How to Prepare a Piano for Moving

Planning a relocation can be a lot, but when you add a piano in the picture it suddenly becomes overwhelming. Everything becomes more complicated and you have much more on your hands now. For example, you have to find not only residential movers but also piano movers NJ. Because not every mover has gone through training for piano moving. Nor does every professional mover have enough experience to relocate a piano. And when you consider how precious and delicate a piano can be, you shouldn’t let just anyone handle it. But hiring piano movers is not the end of your job when you’re moving with a piano. You also have to make sure that your piano is prepared for relocation if you want to lower the chances of damages as much as possible. So, here’s our quick guide on how to prepare a piano for moving to help you out during the process.

Before you prepare a piano for moving

Preparing a piano for moving is not actually that complicated. Especially compared to actually moving it. However, depending on whether you are moving a piano yourself or you are hiring professionals to do that, preparations will be different. So you need to think about it before you start doing anything.

a man holding his head
And you need to do it well beforehand if you want to avoid stress and moving delays.

Hiring professionals to move your piano is not cheap. But when you think about what you are paying them for it suddenly doesn’t seem so expensive. Because not only you won’t have to do the hard physical work but you’ll also save your energy and time for other pending tasks. And if you hire a moving company like Aceline Moving NJ that offers both residential and piano moving maybe you’ll be able to negotiate the ultimate price in your favor. Plus, you won’t have to search separately for residential and piano movers.

However, if you are moving on a tight budget and you’re trying to save every dime then option number two is for you. Moving something bulky and heavy as a piano is very hard but not impossible. You won’t be able to do it all by yourself so make sure to ask your friends on time. And you will have to learn how to properly move a piano if you don’t want to damage it along the way. So think about the pros and cons of both options and decide then which one is better for you.

How to prepare a piano if you are hiring professionals

If you hire good and professional piano movers you can rest assured that they will take care of everything. You won’t have to pack your piano nor unpack it – your piano movers will do that. You also won’t have to prepare the way for them. But there are some things that you can do that will speed up the moving process and make it easier for them. These are usually things that seem like they don’t matter and that can be dealt with quickly but they still do take time and can delay the moving process.

So, for example, if you keep any sorts of decorations on your piano you should move them before your piano movers come. There’s no reason for them to wait for you to move your picture frames, books or other things when you can do it yourself. The same goes for other small things that are placed somewhere along the way the movers will go with your piano. As for the bigger things like your furniture you don’t have to move it yourself. Your movers will move everything out of the way when they figure out which path is the best one to take.

And while we on this subject, you shouldn’t forget about your kids or your pets if you have any. You can expect from neither piano nor residential movers NJ to get your kids or pets out of the way while they are carrying a piano that weighs more than they do.

an injured muppet
These situations can be extremely dangerous for everyone so make sure that your kids and pets steer clear of movers.

How to prepare a piano if you are moving it yourself

What you’ve read above about clearing the pathways, the piano and the space around your piano is something you will also have when moving by yourself. Only, in this case, you’ll have to be even more careful if you want to avoid injuries. You can’t have anything that will distract you or that will get in your way along your route.

a rug - prepare a piano for moving
Rugs are especially dangerous and can cause injuries

In addition to this, you will also have to prepare your piano for moving. Before you start carrying it you have to make sure that it’s well-packed so that it can’t get damaged. The best way to do that is by wrapping every inch of it. And to do so you will need piano moving equipment like:

  • heavy-duty straps so that you can get a better hold on the piano itself
  • piano straps to secure the piano to the dolly and in the moving truck
  • padding or moving blankets to wrap your piano and prevent damage from bumps, scrapes and cracks
  • a piano dolly that can support the weight of your piano
  • moving planks are especially helpful if a staircase is involved

But before you start wrapping it don’t forget to close and lock the keyboard lid. This will keep those fragile keys protected. If you can’t lock it don’t use tape because it can damage the wooden surface of your piano. Just make sure that the lid is closed before you securely wrap it.

Some final words

If it seems like it’s too much just to prepare a piano for moving when you’re doing it yourself then think again about hiring professionals. As for the money, you can always contact a moving company and inquire how much it would cost and if there is a chance of a discount. Once you have all the information it’ll be easier to make a decision. And good luck no matter what you choose!