You’ve found a new home. Congratulations! 

Now comes the hard part – packing everything up and moving. 

While it’s easy to place pots and pans in a box and seal it up, you can’t do that with a piano. 

An upright piano may seem difficult. Packing up a grand piano may seem next to impossible. The key to moving them safely is through proper prepping and planning. 

The planning process

When it comes to ensuring your piano is safely moved, it starts with careful planning. Map out the planning process from where you’re moving from, to where you’re moving to. Take into account stairs, curves, and turns. Measure doors and hallways to ensure your piano can move freely from one place to the next. It isn’t unheard of to hire a crane to move a grand piano from several floors up. Be sure to have the entire space ready for the move, keeping pets, kids, and other personal belongings free and clear. 

Upright piano

When moving an upright piano, pay particular attention to the pedals and keys. These delicate features can cause harm to a piano if damaged, and add to your expenses once it reaches the final destination. With the keyboard secure, and the pedals properly wrapped, pay attention to the legs. Uprights often weigh 500 to 600 pounds or more, and one wrong move can have it damage the legs, fall on its side, and destroy the piano. 

Grand piano

Grand pianos have to be disassembled in order to be moved. First, lower the lid and secure it into position. Then carefully take off the piano legs and pedals. You should also remove any decorative features such as the music stand. With everything broken down and properly secured, only then should you wrap the lid, keys, and sides with moving blankets and packing tape. A grand piano can weigh 1,000 to 1,500 pounds or more. This isn’t a two-person job. It takes skill and knowledge to ensure your piano is safely moved. It should be moved using lifts, dollies, and other professional equipment, then properly secured once it’s inside the truck. 

Can you move a piano on its side?

Grand pianos can be very large in size. It can be impossible to move them through doorways or down hallways without turning them on their sides. When this is required, do so with care. It won’t harm or damage your piano for the short term. Just be sure it’s properly supported at all times. 

Moving a piano is not a DIY task. To keep your piano in good working condition, rely on professional piano movers from start to finish. It’s the best way to keep your piano working for years to come.