Piano removal: upright, grand and digital

An upright piano is moved standing, strapped to a heavy-duty trolley, with the keyboard lid locked and the case wrapped. On level ground two or three experienced people can handle most uprights. Stairs change that: every step needs control of a weight that wants to topple forwards.

A grand or baby grand is taken apart for moving. The crew removes the lyre with the pedals and the legs, then turns the body onto its straight side and straps it to a padded piano board. It travels on its side and is reassembled in the new room. This is specialist work; a crew that has not done it before can crack a leg joint or damage the rim.

Digital pianos and keyboards are lighter and are normally moved like other furniture, although the larger cabinet models still need two people and careful packing of the electronics.

Most of the effort in a piano move goes into getting it out of one room and into another. Narrow hallways, a turn in the staircase, a front door with a step, a flat on the second floor or a garden path with steps down to the road all add time and people. Measure door widths and the stair turn at both addresses and send photographs with your request.

Where a piano cannot go through the building, it may go through a window or over a balcony with a hoist or a small crane. Lifting a piano is a lifting operation, and the firm has to plan it, use equipment that is inspected and suitable for the load, and keep people clear of the area underneath. If a crane or lorry has to stand on the road or pavement, the council may need to give permission. That is a job for the firm to arrange, but ask whether it is in the price.

• the make, model and type of piano, and a photograph
• floors, stairs, turns and door widths at both addresses
• the parking position for the vehicle and the distance to the door
• whether a hoist, crane or window removal might be needed
• the insured value of the piano and who has to prove it
• whether the price includes dismantling and reassembly of a grand
• whether the stool, music and any accessories travel together

The standard cover in a removal contract often has a limit per item that is far below the value of a good piano. If yours is valuable, tell the firm its make, model and approximate value and ask for cover that matches. A recent valuation or insurance schedule helps if there is ever a claim.

Check the condition of the case before the move and photograph it, including existing scratches. Damage to the finish is easy to see; damage to the action or soundboard may only show when the piano is played or tuned, so play it on arrival and report problems promptly in writing.

Even a perfect move usually puts a piano slightly out of tune, and a change of room brings a change of temperature and humidity. Piano tuners generally suggest letting the instrument settle in its new position for a few weeks before tuning.

Choose the spot with care. An outside wall that is cold in winter, a position right next to a radiator or a sunny bay window will cause more tuning problems than the move itself. Ask the crew to place the piano where you want it permanently, rather than moving it again later yourself.

If the piano is part of a full house move, the removal firm will either send experienced people on the day or arrange a specialist to collect it separately. Ask which, and whether the specialist is covered by the firm's insurance or by its own. A separate piano collection can be scheduled a day early so that the lorry does not have to wait.

For a single piano, for example one bought from a private seller, a piano specialist is usually the right choice. Be careful with offers to move it with a hired van and a few friends: people get hurt on stairs, and the piano rarely survives a fall.

Describe the piano, the rooms and both addresses and add photographs. After we have checked your phone number and email, the request is offered without your name to removal firms nearby, and one firm can buy it. That firm is the only one that receives it, and we email you its name, address and phone number before it sees yours. It costs you nothing. We check that the buyer is a registered company, not how many pianos it has moved, so ask the firm about its equipment and experience.