Piano Removals in Melbourne: What to Expect and How to Prepare

A piano is often the heaviest and most valuable item in a home, and one of the most awkward to move. It’s top-heavy, its weight sits unevenly, and the instrument inside is sensitive to knocks, tilting and changes in temperature. Moving one safely takes the right people, equipment and planning.

Whether you’re relocating an upright from a family home in Melbourne’s north or a grand piano into a city apartment, this guide explains what happens during a professional piano removal, how to prepare your home and your piano, and what to do once it arrives.

Quick answer: A professional piano removal starts with questions about the piano type, stairs, doorways and parking at both addresses. On the day, movers protect the piano with padded blankets, secure it to a piano board or trolley, and use straps and ramps to load it upright and strapped in the truck. Grand pianos have their legs and lyre removed and travel on their side. To prepare, measure the piano and the path out, clear the route, close the lid and tell the movers about every step. Let the piano settle for a couple of weeks before having it tuned.

Why pianos need specialist movers

Pianos are heavy. An upright commonly weighs a couple of hundred kilograms or more, and grand pianos are heavier and much longer. The weight isn’t evenly spread: most of it sits in the cast-iron frame inside, so the piano can tip if it’s lifted or tilted the wrong way. The keys, hammers and strings are delicate, the casing marks easily, and the legs on a grand aren’t designed to take sideways force.

That’s why piano moves are planned separately from the rest of a house move. Trying to move one with a couple of friends and a borrowed trolley risks injury, damage to floors and walls, and expensive repairs to the instrument.

Types of piano and how each is moved

Upright pianos

The most common piano in Australian homes. It’s moved upright, wrapped in padded blankets and strapped to a trolley or piano board. Its height and narrow base make it top-heavy, so at least two experienced movers handle it, and more if there are stairs.

Baby grand and grand pianos

Grands need more preparation. The lid is secured or removed, then the lyre (pedal assembly) and legs are taken off. The body is wrapped and placed on its straight side on a padded piano board, strapped down and then moved. Everything is reassembled in the new room.

Digital pianos and keyboards

Much lighter, but still worth packing carefully. Use the original box if you have it, or wrap the instrument in blankets and move the stand separately.

What to expect from a professional piano removal

1. Assessment. The removalist asks about the piano type, its size and where it is in the house, plus stairs, steps, doorways, turns and parking at both addresses. Photos help a lot.
2. Planning the route. The crew works out the path out of the house and into the new one, including where ramps are needed and which doors must be removed or propped open.
3. Protection. The piano is wrapped in padded blankets and secured so the casing, keys and pedals are protected, and floors and door frames are protected along the route.
4. Lifting and loading. Using a piano board or trolley, straps and ramps, the crew moves the piano steadily and keeps it upright where possible, then secures it inside the truck so it can’t shift.
5. Delivery and placement. At the new home, the piano goes straight to the room you’ve chosen and is placed exactly where you want it. Grand pianos are reassembled before the wrapping comes off.

Our piano movers in Melbourne use specialised equipment for this. Tell us about your piano and access when you request a quote, and we’ll plan the move around them.

How to prepare for your piano move

Measure first

Measure the piano’s height, width and depth, then the narrowest doorways, hallways and turns at both homes. Corners at the bottom of a staircase and tight entry hallways in apartments catch people out most often. Share the measurements with your removalist.

Clear the route

On moving day, clear a wide path from the piano to the front door and from the new front door to the piano’s final spot. Remove rugs that could slip, move small furniture out of the way and keep children and pets clear.

Prepare the piano

• Close and, if possible, lock the keyboard lid.
• Remove photos, sheet music, ornaments and anything else on top or inside the bench.
• Don’t try to dismantle a grand piano yourself; leave it to the movers.
• Tell the movers about any existing damage, loose parts or sticky keys.

Tell the movers about access

Every step matters with a piano, including front-door steps, porch steps and steps down to a sunken lounge. Mention parking, long driveways, apartment lifts, and whether the piano will travel on the same day as the rest of your house.

Stairs, apartments and tight spaces

Stairs are the biggest challenge in any piano move. Hilly suburbs such as Greensborough have many split-level homes and steep driveways, while inner-city apartments add lifts, corridors and loading docks. In an apartment building, check that the lift is big enough and rated for the weight, and book it with building management in advance. Our apartment vs house moves checklist explains how lift and loading-dock bookings usually work.

After the move: placement, acclimatising and tuning

Choose the right spot

Try to place the piano against an internal wall, away from windows, direct sunlight, heaters, air-conditioning vents and fireplaces. Melbourne’s changeable weather means rooms can swing between warm and cool, and humid and dry, which affects how well a piano holds its tune.

Let it settle before tuning

Moving, and the change in conditions from one home to another, can put a piano slightly out of tune. Piano technicians commonly recommend waiting a couple of weeks after a move before tuning, so the instrument adjusts to the new room first. Book a qualified piano tuner rather than relying on the removalist to tune it.

What affects the cost of moving a piano

Piano moves are quoted on the work involved. The main factors are:

• the type and size of the piano (upright, baby grand or grand)
• stairs and steps at either address
• access, including long carries, tight turns, lifts and parking
• the distance between addresses
• whether the piano moves on its own or as part of a full house move

Our guide to removalist costs explains how quotes are built more generally, and The Heavy Item Specialists covers safes and pool tables as well as pianos.

Questions to ask a piano removalist

• Have you moved this type of piano before, up or down stairs like mine?
• What equipment will you bring, and how many movers?
• Is the piano covered by insurance during the move, and what are the limits?
• Will you dismantle and reassemble the legs, lyre and lid on a grand?
• Is the piano included in my house-move quote or charged separately?

Frequently Asked Questions

Ready to move your piano?

With the right preparation and an experienced crew, moving a piano can be straightforward. Measure, clear the way, be upfront about access, and give the piano time to settle before tuning. Visit our piano moving service page or contact us to plan your piano removal.