taffnus Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Would you move a piano on your own or get a mover? I have a friend who has offered us a piano for free :hurray: and I'm trying to figure out a way to get it home. We could rent a truck from Home Depot and recruit some strong guys or we could pay the professionals. I have three quotes ($250, $350, $375). We could have the truck from HD all day (to do some other things too) and pay less than $100. I do have a friend with a pick-up but I'm a little concerned with it having grooves on the bed and we'd need a ramp. The cost is an issue for us and I don't believe the piano is more than a starter piano (I don't believe it would be a very expensive piano). Any thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I would hire professional piano movers. Pianos are sensitive instruments. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess in the Burbs Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We have moved ours twice. You will have to have it tuned after moving. Tuning varies in cost $80-120 in my area. Get the rolling square to help. I saw it for $25 at a freight liquidator type place last week. It's low to the ground with wheels. You need 3-4 strong people to lift it on the wheel base. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erica in OR Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 Since it's just a starter piano, I would find a way to move it myself. We've moved one (an ancient, tremendously heavy one) in a small pickup with several strong guys to help. We moved a different one with a trailer, which was much easier, since it was lower to the ground. We've even moved my mom's spinet in a minivan backed right up to the door of the house. It's doable, although I'd offer helpers pizza and the beverage of their choice. :001_smile: Erica in OR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 You would want something like the small Uhaul type trucks. They are much lower to the ground and usually have a built in ramp that slides out. Plus they are built with places on the inside for you to fasten things to their sides so it doesn't go sliding around inside. You can get the small Uhauls for not much. If the HD truck is like this and the price is better, do that. Otherwise I'd look to Uhaul type places. You DO NOT want a pickup. It is too high to get the piano up a ramp. And the ramp wouldn't necesarrily be attached so there is the issue of sliding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Remudamom Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We have moved our uprights from house to house ourselves but got a professional to move the grand from one room to another. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
herkey6 Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We 'adopted' a piano from a friend this past summer. My husband and a friend borrowed a trailer from a neighbor, and they moved it. It did have to be tuned...I think that is recommended when you have a big move like that. But it was an old piano, sounds like the one you are acquiring, and I really didn't want (or have much) to invest in it. So, I'd recommend rounding up a few friends and doing it yourself! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 I just looked up the Uhaul site. A 14 foot truck, with a loading ramp is $29.95 with .69 cents per mile. The 10 foot truck does not have the loading ramp. I put in your VA location and it said they have some 14 foot trucks for 19.95 at some locations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsBear Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 DH purchased a used baby grand a few years ago and we moved it ourselves with some friends. It needed to be tuned once we had it in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taffnus Posted March 7, 2012 Author Share Posted March 7, 2012 I just looked up the Uhaul site. A 14 foot truck, with a loading ramp is $29.95 with .69 cents per mile. The 10 foot truck does not have the loading ramp. I put in your VA location and it said they have some 14 foot trucks for 19.95 at some locations. Oooo...you're good. :D That's the price of HD (during the week) but I'd have to verify the type of truck. They said it is lower to the ground and has a ramp. HD has a low dolly that we could rent. I'm glad to hear that others have done it successfully. I would prefer to hand it over to someone else but I don't know that I can justify the extra $100+. Again, if it were a newer or nicer piano, I wouldn't hesitate with the professionals. I have a tuner for $85 so that would add even more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjselmk Posted March 7, 2012 Share Posted March 7, 2012 We have moved twice with ours, and it was moved many more times before that by my parents, never professionally. I have to admit though that it is horribly out of tune. I don't have any kids who play it as an instrument, its more of a big toy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blessedchaos Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 It depends on how many stairs you need to go up or down. When we bought ours we paid $140 to have it moved. But I watched them and since we have a rambler with one step it took about 5 minutes for them to roll it in here. When we move this spring we will move it ourselves. However, if I needed to move it up a considerable amount of stairs I would hire someone to do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We've done it both ways. If there are stairs involved, I'd hire the pros. If it's a an easy transfer along a flat surface and into the first floor of the house, AND if we had plenty of people to help at both ends, then we'd do it ourselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) I hired it out. It was $250 when we had it done. I called around a lot and found a wide difference in price. I ended up going with a mover that was in another town. I also called to check on their insurance and BBB rating. I was not willing to put a price on someone getting hurt. I have a blown out back myself and it has definitely ruined many parts of my life. They can also move it without damaging the floors or the instrument. The movers had a piano dolly, they just walked in, jacked it up, moved it into the truck, pulled it out, walked it up our one little step, put it in place. It was quick and easy and I do not regret it one bit. Honestly, if the instrument isn't worth the money to move it, I wouldn't take it in the first place. Inexpensive pianos can be hard to keep in tune, and have inferior sound. I would rather have a digital piano, with the advantages it brings than a piano that I am not willing to invest $300 on having it moved appropriately. Does the owner know anything about it? Are you sure it is an inexpensive one? The piano we moved was a free piano, but was from a piano teacher, so it was very good quality. You would never know by looking at it. I just looks like a basic upright piano. We knew it was decent, but didn't really understand the quality it was until the piano tuner came to tune it for us and told us about it. Edited March 8, 2012 by Tap, tap, tap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elfgivas Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 that's such a nice thing for them to give you! fwiw, we've done it different ways.... depending on the quality of the piano, and the location it was coming from and going to. in germany and england, they were inexpensive pianos, on ground floors, so we just moved them ourselves with friends. in canada, the piano was wonderful, and old, and we paid professional piano movers..... so worth it. in the usa, the piano is good, not wonderful, and middle-aged, and we paid regular movers to move it..... and they cracked the soundboard. sigh.... its not soooo noticeable in the sound, thank goodness. fwiw, ann Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 (edited) Piano movers. It's that or risk damage to the piano or the stairs/floor AND need to have it tuned anyways. ETA: I just realized it a starter piano and assume that is smaller in that case. Maybe better to move it yourself with the right tools and plenty of people and save the money for a good tuning when it is at your house. I love our electric Yamaha with fully weighted full size keys because of stuff like this. Well, that and the fact I can have my kids wear headphones when they are just messing around. :P Edited March 8, 2012 by kijipt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpidarkomama Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 As a music teacher, I've bought and sold lots of pianos (mostly the under $500 kinds!). For those pianos, I moved them all myself (well not myself, myself, but you know what I mean!). If I were moving my mother's 1898 Steinway, I would absolutely pay professionals! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted March 8, 2012 Share Posted March 8, 2012 We have always moved ours ourselves, a big old upright that has been with me since my dh bought it for me when we were dating in college. :) The last time we did actually rent a piano dolly but 4 strong guys are able to do it, around the house and down stairs even. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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