Hello everyone - I haven't been on the forum for ages but glad to be back!

I wanted to ask your thoughts on the best way of relocating an upright piano. I am moving house soon and the removal company is happy to take my beloved piano, saying that they do this as routine and apparently being a bit surprised when my husband told them that I was thinking of using a specialist company. They said they've never experienced any problems in fifteen or so years apart from one occasion. I still feel a bit uneasy though and have spoken to a lovely 'piano man' who moves them all the time as his job. This will obviously cost me a lot more but he will take individual care of it and make sure that all is well once it is settled into its new home. He also said he'd take care of the floors. This is important as we are moving temporarily into rented accommodation.

I would really value your comments about your own experiences. I feel pretty certain that I will use Mr Piano Man but also feel that I may be going 'over the top' and worrying unnecessarily as well as involving myself in extra expense. HELP!!!

Thanks for reading this - I look forward to your comments. I know there are no certainties in life but it's good to share the concerns.

We've only ever used the 'normal' removal men and they've been very good. The last lot looked a bit sad when we said the piano had to go up nine steps but they handled it very carefully. When we came to move it from one room to another we realised how very hard it was to get it through the doorway of the room it was in, but the removal men just took it in their stride.

Last time we moved we used Pickfords. No problems for them, but I suppose they are one of the largest national movers anyway.

Years ago I had two bad experiences with general movers that made me think it's better to use a specialist. In the first case the two men got stuck on my stairs and were unable to move either up or down, just to support the piano (looking as if they would lose their hold on it at any second). I had to run next door to seek the help of one of my (new) neighbours.

In the second case, having learned my lesson, I made a point of stressing on the phone that there was a piano among my possessions, and asked the man if he was OK with that. He said he was. Nevertheless, when he had completed the removal, he tried to get me to pay extra because the piano was 'very heavy'.

I have since successfully used general removers, but they were a much bigger firm and knew what they were doing, I suppose

Dear Muffinmonster,

Personal experience - get the specialists!

Piano was bashed so badly pedals were vertical and had to end up suing them for the money for the repairs.

Piano has never been the same since.

I still have the image stuck in my mind of the general movers we used as they moved my boyfriend's Hammond Organ into our flat using one of those little lift things, then they had to bring it in through the window pushing and shoving all four of them.. It swayed horribly as the lift started up, looked like it was going to fall off... my boyfriend's face was a picture.

The previous move he used specialists; a Hammond is very heavy, but these two guys used harnesses and had no problems at all bringing it up the stairs.

I'd be inclined to go with the specialists, although I suppose a lot of people move pianos and it may not be such a "specialist" job. Good luck with your decision and your move! Hope it all goes well.

I'd go with those who suggest using the specialists.

When I bought my first brand new piano 20 years ago, it was transported from Manchester to Inverness by a specialist piano remover, contracted by the piano seller (Forsyths). At Inverness, it was transferred to a local haulage company to get it across the water (we are in the Outer Hebrides). They had such problems getting it in the house that when they eventually managed it, both front corners had sustained damage. It was relatively minor, but not what most people plan for their first ever piano, and new from the shop at that!

Music Bird, your normal removal men may be fine, but you can never be absolutely sure. Go for the specialists and have some peace of mind.

(By the way, someone mentioned Pickfords - they wouldn't cross the water at all when we moved here. Not impressed.)

I was once moving a harmonium with a priest and we sort of had it wedged between two doorways, he didn't take too kindly to my question that if it takes a mustard seed of fairth to move a mountain how much is needed to move a harmonium.

I sincerely would NOT recommend Pickfords.

But I have subsequently used general removals firms and they have been ok. I think I just stressed how very heavy my piano seems to be!

Ditto. Never again.

I think the circumstances I would use professional piano movers would be:

- if the piano was a grand
- if it was an very expensive upright
- if the access out of your current home/room where it sits was tricky
- if the access into your future home/room where it will go was tricky

If I did use a general removal firm I would stress that I wanted men who had had experience of moving pianos.

We bought our first piano from a dealer in the borders. The owner was a fascinating man who must have been in his seventies. He had loads of pianolas and rolls for them and I was very tempted to add one of them to my basket, as it were. Anyway, when the piano came the movers were the old man's son, and the old man! They wheeled the piano on its trolley to our door and then just lifted it into the house, just the two of them. I was very relieved when the piano was in its place and the old man was still alive!

Compare the cost of paying a specialist to the cost of repairing or replacing your piano. It's a no brainer.

Well, the firm would presumably be insured so it wouldn't be at your cost, certainly inconvenience, though...

You could always get these two in!

Definately go for the specialist. I might be tempted to cut corners for some things but my piano is too precious to me to risk!

I've always used a specialist. I couldn't afford to be without my piano if it had to be repaired as it is my livelihood. Better to pay the extra than take the risk I think.

I've got to arrange a piano move (a vintage upright) and I'm wondering how I should decide who to use. I want to know things like •do you use a piano cover and is it padded • do you dismantle the piano and do you wrap the parts in padding •does the cost include insurance. Are there any other questions I should ask?

A specialist piano mover has the proper trolley, wheels and lift thingys.

Having said that we have always used all the men in the family - husband has six brothers and I have two and my dad in his younger days Plus a rented van with a backload lift. So far no problems, but when i tell our piano tuner our moving methods, his face goes

Thanks very much everyone for all your replies! They have been incredibly helpful and helped me confirm my thoughts that I should use the specialist (although I'm really pleased for everyone who has used general hauliers and not had a problem). For me though, using the specialist will give me peace of mind.

Thank you again. I will let you know how we get on!

I had my piano moved last week by a local music shop. They move their own rental pianos in and out so are used to moving pianos and presumably only pianos. I was very worried having just decorated and put new carpets down, so my father came over to wait for them!

He said that they couldn't have been more professional. Rugs down on carpet, special trolley etc. The gap of my front door is quite narrow and then have quite a sharp turn into the living room, but this posed no problem for them and the piano is happy in it's new house with not a bump!

My dad did say that they sat down to play it after they had moved it to check everything was ok. I wonder if people applying for jobs at the large removals firms ought to list playing on their CV! It might make people happier knowing a fellow musician in charge of the move!

Let us know how it goes. I'm sure it will be fine.

If you are moving house you will have so much to think and worry about anyway that having your piano moved by a specialist will be one thing off your mind, good luck with your move


My first piano (about 5 years ago) cost £80 and it cost £90 to move it !

They aren't general hauliers....a removal company that is.
No a removal company has to remove and replace pianos routinely and other large household items of course. And they all go in a large removals lorry and are all unloaded again. I was once a temporary logistics worker and had an attachment to a youngish removals crew of two. The house we were assigned had a baby grand to move. I can't say it went completely smoothly. The first problem was the woman of the house didn't have confidence in the crew and wanted another one who had moved her before, we were on egg shells until she settled....removals people, of course, get to know that this whole process is a fraught one because of the very human feelings associated with the life-cycle events that houses hold within them. Unfortunately the crew didn't have a required bit of kit on board, basically a wheely-board, and this had to be delivered to them before the piano could be flipped on its side attached to the board and wheeled into the inside of the lorry. That went ok although I was concerned about a protruding hinge I seem to remember. The move was only just across the peak district and took less than an hour. The new house though had a very steep concrete drive which made the prospect of getting the piano up to it less than an easy one. Without much fear the lads got some momentum and pushed it quickly up. A success, which on reflection I put down to the right people in the right job...traits like a good mechanical aptitude, a shrewd outlook and physical fitness come to mind. An upright in this instance would have been an easier prospect...but uprights don't always go where grands go and sometimes the general shifter will need to be replaced with someone who is bringing particular skills necessary for a truly unusual move or job.

I've rung a couple of specialist removal companies and was a bit surprised to hear that they don't routinely cover the piano when carrying in/out of the house. But suppose it's raining, I asked, and they said if it was light rain, it wouldn't do it any harm, just wipe it over when you get it indoors. They said they prefer not to cover it when handling it as it's easier to grip if not covered. I thought covering would be standard practice, what have others found?

I think they are right about not covering it - how could you get a decent grip on the thing if it had a cover over it? Certainly it should be covered (usually wrapped in blankets or similar) once it is in the van, to prevent any knocks in transit. In the event of torrential rain, I would suggest waiting until it passes over before moving the piano. I suppose you could always have some plastic sheeting or a tarpaulin standing by. Uprights don't need any dismantling, but grands are turned on their sides and legs / pedal assembly come off.

That certainly is a good point. I had a ready-made wardrobe which I had taken up to my room. I think myself and a few largish friends would have struggled gettting it round the very tight corner at the top of the stairs. The delivery chaps made it look as if you could have arranged for a small child to move it with their little finger!!

I think the difference for me being that I wouldn't have minded jolts to the wardrobe, but the piano....

Hi - when my piano was delivered a couple of years ago I had no idea what to expect. I remember being pleasantly surprised that as the piano was brought into the house on its special trolley thingie, that it was covered by a lovely padded fitted cover. I'd go mad if mine was taken out in the rain! I've been following your thread about your piano skylark - how exciting!

I had my piano moved by a specialist firm (well, the local piano shop who do piano removals too..)

I'm glad I did - my upright weighs a tonne, and wasn't cheap. I can't move it at all (even though it's got wheels) and a very hefty bloke couldn't even budge it 2 inches along my carpet to try and cover a crack in my wall!!) Add to that a very narrow hallway, and specialists it was.

I was well impressed. They had a trolley - tipped it on its end to manouevre the hallway, and made it look so effortless I couldn't believe this was the same piano that I couldn't budge!

This is in France but I have had my (upright) piano moved twice by a general removal firm (the first time was out of one flat into another, the second one out of a flat into a house. The first flat had one flight of very steep, narrow stairs, the second flat had "normal" stairs but three floors). Each time the firm moved only the piano (we moved all the rest ourselves in a friend's van) and seemed to think it was a perfectly normal request to want to move only a piano. There were three of them but only two carrying at any one time and they had special straps to fit round the piano and lift it - and they too made it look effortless. It had a padded cover over it in the van but I can't now remember (the last move was over 10 years ago) at one point the cover was put on/taken off.