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by OnlyPiano.com
If you are planning to move and have a
piano in the house, it’s essential that
you enlist the help of professional
piano movers to ensure that your
instrument arrives at its final
destination without any damage.
What Does a Piano Mover
Do?
Experienced piano movers know how to
handle all types of pianos – they can
get them through tight corners or out of
a second-story room. The piano movers
will place your piano on a skid called a
piano board. They wrap the piano with
blankets and strap it to the board. If
the piano is going to be moved over a
flat surface, the piano mover can place
it on a dolly and roll it to the truck.
When handling grand pianos, piano movers
flip it on its side, with the straight
side down. They will remove the lid, the
pedal lyre, and the legs to attach the
grand to the piano board.
Piano movers usually don’t like stairs.
If a piano needs to be moved to or from
an upper story, most piano movers will
use a crane or rigging, using a block
and tackle, to hoist and lower the
instrument.
Choosing a Piano Mover
When searching for a qualified piano
moving company, word of mouth is
helpful. However, if you don’t have
anyone to ask, you’ll have to find
another means. Look through your local
phonebook and search online. Be prepared
to call a number of piano movers, and
have a list of questions ready for them.
Cost is not the only factor you should
consider.
Some things to inquire about when
contacting piano movers:
-
Ask them
about their insurance coverage
-
Ask them
how they will pack your piano
-
Be sure
that they will not remove the keyboard
so the piano can fit through tight
spaces
-
Ask them
for an estimate
Piano Moving Costs
How much you pay to move your piano
depends on a number of factors,
especially distance, weight and the
individual piano moving company.
Regardless of your specific situation,
piano moving is costly. Most companies
offer free estimates, so get a handful
and compare costs and features. Choose
the piano mover that will do the best
job for your money.
Piano Moving: Local Piano
Moving vs. International Piano Moving
Local piano moving is certainly a
simpler undertaking because you can
personally oversee the process and shop
around for the best piano movers. If you
are moving locally, the best way to find
a talented piano mover is to ask your
technician or a local dealer. Word of
mouth is always valuable in these
situations. Certain movers specialize in
local piano moving only, while others
are general moving companies that have
the necessary experience to move pianos
properly. Although it’s worthwhile to
shop price, a cheap quote might result
in a huge expense if your piano gets
damaged in the move.
International piano moving presents more
of a challenge. You can’t always rely on
word of mouth, and it is more difficult
to shop around and find the most
qualified piano mover. Also, for
international piano moving, most
companies do their overseas shipping
with freight forwarders. Ask your piano
movers if the piano will be wrapped in
airtight plastic to prevent exposure to
humidity. You might also have to
calculate import duties into your piano
moving costs. International piano moving
is expensive, so be sure you provide
adequate insurance coverage for your
instrument. Take a lot of photos of your
piano before the move; if it is damaged
in transit, you’ll have proof for
insurance purposes.
Why You Shouldn’t Try
Piano Moving Yourself
First and foremost, pianos are heavy,
and you risk serious personal injury if
you try to move one yourself. On
average, pianos can weigh between 300
and 1,000 pounds. Pianos are also very
fragile. You can easily damage the outer
cabinet, the inner mechanics or other
objects in your surroundings.
An average job requires about two or
three piano movers. It’s not necessarily
all about strength – piano moving
requires skills and proper equipment.
Don’t risk hurting yourself or your
piano. Leave piano moving to the
professionals.
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