How to Pack and Move a Piano

Because of this, we recommend using an interstate moving company if you’re moving a piano.

Regardless of what some might say, you can actually move the piano yourself.

If you’re interested in learning exactly how to pack and move a piano yourself, you’ll love this guide.

Let’s dive right in.

If you want to know how to move a piano the right way, you must first pack it well. This requires a trusted team of people, reliable supplies, and careful work.

If you pack a piano well, it will likely survive the move and live to provide beautiful music in your new home.

Assemble a Team

When moving a piano without professional movers, you should first gather people you trust to help. Typically, three or four people is enough. Pick those that are strong and fit enough to help lift and maneuver a piano.

Before they arrive, advise them to wear comfortable clothes that allow movement. They should also wear shoes with good traction, like sneakers.

Acquire Supplies

There are several supplies you need for learning how to pack and move a piano. Each one will make the move easier and protect your piano from damage.

• Moving blankets: Having pads and blankets will both protect the outer finish and the delicate internal pieces.
• Packing tape: Tape is a great way to secure the pads and blankets around the piano.
• Plastic wrap: Once the blankets are secure, plastic wrap offers additional support and protection.
• Piano dolly: These special dollies have four wheels, which is perfect for moving an upright piano.
• Piano skid board: If you’re moving a grand piano, a skid board will help tremendously.
• Strapping: This final item will secure your piano to the dolly or skid board and prevent it from falling off.

Work Carefully and Delicately

Because pianos are delicate, they require careful work when packing.

1. You’ll need to securely shut the top lid and the lid that covers the keys. Some will even place a blanket within the key lid to further protect the keys.

2. If you need to move a grand piano or a baby grand, carefully lay it on its side and remove the legs. Keep in mind that you’ll need to wrap the legs in their own moving blankets.

3. You don’t need to remove the wheels from upright pianos, and you should never lay them on their side or back.

4. Next, cover the entire piano in pads and blankets. Use a generous amount of packing tape to wrap around the blankets in multiple directions. Once it feels secure, wrap the piano in plastic wrap.

At this point, you’re ready to move a piano to its new home. Whether you’re using a moving truck or renting a pod, these piano moving tricks are the same. They’ll help you get your beautiful and expensive instrument to your new home safely.

Plan the Route

Before you start moving the piano, plan the route you’ll take.

Measure all the doorways you’ll go through and turns you’ll take to ensure the piano will fit.

You should also move all other furniture and boxes away from the path to protect the lifters and the piano.

Lift with Your Legs

With your team of helpers, lift the piano on either a skid board or piano mover dolly.

Remember to use proper lifting techniques and lift with your legs and not your back. The last thing you want is an injury in the middle of moving house.

If you want, you can use items like a shoulder harness the help you lift and carry heavy objects. Pianos can weigh anywhere from 300 to 1,500 pounds depending on the type, so don’t try lifting it without a team you can trust.

Move Slowly

Because pianos are so valuable, take your time moving it from the house to the moving truck. Moving too fast can result in carelessness and bumping the piano into doorways and other objects.

If you drop the piano, you could cause extensive damage to the exterior and interior.

Secure It in Place

Once you get it in the moving truck or pod, move it all the way to one of the back corners. This will offer it the most stability during any bumps on the road.

You can lock it in place by using straps or placing the rest of your boxes and furniture against it.

Arriving at Your New Home

Now that you know how to pack and move a piano, you’ll repeat all the steps in reverse once you arrive at your new home.

You’ll carefully and slowly move it into the house, remove all the plastic wrap, tape, and blankets, and put it back together.

Regardless of how smooth the move was, you’ll want to tune your piano again. However, wait until the piano settles and adjusts to its new environment. This generally takes about three or four weeks.

Keep Your Move On-Key by Knowing How to Pack and Move a Piano

Piano movers can attest to how difficult it is to move a piano. However, if you do it right, you won’t have to worry about your piano losing its value. The steps are simple and require patience, but you can do it if you set your mind to it.

If it sounds like more work than you can handle, hire professionals. They have much more experience and can eliminate one of your many worries while moving.

Do you have any other piano moving tips and tricks? Let us know in the comments section.