Aspasia Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 We've been offered a free Lindeman and Sons piano, but the gifter requires that we hire professional movers to move it. How much does that cost? The distance is about 60 miles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I would think the cost would very, depending on where you live, as well as on the size of the piano. It's going to be a lot cheaper to move a small upright than to move a concert grand, so you might have to give us a little more info about the piano before anyone can give you any ideas. Congratulations on getting a free-for-the-cost-of-delivery piano!!! (One thing, though -- make sure the piano still plays well before you accept it. Hopefully, it has been well-maintained over the years, but you never know, and if it ends up needing repair, your free piano could get costly pretty quickly.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Good points. We'll have to check into some of the details. It's an upright, but I don't know much else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 How do we find out how well it has been maintained? Dh is a great piano player and I'm okay on it, but we don't know how to evaluate the condition of one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 How do we find out how well it has been maintained? Dh is a great piano player and I'm okay on it, but we don't know how to evaluate the condition of one. I'm on my iPad so I can't add links for you, but if you Google "how to evaluate a used piano," you'll find a few really helpful articles, as well as a YouTube video called, "Evaluating a Used Piano," which will probably give you a lot more good tips than I could! (I only know very basic stuff to look for.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I got curious about the cost to move a piano, and according to an article I just found, the price could range between $215 and $430 to move an upright. I don't know how accurate that info is, though, and they didn't say anything about distance. I'll keep looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 We had to move our piano five years ago. It's an antique (over 100 years old) upright grand and it is tall (around shoulder height) and HEAVY. They charged us about $350 to move it 25 miles. Yowza! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 This article on buying a used piano might be helpful. It's at aftune.angelfire.com/buyused.html Again, sorry I can't add the link for you! :blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ali in OR Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 When I inherited my mom's piano we had to move it 600 miles. When I got the cashier's check to pay the movers, the banker said, "So that's why they call it a grand piano." Yes, $1000, and yes it really is a grand piano. If it is possible to have it evaluated by a piano tuner before you move it, that would be best. Our church accepted a "gift" of a grand piano that wasn't really worth accepting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I think it cost us about $100.00 to move across town. I would be sure your dh has a chance to play it before you move it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 $325. Get good movers, not bozos. I hired bozos from a local piano store who charged $300 to move two spinets and they damaged both. Then I hired the good company for the next move -- $325 and they were amazing! Everything professional, no bumps, no nicks, no breaking anything. Get the best--don't get the dinky local piano store bozos who don't even put a blanket between the piano and the sidewalk when the side is touching the ground. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aspasia Posted July 18, 2013 Author Share Posted July 18, 2013 Okay, so I contacted a piano technician and he charges $120 to evaluate it. Assuming it's playable, that, plus the cost of moving the piano could add up. Our original plan was to buy a piano from a school surplus sale or something, which would almost surely have been well maintained, if also used quite a bit. But I guess we would have to pay the cost to move that as well. Should I pay this guy or should I read the advice in these articles and videos and check it out myself? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lizzie in Ma Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 Last time we did that it was a case of beer and a tank of gas to 4 college students. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngieC Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I just paid $120 to have a piano moved about 3 miles. If you're in a large-ish area, I would keep an eye on craiglist. The piano I just had moved was free on craigslist, about 40 years old and in excellent shape. In my area, there are free and inexpensive pianos listed on a regular basis. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cindy in FL. Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 We had a local piano tuner/repairer go with us when we were looking at a used baby grand piano. He was able to evaluate it, approve it, and then move it for us. I am sure that it was under $200 for the whole thing. Probably even less. It was great peace of mind, though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ailaena Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 I don't know where you are, but I am in a major city and I just had a piano thoroughly and professionally evaluated for $35. The guy had a checklist a mile long and did an excellent job. If you lived in denver, I'd definitely pass on his name. But I highly recommend this anyways (if you can afford it) just to make sure you're not wasting your money on a piano that needs a gajillion dollars worth of work. Now that I said that, maybe I would skip it if I knew the people well enough, I don't know. It will cost us $170 to move the piano up one flight of stairs and drive it 30 miles. The base charge in this area for a console/spinet (the typical, small upright) is @$140, then it's extra for stairs and other difficulties. With the people I will use, there would be an extra charge for your distance, as well. However, if it's free, and you just want a piano that plays and don't care too much right now, just hire someone off of Craigslist :p Also, like a pp said, don't tune it until after you have it for a few weeks or you'll have to get it tuned all over again :/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamsFamily Posted July 18, 2013 Share Posted July 18, 2013 If I remember correctly, I paid $180 to move a piano last year. It was moved down four stairs, 35 miles by truck, and into a POD (so no more stairs). By the way, that POD moved my piano across country and did so wonderfully. We took a big risk in using a POD, but our experience was wonderful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhschool Posted July 19, 2013 Share Posted July 19, 2013 Definitely pay a professional to evaluate it for you. And don't get the name of the professional from the people you are buying the piano from. If you are out your evaluating fee and it's a bad piano, then you're better off. But as someone said before, if you just want a piano that plays you might skip the professional evaluator. Here is the warning: some pianos just won't take a tuning any more. You can tune them and the tuning won't hold for more than a few months. Those pianos are just a pain. Note: It is not the age of these pianos that makes them not take a tune. I have a really old one that holds a tuning for about a year. The evaluator would be able to tell if the piano is in good enough condition to last you many years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest West Coast Movers USA Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Pianos are very difficult items to work around when moving. Transportation piano costs will be weighted by weight and distance Estimated price at 120-450 & (for local transportation) It is important to choose a professional moving company with testimonials and experience in moving pianos Few tips that will keep your piano safe on shipping day: When preparing a piano for a move, there are a few tasks that need to be completed in order to insure your piano gets to the destination in working order. First, wrap the piano in furniture padding. Wrap each leg individually then circle the piano itself. Make sure that you tape down all parts that move or can open so they don’t break. Piano’s need to be moved delicately to avoid breakage since several parts of the piano are fragile. All the best on your move - let us know how its all ands up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pronghorn Posted January 26, 2015 Share Posted January 26, 2015 Try to get recommendations on the movers, especially if you need to go up or down stairs. Do they have insurance to pay for holes in the wall or broken piano parts? We had one guy who tried and failed, leaving a hole in the wall. The next guy successfully did the job with relative ease. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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