Anyone ever have a piano moved?

[lilycat88]

We're moving in a couple of weeks to a house that will have enough room for us to have my MILs baby grand piano. Problem is that it is 350-400 miles away in rural southeast Missouri. I know anything is possible for a price but how MUCH of a price? Anyone ever do a long distance piano move?

Thanks,

Jamelin

[lmintzer]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I will be following this thread. We have a piano at my dad's in the Chicago area that needs to be moved to Philly. It's about double the distance you are talking about!

[Moneypenny]

When we moved my mother's upright piano (I'd say about 250 miles), the quote we got from the official piano mover was $1,500+. We decided to just rent a Uhaul and do it ourselves. I'm not sure we could have managed a baby grand, however, since that wouldn't have fit on our little furniture dolly!

Susan
mama to my 3-year old cutie pie

[mudder17]

We haven't done it yet, but for a 7 foot grand from CA to MD, we were given a quote of around $5000. I'm guessing for your baby grand for 350 miles it may be around $1200, but I really don't know. If you want the name of some reputable movers, I can get a list from my DH's piano teacher. He worked for Jordan Kitt's (Piano store in MD) for over a decade and knows the good companies.

eta: I might move an upright on my own, but I wouldn't chance a baby grand.

Eileen

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[alexsmommy]

Blantant hi-jack
How did you do this? We have an upright out of state and we will be there in a few weeks. I am seriously considering renting a U-Haul and grabbing it (it's in my Grandparents empty house. My Uncle does check in the house daily, but its just sitting there slowly deteriorating). I have a feeling if I don't get it now, it may be ruined. We do NOT have the money right now to pay to have it moved - I'm coming off maternity leave and we are broke). TIA
Alaina
Alex Feb '03
Zachary July '07

[urquie]

try calling some stores that sell or repair pianos and see if they can refer you to anyone.

we're having a player piano moved 300 miles and paying around $800. this is much cheaper than the norm because the people doing it do two cross-state moves a year and they do a bunch of pianos all at once.

i think the other quotes were upwards of $1500??

[Moneypenny]

When we moved this piano, my mom called on her former high school boyfriend who owns a piano shop. He came over and showed us how to do it, and we've since moved that piano twice more and my grandmother's piano once. This guy was able to do it all on his own, but for regular folk, you need two strong people and one person (like me) to stand there and worry and gasp and say, "Oh no!!"

You need a furniture dolly - just a flat one with four wheels and carpet on the top. You lift up one end of the piano and slide the dolly under it trying to center it under the piano as much as possible. The other end of the piano will want to come off the ground at this point. Now it's really more a matter of balance then strength. Upright pianos tend to be very backheavy, so you want to be prepared for that. It will want to fall backwards off the dolly. You will want to be able to wheel the piano directly from the house onto the ramp for the U-haul. Be very very careful pushing it up or down the ramp because it will feel like it's going to tip over backwards. When you get it in the truck, just lift one end to take the dolly out from under it and set it down. You'll want to strap it securely into the truck. When you get it to it's new location, just do the opposite.

Note that some uprights are extremely heavy. Ours is an antique Steinway and is solid brass insides, ivory keys, etc. The piano man figured it weighed 1,000 pounds. Be careful when you roll it across hardwood floors so you don't dent the floors.

When we recently moved we had our furniture movers do the piano. They used two guys with furniture straps and just lifted the thing up and carried it around. I nearly got a hernia just watching them, but they weren't able to get a ramp to our door so that is the only way they could manage the steps.

Susan
mama to my 3-year old cutie pie