Pianos need a proper plan

A piano is not just a heavy piece of furniture. It is a heavy, top-heavy instrument with a delicate action inside and a polished cabinet outside. Piano maker Petrof puts the weight of upright pianos at 175 to 350kg. Yamaha lists its U1 upright at 228kg, 121cm tall and only 62cm deep, which is a lot of weight on a narrow footprint.

That combination is why our piano moves start with an assessment rather than an assumption. We want to know the instrument, the room it is leaving, the room it is going to and every step, doorway and turn in between. Piano moving is offered subject to access and assessment, and we would rather tell you before the day that a job needs a different approach than find out halfway up a staircase.

Brisbane Moving Company moves upright pianos across Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Logan, Ipswich, Redlands and Moreton Bay, on their own or as part of a full house move. Our approach suits owners who care about the instrument as much as the price: a clear assessment, an honest quote and a crew that handles it properly.

The instrument

The make and model, its height, width and depth, and its weight if you know it. Tell us roughly how old it is, whether it has been moved recently, and whether anything is loose, sticking or recently repaired.

The route

Every step from where the piano sits now to where the truck parks, and from the truck to its new spot: the number of stairs and whether they turn, landings, doorway widths, thresholds, floor surfaces, ramps and the distance to the kerb. Photos of each stage tell us far more than a description.

The new room

Where exactly the piano is going, and whether the path to that wall is clear. Positioning is part of the move, so it helps to decide on the spot in advance.

Grand and baby grand pianos

Grand pianos are a different job from uprights. Petrof puts their weight at 300 to 600kg, and their shape changes how they travel. They are assessed individually: send the make, the length of the instrument and photos of the route at both ends. If it is not a move we can complete safely with our available equipment, we will tell you at the assessment stage so you can arrange a specialist piano mover.

In Brisbane, the route often decides how a piano move is planned. Queenslanders are high-set timber homes, and the front staircase up to the verandah is a common way in and out. Many have since been renovated, with verandahs enclosed or the space underneath built in as extra living area, so a piano can live upstairs, downstairs, or in a room that was once outside.

Each kind of home raises its own questions:

• Queenslanders: how many front steps, how wide they are, and whether there is a straighter route via the back stairs or under the house
• Townhouses: internal staircases with tight turns and low ceilings at the landing
• Apartments: lift dimensions and booking, loading dock access and building rules on move times
• Sloping blocks: a steep driveway or a long path from the kerb, and whether the truck can get close

Stairs, long carries and tight turns are exactly what the assessment is for. Apartment stairs are charged per flight, a driveway the truck cannot access carries a set charge, and additional movers can be added where the route calls for them. All of it is confirmed before you book. You arrange any lift bookings, loading zones and parking permits at both addresses.

1. Preparation

Before we arrive, close the lid, clear the top of the piano and clear the path. If the lid locks, lock it and keep the key with you.

2. Wrapping

Our crew wraps the cabinet in quilted moving blankets and furniture pads, held in place with stretch wrap, so the polished surfaces, corners and pedals are covered before the piano moves at all.

3. Through the house

On flat ground, the piano travels on dollies and trolleys with crew on each side controlling it. On stairs, it moves one step at a time. We do not roll pianos across your floors on their own castors.

4. In the truck

The piano travels upright, padded and secured with ratchet straps so it cannot shift or tip in transit.

5. Placement

At the new home, it is unwrapped in its final position. Ideally that is an inside wall away from direct sun, air-conditioning outlets and external doors, where temperature and humidity stay steadier.

Crew size is matched to the instrument and the route. Our standard crew is two to three movers, and additional movers are available when a piano or its route needs more hands. Any extra crew charges are confirmed before booking.

A common worry is that moving a piano will put it out of tune. Piano maintenance references note that a properly handled move does not, in itself, affect tuning. Humidity does. A piano's soundboard responds to moisture, which changes the tension on the strings, and a piano that is properly covered during a move is shielded from the shift between indoors and outdoors.

That matters in Brisbane. The city has a humid subtropical climate, and summer thunderstorms are common, sometimes with torrential rain. We keep pianos fully wrapped whenever they are outside, plan loading with the weather in mind and do not wheel an uncovered instrument through the rain.

Even so, a piano may drift as it settles into its new room's conditions. Many piano technicians suggest letting it settle for a few weeks before booking a tuning. Tuning is not part of our service, so arrange it with a piano technician. Domestic pianos are commonly tuned around every six months anyway, so a move is a natural time to book the next one.

Piano moves are priced in parts, so you can see what each covers:

• Piano relocation charge: $149 including GST, additional to moving time and subject to access assessment
• Moving time: our hourly rates are $125 to $169 per hour + GST, depending on the type of move and truck size, for a moving truck, two professional movers and all standard equipment
• Travel: depot-to-depot or a call-out fee, depending on the job and location
• Access extras where they apply: $48 including GST each, such as apartment stairs (per flight) or a driveway the truck cannot access
• Additional movers: where the piano or the route needs them, confirmed in your quote

The $149 is not an all-inclusive piano price. It is the specific charge for handling the instrument, on top of the time and travel any move involves. If your piano is moving with the rest of your home, it is added to the same booking, so you are not paying travel twice. Parking or permit costs are passed on where they apply.

Every charge is confirmed before you book. A deposit secures your date, the balance is payable on completion, and we ask for at least 48 hours' notice to cancel or reschedule. See the full breakdown on our pricing page.

Most pianos move with the rest of the household. Booking yours with your house move means one truck and one plan, with the piano loaded at the point in the sequence that suits the route. Tell us about it when you request a quote rather than on the day, because it can change the crew size and the order of loading.

The piano stool, sheet music, metronome and lamps travel separately. Our packing service can wrap and box those along with the rest of the home. Other heavy pieces in the same home, such as a safe or a stone-topped table, are covered on our heavy items page. Moving between Brisbane and the Gold Coast? We cover both directions, with travel confirmed before booking.

When you request a quote, include the make and model, measurements, photos of the piano and of the route at both ends, floor levels, the number of steps and where the truck can park. Our team aims to call new enquiries back within five minutes during business hours (8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday).