Pianos – they’re grand, they’re astonishingly beautiful, and they’re a mark of classiness and sophistication. But when you need to move your piano to your new address, you realize that pianos are delicate, sensitive to jerky movements, too neat and well-kept to be risked with a scratch or a crack, and just too costly to be handled casually. No wonder, you’re likely to consider the services of professionals to handle the piano moving episode. Here’s why that could be a smart decision.
Professional’shave the Manpower and Specialized Tools to Ensure Trouble-free Movement
The standard upright piano could weight anything between 300 lbs to 800 lbs, and the routine grand piano can easily clock 1,200 lbs to 1,500 lbs. So make no mistake, we’re talking some serious weight here. Depending on the weight and the brawn of your piano, you could need anything like 6 to 8 people to carry the massive instrument from one place to another.
Of course, these lifters need to be strong and if they are pros then they will capable of pulling this job off, this is certainly not their first rodeo. Rather than prowling close to the neighborhood gym and requesting bodybuilders to have an additional workout carrying your piano down the street, loosen the purse strings a little and hire the services of professional movers who know how to grapple with and move large objects safely.
Experience piano moving servicemen have the expertise in carrying pianos, and also have the right tools to ensure that your piano doesn’t reach its new address out of tune. Right from heavy duty dollies to provide for the cushioning of the piano, to huge piano boards that help in hoisting the bulk of your beloved music instrument down stairways – professional piano movers have the arsenal to complete this assignment.
The Critical Factor of Insurance
Because of the sophistication and complexity of the instrument, bumps and breaks during this move can lead to severe damage to a piano. Also, professional piano repair services are elusive, and once you find one, you can expect a substantial service bill. Given that your piano will have to be moved from your old home to your new destination, it’ll be a smart move on your part to hire a moving company that offers insurance on any damages to the instrument.
In the unfortunate case of an accidental breakage, or damage because of mishandling, you want to be covered in terms of the repair expenses that you’ll need to bear.
Find a professional piano moving service in your neighborhood, ask if they offer insurance with their service, and inquire about the intricacies of the insurance coverage limits, procedure to raise claim, timelines involved, and more.
Handling Disassembling and Reassembling of Pianos
If you own a grand piano, chances are that it will need to be disassembled before it’s moved to its new place. This is where the going gets tough, if you are looking to do the piano moving on your own. Particularly with grand pianos, and all other large sizes of pianos from other varieties, the disassembling is best left to folks who have the perfect tools to handle every nut and bolt that comprises your piano.
Professional piano moving experts ensure that each disassembled part is packaged properly before the shipping is done. Moreover, the assembling service is bundled into the service package, which means that you obtain the most hassle free experience with your piano’s change of address.
Often times referred to as ‘keyboarding’, the whole exercise of disassembling the key parts of your piano is not something you’d want to get into unless you know that you’re dealing with a thoroughly astute and experienced piano moving service.
A Quick Crash Course on Discussing Pricing with Professional Piano Movers
If you are moving to an apartment down the street, the piano moving service will probably bill you at an hourly rate, with a minimum billing amount pre-fixed, which is generally the equivalent of 3 hours of service. For intra and inter-city movements, however, a piano moving company charges differently, based on one or more criteria such as:
- The size and type of the piano (grand piano movements cost more than upright piano movements)
- The distance
- The peculiar challenges such as the number of staircases, lawns and gardens, tight turns, busy roadways, etc
- Disassembling and re-assembling of piano components
Before you call and negotiate with a professional piano moving service, know the detail such as the dimensions of your piano, complete delivery address, number of staircases, if any, and other foreseeable movement challenges to be encountered handy.
Featured Image: Image Credit
Does music sound more colourful when played on a Pre-Raphaelite grand piano? @BM_AGpic.twitter.com/FPbXHEvDnP
— John Shea (@johnshea63) January 4, 2016
Related Articles:
6 Steps in Prepping a Grand Piano For Moving
When it comes to moving, few things are as difficult and potentially dangerous as moving a grand piano. Not only can it be difficult to move a grand piano, but these large instruments are very valuable and costly to repair. That’s why doing it properly is absolutely essential. With some help, the right tools and the following instructions, you can help make prepping and moving a grand piano easy.
Grand pianos can weight hundreds of pounds and they are awkwardly shaped. This means they are very dangerous and difficult to move. Via Transit Systems
How to Move a Piano and Live through it …
So, you want to learn how to move a piano without a professional help? Here is some useful information that will guide you through the way. But before I’d like to point out that paying a moving company is maybe cheaper but might save you money for damaged pianos and unnecessary injuries.
Doubting whether you should move a piano on your own instead of calling the piano movers? Wondering what kind of piano moving equipment you’ll need? Via Piano Play It
How To Move A Grand Piano
When a customer selects a Steinway for a performance, the move from Brooklyn to Manhattan must be orchestrated carefully to preserve the look and sound of the piano. Via Science Channel
