I've been offered a Danemann upright piano by the local music school, which is very near to me. The problem is that it is on the 1st floor & my flat is also 1st floor, so the removal is going to be very expensive. Has anyone any experience of a firm that could do it for a reasonable price? I know it's a bit unlikely, but I have to try. And it has to be done by next Monday!

It's in Hitchin, Herts, by the way. I'd be really grateful for any ideas.

you could try

http://www.ukpianos.co.uk/piano-movers-in-uk.html

If your tuner (or the schools') also trades or restores would they have their own transportation and be willing to help you out? Mine did once....

thanks very much, I will try this.


I've tried the 2 local piano firms, who are very good. They do transport pianos but it's the 1st floor locations that are proving the problem. They just don't have the manpower. They've recommended specialist firms, but they're so expensive.

It was a risky strategy, but the first time I had cause to have a piano delivered (someone gave it to me for free) I went down the local pub and found two burly men with large muscles and a pick up truck. They just picked up the piano with their bare hands, bunged it in the truck and carried it upstairs at the other end. There were many profanities, no insurance, and the risk it could have gone wrong. But it was all fine, not a scratch. I paid them ?30.

I have had a piano moved from one upstairs floor to another twice (but this was in France). What you need is not so much burly men as the slings that they use to carry the piano with.

That said, I ended up using one of the national removal firms as they were the cheapest. I would imagine that English removal firms are probably similar in that they have times when they are very busy and times when they are not doing a great deal. When I initially asked them for a quote they said it would depend on when I wanted it moved (as well as how far and how many flights of stairs). Since I had a certain amount of leeway I said I would be flexible with whatever was the cheapest, which ended up being mid-week, mid-morning.

The neighbour did think it slightly odd that this huge removal van turned up and took only the piano

House moving most commonly happens on a Friday so if you want a removal firm that's probably the best day to avoid.

Our first piano was near similiar except it was every male relation we could find! 6 brothers-in-law, 2 brothers and a couple of mates all had a "man" day out in the country picking it up. Rented a van with a back lift, collecting the piano and bringing it home and into the first floor flat.

15 years later a near repeat for the new piano except it was the 10 steps outside to the raised ground floor, then off to the pub. Piano tuner didnt like it one bit when we told him.

I agree try and find some man power and offer some cash/ round of drinks especially if the piano is free

Many years ago my sister, her husband, my boyfriend (now husband) and I moved an old upright piano into my first floor flat. It was a nightmare, especially because the stairs were so narrow that we couldn't get all of us around the piano at the same time.

We managed, just about, but I don't recommend it!

Twenty years ago, my brother-in-law and I moved a big old upright a few miles, using his horse box. I figured if the suspension was good enough for a horse it was good enough for the piano. It survived. No stairs either end of course!

You could try one of the local firms of removals. I needed furniture shifting inside my mother's house, so it was a couple of hours job and one of our local firms did it on a Saturday morning. That way it didn't interfere with a whole day's worth of removals for them.

Thank you for all the suggestions, particularly to PianissiMole for the link. Through that, I was able to find a small firm who don't have to charge VAT & were by far the cheapest. They're about 30 miles away, but none of the more local firms were able to do it because of the stairs. I wasn't willing to risk using amateurs as it is a very heavy piano & I think the risk of injury (to people or the piano) is too high. I don't think the school would have allowed it, anyway. The assumption seems to have always been that I would pay specialists to do the job properly - which is a good deal, after all, as I'm being given a free piano. So it's coming on Friday - I'm getting really excited now, as it means I'll have my own piano to prepare for summer school!

Quote/ I'm getting really excited now, as it means I'll have my own piano to prepare for summer school!/

..and surely a drink or two as well

I'm very happy to say the piano is now safely installed in my flat. I'm glad I didn't risk using amateurs (although some did very kindly volunteer), because these 3 very experienced men had quite a struggle getting it up. It cost ?200 (by far the cheapest quote), but I did get a decent free piano, so I'm very pleased.

Glad it all worked out for you. Are you pleased with your "gift horse"?

yes, thank you! It's a Danemann upright (typical school piano) and one or two notes need a bit of attention, but it's generally in good shape and has been tuned very regularly. It's obviously been a bit knocked out of tune by the move, but I've been advised to let it settle a little before the tuner comes. Danemann's generally hold their tuning well, so should be OK in time. I'm very pleased to have my own piano, of course, although I'm just about to go over to my teacher's to practise on her Steinway! But this will be such a help when it's not convenient for me to do that. I do have a digital for silent practice, but am not really happy using it - I need to be able to listen to the sound I'm producing.

Here's an amusing newspaper article.
A family in Devon live on a boat, but the wife is a piano teacher!
How on earth did they manage to get her grand piano aboard?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-23...-permanent.html

What a godawful load of carp she keeps atop her piano. Looks as though she never lifts the lid.

Never mind all the stuff on top of the piano[1] I'm more intrigued by the weird dalek on deck.


[1] I guess the ceilings aren't particularly high, so you probably don't need the extra noise from opening it.

She (Susan Northrop) has a website:
http://www.fluteandsax4all.co.uk/
So actually she is a woodwind specialist, and comes ashore to teach in Barnstaple.
I suppose the piano must have been loaded aboard with a crane when in dock.

A few weeks ago A few burly friends and I moved a piano and I am delighted to say that It all went without any of these hitches

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDE2NIujeZI...ature=endscreen

Enjoy playing your new baby

or this one...

Grand Piano Move

This is actually the same company that delivered my new piano last year. I had no idea. It was only when I was joking with them after it was safely installed and set up that I found out that they were the actual guys that dropped the Bosey in Devon! They said it wasn't actually that badly damaged

Is it just me, or is Laurel and Hardy in colour all wrong?