Moving a Piano Without Movers
the real risks and when to call a piano removalist
Before You Try It
Moving a Piano Without Piano Movers: The Real Risks
Can you move a piano by yourself, or is it time for a piano removalist?
Plenty of people try to move a piano with a few friends, a borrowed trolley and a hired trailer. Sometimes it works; often it ends with a sore back, a gouged floor or an instrument that never sounds right again. This is not a how-to. It is an honest look at what goes wrong, a short self-check, and the point where calling piano movers becomes the sensible option.
Why DIY piano moves fail more often than people expect
Even the smallest upright piano weighs over 200 kg, with most of it sitting high and to the back where the iron frame is. It wants to tip, it cannot be carried by the ends like a sofa, and the parts that look strongest are often the most fragile.
Risk 1: injuries to the people doing the lifting
Strained backs, crushed fingers at door frames and toes under castors are the usual results of moving pianos without the right gear. A single slip can mean weeks off work for a friend who only came to help.
Risk 2: a tipped or dropped piano
Once a piano leans past its balance point, no amount of strength will stop it. Typical damage includes:
- Snapped front legs or toe blocks on an upright piano
- Broken grand piano legs and a cracked pedal lyre
- A split or loosened soundboard
- Cracked cabinet panels and chipped veneer
- Castors torn out of the base
- Keys and action shaken out of adjustment
Risk 3: floors, walls and door frames
Small castors put hundreds of kilos onto a few square centimetres, denting timber and cracking tiles. Walls and architraves take a beating on every tight turn.
Risk 4: stairs
Stairs are where DIY moves turn dangerous. Going down, the whole load pushes onto whoever is underneath; going up, one missed step puts the piano on top of someone. Narrow or curved staircases leave no room to recover a mistake.
Risk 5: the trailer or ute
Without a tail lift, loading a trailer means a dead lift of the full weight. Once aboard, an unstrapped piano slides on every corner, and an open trailer leaves it exposed to rain.
Upright piano or grand piano: where the hidden damage sits
Upright Pianos: The danger is tipping. Legs and castors are not built for side loads, and a jolt can knock the action and tuning out.
Grand Pianos: A grand piano has to go on its side on a padded piano skid, with legs and lyre removed. Done wrongly, the rim, legs and soundboard all take the strain.
When professional piano movers are safer, and often cheaper
Add up trailer and trolley hire plus the risk of paying for a floor repair or soundboard, and a quote from a piano removalist often compares well. Our team of 3 has been doing this in Sydney for over 20 years, with a hydraulic tail lift truck, padded skids and ratchet straps, and the free quote includes insurance for the piano and your property.
Quick self-check: should you do this by yourself?
- Access: Is it a short, flat roll to the vehicle with no stairs or tight corners? If not, call piano movers.
- Instrument: Is it a small upright piano, not a grand piano or pianola? If not, call piano movers.
- Crew and gear: Do you have fit helpers, a piano trolley, straps and a tail lift? If not, call piano movers.
Three yeses and a careful DIY move may be reasonable. Any no, and the risk usually outweighs the saving, so it is worth getting a quote before you move a piano by yourself.
Either way, let the piano settle for a few weeks, then book a tuner through a local piano shop.
Sydney Piano Removals - a Genuine Piano Removals service provider, we move thousands of Pianos each year.
Need a professional piano removalist in Sydney ? You have come to the right place! Our removalists are fully-trained in moving all types and sizes of pianos (upright pianos, grand pianos, baby grand pianos and pianolas).
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Thinking twice about a DIY move?
Our piano removalists bring the tail-lift truck, skids and straps — fully insured.
✔️ How Much Moving Piano Cost ?
Upright Piano is one of the most popular musical instrument. In terms of size, small Pianos have height under 110cm, medium size upright pianos have height under 127cm, and Pianolos have height above 130cm.
Why Size Does Not Make It Easy
Regardless of their size, all pianos are very heavy. When moving it inside your house, slightest knock or bump can cause significant damage to the instrument, your property or removalists. If handled by in-experienced non-professional general removalists, it's just like driving a piano bull dozer through your house. That is why, before we even lay a hand on your piano, we require detailed information regarding access points, both at pick-up and the piano's ultimate destination.
Stairs, Hallways and Driveways
Factors such as internal/external steps and staircases, width of hallways and doorframes, tight corners and driveways all impact our removal plan. We use this information to formulate a plan for the safe removal of your piano, identifying and planning for any potential problems well in advance of the move. more about piano moving cost ..
Get your piano properly moved
AFFORD Piano Removals We are located in Sydney Inner West and we serve Sydney, Sydney Suburbs, Central Coast, Sutherland, Wollongong, Northern Beaches, Southern Beaches, Eastern Suburb, North Shore, North Sydney and even interstate. Wherever you are going, your piano is in safe hands! We have years of experience moving pianos from all sorts of locations, safely, securely and without damaging your piano, your property or ourselves. Expert planning and execution are the keys to success. Moving a piano without sustaining any damage to your piano, property or our staff requires strength and, above all, know-how.
Stress Free Piano Removals & Storage
Pianos are heavy (the smallest weighs over 200 kg and the largest can be over 410 kg), so moving any type of piano (upright/grand/pianola) needs planning and above all expertise. When moving your piano there are three things that you want to avoid at all costs: damage to the piano, damage to your property and, of course, causing injury to anyone.
In addition to being heavy, pianos are also bulky and when you factor in the dimensions of an average piano, you arrive at a challenging removals proposition.
Our piano removalists are experts at negotiating the tightest corners and know how to deal with any and every type of staircase.
Equipped for All Piano Moving Conditions
AFFORD Piano Removals is one of the experienced piano removalists in Sydney , We assess your piano removal needs in advance of the removals day and our teams are fully-equipped with a comprehensive selection of specialist heavy-duty tools to enable them to handle even the most difficult removals challenges.
Our experienced piano removalists will move your piano to its new home using equipment specifically designed for the job, so your piano will be transported safely from one location to another, giving you complete peace of mind.
Ask for a free piano moving quote
Upright, grand or pianola, anywhere in Sydney and surrounds.