How to Move a Piano

Often the crux of any debate surrounding moving a piano is whether you should try to do it yourself or leave it to the experts. At Sirelo, we are strongly on the side of the latter, and we are adamant to show you why 😉 However, even though we have strong opinions on the matter, we do not discriminate! This guide therefore offers thorough advice, regardless of which side of the divide you sit on.

How to Move a Piano with a Professional Moving Company

Want to take some pressure off your shoulders? (Quite literally!) Then we suggest hiring a professional removal service when it comes to moving a piano.

It couldn’t be easier to get this sorted. Most moving companies offer piano removal services as an add-on, so just make sure you give this a mention when requesting quotes from us. Either do this or get the materials yourself, trouble yourself with a logistical nightmare and maybe even damage the piano or worse still, yourself, along the way. It’s a no-brainer really!

How Much Does it Cost to Move a Piano?

How long is a piece of string? Unfortunately we cannot provide a blanket answer here as no two piano moves are exactly the same. Instead how much it costs to move a piano depends heavily on the following factors:

• Type and weight of your piano. Have you got an upright piano? Or perhaps you are among the piano bourgeois with a baby grand. Naturally, manoeuvring the latter is far more challenging and hence will cost more.
• Accessibility. Live on the 30^th floor or your building with no lift? Now we understand why you are moving! The cost of moving a piano increases if your instrument is hard to reach, particularly if this is because of multiple flights of stairs.
• Distance. Much like more general removal costs, if you are looking to transport your piano overseas, your bill is going to rack up far quicker than a hop around the corner.
• Time constraints. If you and your beloved piano cannot bare to be apart for long, or you have other kind of time pressures requiring a speedy piano removal, then expect to pay more.
• Hourly rate or set fee? Each moving company has different ways of calculating piano removal costs. While some companies offer an hourly rate, others provide a set fee, based on the factors outlined above.

Despite these variables, we know that you are probably itching for some solid figures. The following table has therefore been curated to help you work out how much it costs to move a piano.

While we understand that these numbers may be off-putting, we stand by our mantra; learning how to move a piano yourself is simply not worth the hassle and even danger it can cause. Leave it to the experts – while it may seem like an unnecessary expense for now, we promise that it will be cheaper than any damage or replacement costs a DIY approach often incurs.

The Advantages of Hiring Professionals to Move a Piano

At the moment, since all we have done is bombard you with costs, you are probably questioning whether it truly is necessary to hire professionals to move your piano. However, the short answer is still do it. Here is why:

• Expertise. The average upright piano has 88 keys and 1,000 moving parts inside. Pianos are delicate and require the soft touch of professionals to prevent damage. And don’t even get us started on the grands…

• Avoid accidents. The only this more precious than the health of your piano, is the health of you! An upright piano can weigh anywhere between 140-410kg and a grand 200-350kg. That sure is a lot of weight to put on yourself. Accidents do happen, and they can be truly devastating, particularly if you are moving your piano up and down flights of stairs.
• Peace of mind. We have mentioned physical safety, but mental wellbeing is also important. Moving house requires meticulous planning and organisation, so there is no shame in delegating some responsibility when it comes to moving a piano.
• Money. Before you stop us here, while upfront piano removal costs may be higher when opting for professional movers, the DIY approach requires you to rent all the equipment yourself, and most importantly, you won’t have any kind of insurance coverage…that’s the kind of risk we are not willing to take!

How to Move a Piano Yourself

If you are still of the persuasion that insists on moving a piano yourself, then despite thinking you are a little off your rockers, we are here to help. Follow this guide learn how to move a piano by yourself.

• Sort out the equipment you need. This includes, but is not exclusive to:
  • Plastic covers and blankets
  • Plastic cover straps
  • Piano dollies
  • Piano dolly straps
  • Work gloves
  • A moving truck
• Ask for help. There is no shame in requiring a helping hand. There is no way that you can move a piano alone, so get your most trusted friends and family to help you out. It helps if they have decent muscles on them too 😉
• Cover the piano. Use your moving blankets and packing tape to wrap up your piano, making sure not to miss even a tiny section. Corners in particular are prone to damage.
• Remove the legs. Not all pianos require this, but If you have a baby grand piano it is likely that you will have to take off the legs to move it safely.
• Pop it on the dolly. Next, life your piano onto the dolly and securely strap it!
• Secure the piano in the truck. Once you have the piano in your moving truck, be sure to strap it in place.
• Retune. All that moving is exhausting for anyone, including your beloved piano. It will therefore need a little TLC once it is at your new home. Unless you know how to do it yourself (in which case kudos!) organise a piano tuner to retune your instrument.

For your own sanity, we hope this has indicated to you why moving a piano yourself is no walk in the park. The debate is well and truly won: the best way to move a piano is to not; leave it to the pros 😎

To Conclude…

While there is no single answer to how to move a piano, or indeed the cost of moving a piano, there is one key takeaway: hire a professional mover rather than doing it yourself. Risking both your piano and yourself, and any extra costs that come with damage, is simply not worth it to save a few pounds upfront. Instead, stick to your forte and let the piano removal companies stick to theirs 😊