Moving is one of the most stressful things a person can do in their life. There are so many things they have to do in a short amount of time, that they may overlook some very important details. One of the hardest things to do is move heavy and highly breakable items, like the piano.
From preparation to the actual transport, there are many things that will assist you on this endeavor.
- Items to wrap the piano – this could be travel blankets, blankets in your home, towels, or bubble wrap
- Tape – used to hold the wrapping
- Straps
- Moving Dolly
- Measuring tape
There are many different variables one must consider when moving a piano.
- The first step before you even pack it into the moving truck is to prepare the piano for travel. The first step is to protect one of the most delicate parts of the piano, the keys. Some pianos have a lid while others don’t. For pianos that have a lid, you could use the lock (if provided) or install a temporary tock. If that seems too involved for you, get creative! Use a flat board to enclose the keys and find a way to hold the block in place.
- The next step is to make sure the piano is wrapped up securely in blankets, moving blankets, towels, or bubble wrap. This is essential if you want to avoid any major scratches or bumps during the move.
One thing to remember when moving pianos is that they are extremely heavy and bulky, making them nearly impossible to move. Remember, taking your time is vital to not making any mistakes, so set aside at least two hours to load and unload the piano. Because of this, remember to do these things when moving into the truck.
- Measure your doorways – this is a step some people may forget about. This will help you plan your route once you are moving it.
- Make sure you have ample space within the truck to move the piano into. To do so, it is recommended that you load the piano first, and unload it last.
- Get at least three other people, maybe less if it is smaller, to put onto the dolly.
- Once it is secured with straps to the dolly, roll it slowly by tilting the front edge up to avoid bumps.
- Once it is up the ramp and into the truck, secure it to the sides with the ratchet straps.
- Finally, when unloading the piano, have two people at the bottom end of the ramp to bring the piano down.
There are many factors when looking for an estimate on how much it could be to ship a piano. First of all, the cost will heavily depend on the distance the piano must be moved, the further the distance, the more expensive it is. For longer distances, use consolidated freight, where you only pay for the space you use on the shipping container, although you will have to wait longer for the delivery. Another factor would depend on how large the piano is, a bigger piano requires more movers to safely transport the piano. Other factors into raising the cost would be narrow hallways/doorways, obstacles to go around, and stairs.
After you have finished the move and placed your piano in its new place in the home, the next step is to unwrap and clean any marks that it may have endured during the move. Also, the move could have caused the piano to fall out of tune during the move, so it’s important to fine tune the piano after you have settled in.
Moving is an extremely stressful venture in your life, and moving heavy/priceless items like a piano can be extremely difficult. If you are doing it on your own with some friends or family, remember to follow the important steps laid out in this article. However, if this doesn’t interest you, you could always hire a company to move it for you, just remember that it could get expensive! Contact a SAC to get your piano shipped in a couple of easy steps. Click here for a free no obligation quote.
