Compared to moving other items, moving a piano requires special care. These instruments are as beautiful and as delicate as they are big and bulky.
Moreover, owners usually place a lot of emotional value on these instruments—sometimes even more than their monetary cost. When you consider all of these, the stakes become higher in moving it.
For your piano’s safety, hiring a reliable piano moving service is often the best way to go. Improperly moving a piano can result in damage or injury for yourself. If you’re worried about where to look for one, don’t worry.
There are many excellent piano moving companies in each state. People relocating to Florida, for example, can hire reliable piano movers, who have the skills and backgrounds needed for such an enterprise.
That said, finding dependable piano movers can be difficult, especially when you have a lot of options. After all, you only want the best movers for your piano. To find them, you must put in the work.
Here’s a quick guide to help you find the right moving company.
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Look Specifically for Piano Movers
The first thing you need to do is look for moving companies that specialize in moving pianos. Not all movers offer this service due to the unique requirements in moving such a bulky instrument.
So much so that it created a niche of its own in the moving industry. Hence, let go of movers who don’t offer these services and hire professional piano movers instead.
They will be knowledgeable on how to properly secure the instrument for moving and have the manpower to relocate the piano carefully.
Narrow Your Options
One of the easiest ways to find movers is to look for them online. Usually, search engines come with many results that you need to read and sift through.
To narrow down your options, look for movers that fit your circumstances, particularly if they do short- or long-distance moves.
From there, find out more about their services and learn the different types of pianos they can handle. Some movers can only assure safety in moving small pianos, so if you have a big piano (like a ballroom piano), look for other moving companies.
Once you find movers that offer the service you need, look into their background, check their reviews, and learn more from their previous clients.
The last thing your piano needs is to be handled by incapable movers, so make sure you’re dealing with skilled professionals.
Another way to find movers is to get recommendations. If you know other people who have a piano, ask them about how they move their instrument. They may be able to direct you to movers they’ve transacted with before.
Find Out Their Moving Plan
Getting an accurate quote from professional movers usually requires them to see the piano first. Use this opportunity to see how they work.
Schedule an in-house meeting and grab the chance to find out more about their working process.
Generally, piano movers will secure the instrument first to prevent damage. Then, they use a dolly or other moving equipment to slide it into the truck.
However, pianos come in varying shapes and sizes, so this method can differ from one piano to another. Additionally, the move can vary based on location, like narrow stairs or blocked pathways.
Hence, you have to find out how they plan to move your piano specifically. Ask the movers thoroughly about the moving plan. Some guide questions you can use include:
- How will they secure the detachable pieces (e.g. legs)?
- How will they protect the instrument from damage?
- What materials will they use to pad the piano?
- What equipment will they use to move the instrument?
- What is their moving timeline?
Professionals will give you a thorough answer to these inquiries, which will give you peace of mind. They’ll measure the doorways, present a moving plan, and run you through the entire process.
Ask About Moving Insurance
Good pianos can cost from the low thousands up to more than $100,000. There’s a lot at stake in moving it, so it’s crucial to have some form of assurance that you get paid if something gets wrong on the road. Thus, don’t skip on insurance.
Here are some questions you can ask to learn more about it:
- What kind of insurances do they offer?
- Will you get a full refund in case the piano is damaged?
- What counts as “damage” in the insurance policy?
Bear in mind that insurance is crucial to moving companies too. They need to insure their employees in case of injuries related to carrying significantly heavy items like a piano.
Overall, pianos have a lot of value, both physically and emotionally. To move them is to put them at risk, so it’s vital to carefully choose who handles them.
By putting in the work, you can surely hire professional piano movers who can accomplish the job.