Questions to Ask Before Booking Piano Removalists in Sydney
A practical pre-booking checklist for moving an upright or grand piano
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✔️ The Pre-Booking Checklist: What to Ask on the Phone
"Are you insured, and what does it cover?"
- ➤ Ask whether the business is insured for damage to the piano itself and to the properties at both ends: walls, floors, stair treads and door frames.
- ➤ Check that the cover applies while the piano is being carried as well as while it is in transit, and whether it is already part of the quoted cost or added as an extra.
- ➤ A general furniture removalist who "can do pianos" is not the same as a crew that does piano moving every working day. Ask how many years they have worked as piano movers.
- ➤ Ask whether they have handled your type before. An upright piano, a baby grand, a concert grand, a pianola and a piano organ each need a different approach.
- ➤ Listen for specifics: piano trolleys and dollies, padded piano skids for a grand piano, heavy-duty blankets and ratchet straps.
- ➤ Ask about the truck. A hydraulic tail lift raises the piano mechanically instead of it being pushed up a ramp by hand, and an enclosed body keeps it dry in Sydney rain.
- ➤ Steps, slopes and tight turns call for more than two sets of hands. Ask for the exact crew number; "we'll see on the day" is not an answer.
- ➤ Some operators take the booking and pass the job to whoever is free. Ask whether the people who arrive are the company's own employees or subcontractors.
- ➤ A reliable quote follows questions about your piano: make and type, pickup and delivery suburbs, the number of stairs inside and outside, how close the truck can park and any tight corners.
- ➤ Ask what could change the price on moving day, and get that answer in writing.
- ➤ Confirm whether wrapping, the tail lift, insurance and placing the piano in the right room are all in the price.
- ➤ Ask whether they tune. Many piano removalists don't, which is fine, but you will need to book a tuner separately once the instrument has settled.
- ➤ A firm price before you have described the stairs or the piano, vague answers about insurance, a plan to lay an upright piano on its side, or two people for a grand piano up a staircase.
- ➤ A price far below every other quote. It often means fewer staff, no cover, or extra charges once the piano is already on the truck.
✔️ What a Proper Upright Piano Move Looks Like
Checking the Route First
- ➤ Before anyone lifts, the crew walks the route and checks every doorway, hallway, stair width and turn is checked against the size of the upright piano.
- ➤ The lid and fallboard are closed and the cabinet is wrapped in heavy-duty blankets so the timber and polish don't pick up marks.
- ➤ Old castors are not trusted to roll the weight across a floor; the piano travels on a trolley instead.
- ➤ Door frames, banisters and polished floors are considered before the piano moves, not after a scrape.
- ➤ The piano is tipped only far enough to slide the trolley or dolly underneath, then lowered and strapped so it cannot shift.
- ➤ An upright piano stays upright from start to finish. It should never be laid on its back or side.
- ➤ Each step is taken one at a time, with crew above and below the piano calling out as they go.
- ➤ Ask how the crew will handle your particular stairs. This is the part of piano moving where experience counts most.
- ➤ The piano rides up on the tail lift, stands against the truck wall and is held with ratchet straps so it can't slide on Sydney's steeper hills.
- ➤ The piano is placed where you want it, ideally away from direct sun, heaters and air-conditioning outlets.
- ➤ Wrapping comes off and the piano is checked before the crew leaves. Leave tuning for a few weeks while it adjusts to the room.
- ➤ If the job involves more than a couple of steps, a narrow hallway or a heavy older upright piano, the money saved by doing it yourself rarely covers the risk of injury, damage to the house or damage to the instrument.
✔️ How the Piano Moving Cost Is Worked Out
- Distance: A move within the same suburb costs less than a trip from the Sydney CBD to Wollongong or the Blue Mountains, because the truck and crew are committed for longer. Ask how travel time is counted in the piano moving quote.
- Type of Piano: An upright piano is the most common job and usually the simplest. A grand piano is partly dismantled and travels on a padded skid, which takes more time and care, so the cost is higher.
- Access: Stairs are the biggest variable. Make sure the quote counts every step inside and outside, plus steep driveways, narrow side paths and how far the truck can park from the door.
- Insurance Coverage: Check whether cover is included in the cost or added later. A cheaper quote from a mover who is not insured is not a like-for-like comparison.
- Timing: Booking a few days ahead gives you more choice, although same-week and sometimes same-day piano moving can often be arranged.
- Crew and Experience: A full, experienced crew may cost a little more than two general movers, but it is what lowers the chance of damage to the piano and to your property. When comparing piano moving cost, compare crews as well as prices.
✔️ Our Answers to the Checklist
- Are we insured? Yes. Afford Sydney Piano Removals is fully insured for damage to the piano and to property, during the removal and in transit, and that insurance is included in your quote.
- How experienced are we? We have been moving pianos in Sydney for more than 20 years. We are full-time professional piano removalists working Monday to Saturday, so piano moving is our core work rather than a sideline.
- How many people turn up? Always a team of three, which gives enough hands for stairs, tight turns and loading.
- Who are they? Our own employees. We don't hand jobs to subcontractors.
- What equipment do we use? Trucks with a 1-tonne wide platform hydraulic tail lift, a fully enclosed waterproof body and GPS tracking, plus trolleys, dollies, heavy-duty blankets, padded piano skids and ratchet straps.
- Which pianos do we move? Upright pianos, baby grand and concert grand pianos, pianolas and piano organs. We also offer unwanted piano disposal and short or long term storage, with pianos wrapped and grands kept on wooden skids.
- Where and when? Sydney metro, the Central Coast, Blue Mountains, Wollongong, Hawkesbury and the Southern Highlands, often with same-week or same-day availability.
- Do we tune? No. Once the piano has settled into its new home, we recommend contacting a piano shop or tuner.
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