Moving a piano in Nottingham is not like moving a sofa. The weight, the size, the fragility of the internal mechanism and the access challenges at most properties mean it needs proper planning — and the right removal team. This guide covers what affects the price and planning of a piano move, and what to look for when booking.
How Heavy Is a Piano, and Why Does It Matter?
Weight is the starting point for any piano removal. Upright pianos typically weigh between 150kg and 250kg depending on the make and age. Grand pianos are heavier still — a baby grand can weigh from 150kg to 300kg, while a full concert grand can exceed 500kg.
This matters for three reasons: the number of people needed to move it safely, the route through the property, and the access situation at both addresses. A team that handles a three-bedroom house with ease may still need to plan a piano move very differently.
Access Is the Most Important Factor
Before anything else, you need to assess access properly. These are the things that affect how the team can move a piano:
- Stairs — both at the current property and the new one. An upright piano on a first-floor landing is a very different job from one in a ground-floor reception room.
- Doorway widths — pianos, particularly uprights, are deep as well as wide. Some older Nottingham properties have narrow internal doorways that require careful manoeuvring or, in some cases, removal of a door.
- Hallways and turns — tight corners between rooms or at the bottom of stairs significantly affect how safely the team can move a piano.
- Outdoor access — parking distance from the front door, steps up to the entrance, and the width of gates or passageways all play a role.
- Floors — heavy pianos can damage wooden or tiled floors without proper protection during the move.
This is why a pre-move survey matters so much for piano removals. Without seeing the access at both ends first, it is very difficult to quote accurately or plan the move properly.
What Protection Does a Piano Need?
A piano is both heavy and delicate at the same time. The external cabinet can scratch or crack, and impacts can damage the internal strings, hammers and soundboard. Proper protection during a move typically involves:
- Wrapping the piano in furniture blankets or specialist padding to protect the cabinet finish
- Securing the keyboard lid before the move to prevent it opening in transit
- Keeping the piano upright during transport where possible (upright pianos should stay upright; for grand pianos, remove the legs and transport on the side)
- Securing the piano properly in the vehicle to prevent movement during transit
Stairs and the Extra Planning They Need
Stairs are where most of the complexity — and the risk — lies in a piano move. Moving an upright piano up or down a staircase requires a sufficient number of people, a clear route and careful coordination.
The number of people needed depends on the weight of the piano, the gradient and length of the staircase, and any turns involved. You cannot reliably assess this over the phone. Someone needs to look at the staircase, measure the space and confirm the route before booking the job.
If you have a piano on an upper floor that needs to come down — or one going up — make sure you discuss this explicitly when getting your quote. Confirm that the person quoting has either visited the property or asked detailed questions about the staircase.
Insurance — What to Check
Any removal company moving a piano should carry goods-in-transit insurance that covers the value of the instrument. This is worth checking explicitly before you book, for two reasons.
First, pianos can be valuable — sometimes significantly so — and repair or replacement costs can be substantial. Second, piano moves carry more risk than standard furniture moves. Check that the company's policy covers your specific instrument.
Tee's Removals carries the appropriate removals insurance as standard. If you have a particularly high-value piano, it's also worth checking whether your home contents insurance provides any additional cover during a move.
Why a Survey Matters More for Pianos Than Most Items
For a standard house removal, a video survey or a detailed conversation is often sufficient to produce an accurate quote. For a piano, we strongly recommend a physical visit to the property.
The reason is simple: access problems that are obvious in person are easy to miss in a video call or photograph. A staircase that looks manageable on a phone screen may have a turn at the bottom that makes the job significantly harder. A hallway that looks wide may have a radiator or light fitting that reduces the usable space.
At Tee's Removals, every job starts with a free survey — either in person or by video — before we issue a fixed written quote. For piano moves, we strongly recommend an in-person visit so we can properly assess the access and give you an accurate price with no surprises on the day.
Grand Pianos — Additional Considerations
Grand pianos require extra planning beyond what an upright needs. You need to remove the legs before moving the piano, and the team transports it on its side. This means:
- The team reassembles the piano correctly at the destination, with legs reattached and the instrument levelled
- A grand piano on its side takes up more floor space than when standing — this affects vehicle loading and space
- Access at both ends needs to accommodate the piano in its transit position, not just its standing position
If you have a grand piano, make sure this is discussed in detail at the survey stage.
Getting an Accurate Quote
The most common reason for an inaccurate piano removal quote — or for problems on the day — is that nobody properly assessed the access beforehand. To get a reliable quote, you'll need to provide or confirm:
- The type of piano (upright, baby grand, grand) and ideally the make and model so we can estimate the weight
- The access at your current property — which floor it's on, whether there are stairs, doorway widths if you know them
- The access at your new property — the same information
- The distance between the two addresses
- Whether the piano needs to go into storage at any point
Tee's Removals covers piano moves as part of our house removals service across Nottingham and the surrounding area. If you're planning a move and need a piano moved carefully, the first step is a free survey so we can see the access and give you a fixed, accurate price.