Moving Piano across states

[NewbieMom]

Does anyone have experience/recommendation on moving an upright piano across states? My parents are downsizing and I'd love to take my childhood piano. The quote I've received (only 1 so far) is $1200. I have no idea if this is the going rate. The piano itself isn't anything special although I'm not even sure what its resale value would be. I just want to keep it for sentimental reasons and for my kids should they choose to play, but my husband thinks we're wasting money shipping it.

 

[Eastern]

I think I paid $200 to move mine about 17 years ago when I moved into my current home. And they moved it less than 2 miles.

I would probably just (try to) sell it and get another used one when your kids are ready to play. You'll probably get a great deal on a better piano. I was looking at resale value on pianos recently on FB marketplace and there were lots available. Some free.

 

[SteveH]

We had some items shipped after my MIL passed - was pretty expensive. But before shipping talk to a professional piano tuner about it.

 

[tvguy]

Pianos are tough. Unless you have something unusual, they are virtually worthless used. I moved my Wurlitzer Spinet years ago for $75. 6 mile move so both the cost an distance won't be helpful to you today. But I TOTALLY understand the sentimental value part of it. My dad was "given" this piano by a bar owner. I think in the end he gave the guy $100 for it. It is a 1946 model.....back when the pegs were hardwood not plastic. It is covered with cigarette burns from it's years in the bar. Apparently the county was going to charge bars an extra fee if they had "entertainment" and a piano counted as entertainment so the bar owner got rid of it. I took piano lessons on it starting 50+ years ago. Both my kids took piano lessons on it. And now , other than the cigarette burns, it isn't a bad looking piece of furniture

 

[platamama]

I paid $500 back in 2000 to move my childhood piano (a Baldwin upright) 1300 miles for the same sentimental reason. Then paid another $100 to have it tuned up. Times I've played it? Certainly less than a handful. But then I traded it in for a nice Kawai digital piano and got $1900 as trade-in value.

 

[mjkacmom]

I have my grandparents piano, tried to list it for free but no takers. No one wants them.

 

[starry_solo]

What is the distance you're talking about? I think that seems to be reasonable even if it's only going one state over.

 

[lanejudy]

It's probably reasonable for a distance move; piano's are considered delicate and require extra effort and usually additional insurance. When we moved ~500 miles we paid ~$500 extra in addition to the rest of our belongings, and that was a decade ago. Worth it? That depends. I'd check what you can get locally -- as @mjkacmom said sometimes people are giving them away free. I get the sentimental value aspect but that's something you'll have to decide "worth."

 

[Disneyfan754321]

Try citizenshipper.com you can get bids on people coming your way that have room... just yesterday I saw 250 bid for someone taking restraunt booth/ table 1000 miles.

 

[cedricandsophie]

Moving a piano requires a professional who is skilled to do it. Not just any mover. The music board inside needs to be handled carefully. If it cracks during the move, the piano is almost impossible to tune or even play. We have a grand piano that has a broken board. Impossible to play but it does look good. And you will need to get it tuned as soon as it arrives. I’d be surprised if you could get it moved for much less than $1000. And then whatever tuning costs. If it’s worth that much in sentimental value and you can afford it, why not? I’m sure I’m lots older than you and I have long since given up wanting anything for sentimental value. All I want now is to give all my crap away and my kids could care less. I keep telling my husband most of the stuff he ‘treasures’ will be sold by our kids at a big garage sale for pennies unless we dispose of it now.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Jools Holland shows here how it’s done:

 

[NewbieMom]

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I checked and as several of you mentioned, people are giving them away on marketplace. It sounds like the transport cost is reasonable considering we're trying to move it from TX to CA. So I just have to figure out how much it's worth sentimentally.

 

[cvjw]

My friend tried to sell her piano. No takers. Everyone wanted her to pay them to take it! She eventually did pay someone to come and get it. No value around here for a used piano. No one wants them anymore, which is sad!

 

[SandyinMonterey]

I paid $300 to have someone pickup and deliver a piano to my house...approximately 2 miles. That was about 7 years ago.

 

[Eastern]

Some brands are more resellable than others. A lot of the ones I see online for sale are pretty junky and they should pay someone to haul away.

 

[piccolopat]

It's really a shame how little value there is for most used pianos. There is an organization called pianosforeducation.org that will pick them up and make them available on loan to piano students. That might be something to consider if you choose not to transport your piano. It is a much better option than having usable instruments go to the landfill.

 

[NewbieMom]

It's really a shame how little value there is for most used pianos. There is an organization called pianosforeducation.org that will pick them up and make them available on loan to piano students. That might be something to consider if you choose not to transport your piano. It is a much better option than having usable instruments go to the landfill.

Thank you for this link. If we decide not to move it, I would love to donate it where someone can use it!

 

[piccolopat]

Thank you for this link. If we decide not to move it, I would love to donate it where someone can use it!

Your welcome. I don't know much about this organization and found it when looking for something to help you. I'm a musician myself (flute & piccolo) and strongly believe in giving kids an opportunity to learn an instrument whenever possible.

 

[Pooh2]

We had a 20 year old digital piano that we bought 20 years ago.
We got an estimate of $1200 to move it to FL to my son's house.
We ended up giving it to a church instead.
Glad we went that way because that son then moved back to New England and it would have cost another $1,200 to move it back!