I am looking to buy an upright piano. Piano movers want to dry bum me.

If I were to hire a van, could a couple of us (super buff) move the piano from ground floor->ground floor?

One of those lifting tailgates will make it a hell of a lot easier, as will a piano trolley. And a third man wouldn’t hurt either.

How about a car and a skateboard?

Depends. Upright or Grand ? They are more/less solid according to quality of materials used etc.

There was a piano in my flat when I bought it, was a rubbish one, so I flogged it on ebay, so can confirm that it takes 3 Geordies to lift an upright overstrung down 2 floors of an Edinburgh tenement.

D’oh! For a moment I thought you were giving away firewood. 😆

If its a full width (88 keys) and of even average height then you best be feeling strong. Most have a solid cast iron frame that is as big as the width/height of the piano. You’ll need some decent wheels to move it around and have to be creative when getting it on/off the wheels. Also a van with a tail-lift would be a massive help. If I were you I’d stick yer trousers on backwards and get in touch with some experienced movers. There’s some movers round here (gloucestershire) that charge about £90 ground floor to ground floor

Cheers all.

Been quoted £125 for ground-ground, but that’s with a proper piano guy. Will be phoning round small removal firms tomorrow to see if any cheaper.

I would think seriously about getting the pros to do it. Shifting a piano is hard work, and it is easy to damage floors if you don’t have lots of people or the right trolley. Make sure you can get it to where you want it as well. Our piano is in the hall after moving, because short of dismantling doorways, it proved impossible to get it any further into the house. I watched 3 removal men spend a long time puzzling over what to do until we accepted it wasn’t going anywhere.

I and three burly mates moved a piano – 1st floor to ground (but up three steps) in a hired transit.
Break out the guns, take your time, easy.

you can but its hard work. Piano wheels make it easier.

I paid £50, and that involved 5 steps, I also filled the van with other crap I needed moved (since they were going and I was paying!)

I reckon you need repack rider for the definitive answer.

Been quoted £125 for ground-ground, but that’s with a proper piano guy

how much is the piano worth broken?

I’ve got an old upright piano, which has an iron frame, and one bloke with a piano trolley moved it out of my parents place to mine. I was amazed, as I had previously worked shifting pianos and organs and it always took several of us. As he said, it’s about getting the weight to work for you to make the lifting easier.

I am about to let a friend have it so her kids can learn the piano, so I too am now looking for someone to shift it, as the bloke I used before has moved away.

As a theatre tech that gets a piano delivered every few months in a building with very good access my advice is…Piano movers have insurance, have done it before, and have a van and trolley. Cheap at the price. They can even tune it for you once its delivered.

How old are you? Would a lifetime back injury affect mountain biking for the rest of your life?? Remember it doesn’t have to be heavy to injure you.

or Hire a piano trolley from HSS and do what you like. 🙂

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU7IKV21jZQ[/video]

Me and my 2 brothers shifted one out of my grandparents, we’re all pretty puny. That was just one flight of stairs though, and it was old and knackered so we didn’t care what it bounced off. We couldn’t have done it without denting something, i reckon.

Having worked for a removals firm and moving a few pianos, id say for 125 quid, just get it done professionally. As said before, its worth it for the insurance alone.

Piano wheels make it easier

Yep. Just make one. Big bit of wood and 4 fat wheels. Makes all the difference.