Can Suddath® Help Me Move a Piano?
The visual of moving a piano has often been the subject of comedy sketches: pianos dangling and dropping from a third-story window, or futile attempts to fit down stairwells and getting stuck along the way.
In reality, as with all moving procedures, there is skill and technique involved to move a piano safely and securely to a new location during a home move.
When planning a home move, the first step is to perform a detailed survey of the home and its belongings in order to generate a true-cost moving quote and moving instructions. This step is important because the cost of moving bulky items like pianos or complex pieces of furniture can vary in cost, as well as in the equipment and personnel needed. Moving even a small piano can mean an additional 500 pounds or more in many instances, which also increases weight during transportation.
7 Special Items You Can’t Trust Just Anyone to Move
When preparing for a move, it is necessary to plan on getting help with items that require special handling, packing, or storage. Many items in your home may not fare well with people who don’t have the training to move them, or in a facility without proper temperature and humidity control.
Moving Checklist
When you’re planning a move, it can feel like there are too many steps in your moving checklist to prioritize, let alone accomplish. This moving checklist gives you the most important steps, prioritized with a suggested timeline. Don’t worry if you’re starting less than eight weeks before your move date. You can customize this list according to your own timeline and add steps or leave out ones that don’t apply.
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS WHEN MOVING A PIANO
Piano weight is a primary concern. An upright piano can range from 300 even up to 900 pounds; baby grands from 600-700 pounds and special pianos used for concerts, close to 900 pounds or more! Dropping one can significantly damage the piano itself, the floor where it is located and put the piano mover at risk if the proper technique and equipment are not used.
Maintaining Favorable Environmental Conditions
A piano, while large, is still a delicate instrument, with intricate internal mechanisms and fine design details. When moving a piano, climate needs to be considered for shipping as well as for any storage options. Moisture and poor climate conditions can quickly affect the structure of a piano. Wood can warp, and keys, strings, cast-iron plates and pins can sustain significant damage if not protected from the elements. It is important that transportation and a storage facility are climate-controlled to mitigate any risk of damage to a piano.
Managing Expenses
Consider also, that often times while a piano is a musical instrument, it also serves as an heirloom of high value, so precautions need to be taken to preserve it. While moving a piano can have a high price tag, the cost to fixing a damaged piece because of insufficient or poor moving procedures could far outweigh the expenses associated with moving a piano properly in the first place.
There are companies dedicated to moving pianos since it is a complex and arduous process. Often, consumers will seek out a specific piano mover when moving a piano inside the home to a new spot, or if they are planning a full home move and their chosen moving provider does not offer that service.
At Suddath, we specialize in moving unique and/or bulky items like pianos and complex furniture, among other items that require special care during a home move. Your dedicated move coordinator will work with you to incorporate these special circumstances into the overall move plan and quote.
ADDITIONAL MOVING SERVICES
White-Glove Moving
Prefer a full-service, hands-free local move? Suddath is happy to provide white-glove service options that allow you to continue with your normal daily life while we handle every single aspect of your move.
Custom Crating
Items that are particularly delicate, fragile or irregularly sized, may require their own tailored, custom crates built to protect them. Our team consists of experts who will take measurements and build a crate to spec.
Automobile Moving
During a home move, time might not allow you to check a road trip off your list just yet. Suddath will make sure your vehicle gets to your new destination.
Motorcycle Moving
If you need someone to carefully transport your motorcycle, Suddath can work with our trusted partners to ensure it gets to your new destination safely.
PIANO MOVING FAQ
Our service offering does not include singular piano moves. We are, however, quite skilled at moving pianos during a regular home move so that our customers can take advantage of our one-stop-moving services - working with one company under one contract for your entire move.
There are many factors that determine the cost to move a piano including weight, size, and distance of relocation. According to national home sites, costs range from as low as $150 to upwards of $2,000, with a national average just shy of $400. All the details will be assessed by your move coordinator at Suddath to determine the true cost, which in some instances could include a storage facility fee along the way depending on the move plan.
Yes, and generally extra personnel skilled in moving pianos are required as well. Depending on the type, style, size and weight of a piano, some equipment needed may include dollies, straps, clamps, piano skid boards and heavy-duty furniture blankets to protect the instrument. In some cases, piano movers have been known to use cranes as well. The crucial step of a pre-move home assessment will outline what is needed ahead of time to move a piano so that move day goes smoothly.