Moving a piano is a hard thing to do. That’s because pianos are huge, bulky, very heavy and have an irregular shape. And you’d think that this makes them unbreakable. But that’s not the case for they’re very delicate and fragile. So moving a piano is not the same as moving other bulky furniture. It requires, the same as when you’re packing any fragile items, careful planning, a lot of muscle and special equipment. If it were easy and if anyone could do it, you wouldn’t be able to choose a piano mover to do it for you. Nor would regular moving companies offer their services just for piano moving.
Furthermore, a piano is not just an instrument. It’s so much more. It has great emotional value for its owner. Everyone who has one knows that. Therefore, leaving it behind or buying a new one when you’re relocating just because it’s more convenient is not an option. So it’s no wonder that people go to great lengths and are willing to spend a lot of money to have their piano moved. And with these tips on how to choose a piano mover, hopefully, you’ll feel safe leaving your piano in others’ hands.
Many options to choose from
There are three options for moving your piano. You can either:
- do it by yourself
- hire a regular moving company or
- choose a piano mover.
Each option has its pros and cons. That’s for sure. If you choose to move your piano by yourself you won’t have to spend so much money. But this option is the worst one because it’s the most harmful one both for your piano and for you and the people who are helping you. Choosing a piano mover instead of a regular mover can be more expensive. But piano movers have more experience with this handful task which means that they have better techniques to relocate your piano. So if you want to make your move less stressful and if you want your precious instrument to be in the safest hands it’d be best to choose a piano mover.
Where to find recommendations for piano movers
The first step to choosing the best piano mover is collecting recommendations. If you have a piano you probably know someone else who also has one. And if you’re in luck, they’ve moved before and hired a piano mover. So ask them if they are satisfied with the company and if they’d recommend it to you. But even if you’re not in luck and they can’t recommend anyone to you they may know someone else that has recently moved. It’s a long shot but you should ask anyway.
If you didn’t find relevant recommendations don’t worry. There are other places where you can ask for help. There must be someone in music schools, music academies, music departments and so on that knows a reliable piano mover. You can even ask someone in a regular school or a theater, provided that they have a piano, to suggest someone to you.
Find recommendations for piano movers through reviews
If asking the people you know doesn’t work, you can always find recommendations on the Internet. There are numerous websites where you can read other people’s experiences. Just be careful and don’t believe every experience you come across.
Choose a piano mover that has credentials
After you’ve narrowed down your choice of a piano mover it’s time to do a background check. It doesn’t matter if a piano moving company has only the best reviews if it’s a fraudulent one. So you should choose only a piano mover that has all of the necessary credentials. All piano movers must be properly licensed and insured if not, it’s probably a scam.
The place where you can find out if your choice for a piano mover is a legal company is the Internet again. You should look for the USDOT number. If they have one you should be able to find it on the mover’s website and in their advertisements. But to make sure that they have the USDOT number and that it’s still valid you can look it up on the US Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website. If the piano mover that you chose has the USDOT number you’ll find it there by searching the company’s name.
Choose a piano mover that provides insurance
As we’ve already said, a piano is a very valuable instrument. Not only has it a great sentimental value, but it is also quite expensive. And also having in mind that it’s a fragile instrument you want it to be properly insured. There are a few types of insurance. Each type is different from another. You can find all you should know about moving insurance here. So investigate what insurance would be the best in your situation. You will be much calmer during the move if your piano is insured so take your time.
Add the finishing touches
If you think that you’ve found the perfect piano mover, think again. Actually, instead of thinking you should check out the company yourself. For it may be perfect only on the paper. Find the address of the piano mover and go there to see if your mover really is an expert. Once you arrive try to find the equipment that they’ll be using to move your piano. See if it’s in good condition. Ask them if they own the equipment or they rent it. It’s better if they own it because they can accommodate any last-minute changes. Plus, if they own it you can see the equipment first hand and make sure it’s not damaged.
You should also take this chance to ask them how they plan on moving your piano. Have them explain their plan in detail. Ask if they’ll be using manpower to carry the piano or maybe they’ll hoist it. Feel free to give suggestions. Especially if you think there’s a better way to do it. You do know your home and all the tricky parts of it better than they do. But do remember that they’re professionals and that they know what they’re doing. It’s not their first piano move so don’t take it personally if they don’t do what you think is the best. And finally, choose a piano mover that suits you the most.
