimes—no matter of how much you’ve prepared—something happens. Try to “roll with it” as movers are just as eager as you are to get your piano into your new home. I’ve had movers remove door frames, put the piano end-up in a small elevator, and take it up or down narrow flights of stairs. The use of a crane has been discussed. This has delayed delivery a couple of times, but in each situation, a solution was found.
Make sure you know where you want the piano placed
Measure the planned space to be certain the instrument will fit properly. Keep the piano away from windows and (if an older home) outside walls as much as possible. And don’t let the mover leave until you’re convinced you’re happy with the placement. I failed to do that one time and had to pay movers over $200 to move the instrument just a foot away from its original location. Many movers will have small carpet squares to put under the piano legs so that they can slide the instrument around with ease without damaging the floor.
Arrange for a tuning
Pianos don’t like change and need time to adjust to new surroundings. Once your instrument has settled in its new home for about a month, hire a piano technician to give it a tuning and a check-up.
Good luck, and happy moving!