The time may come that you are moving to a new residence, and have to decide if the family piano is going to be part of your plans, or it might be the case that piano lessons are going to begin in your home, and there is an opportunity to acquire a piano which has been in the family a long time. This is the first first question you must ask yourself; "is this piano worth moving"? Sentiment, the impressive sheer mass of the instrument, and the fact that the keys go up and down, might suggest it is still useful, but there is much more to it than that.

 

Typically the piano will be an old upright piano often 50 to 120 years old. Very often pianos of this age will no longer hold a tune, and have serious soundboard, string, bridge or pin-block problems. The piano is  so big and heavy because the strings exert 20 tons or more of stress across the frame and over time with fluctuating heat and humidity that can take its toll. The very important mechanical system, the keys, action, pedals, like any machine wear out as used, while the wooden components can dry and become brittle. It is not enough that the keys go up and down, they must do so in an even and predictable way, with as little mechanical noise as possible. It can cost thousands of dollars to address these problems, and sadly most older pianos have very little,or no "as-is" value in today's market. You must also consider it as a piece of furniture, it is too big not to like, and you don't want to hide it in the basement where it won't get played

 

 

 

To find out the state of your piano, the potential cost of restorative work or repairs, it is wise to bring in a well-known piano expert for an appraisal. A professional will be able to assess the state of your instrument and provide you with various options including its trade-in value, should you decide it is not in your best interest to keep it. You can also get advice regarding dependable piano movers, and questions to ask your cartage company, if your belongings are being moved by general movers. The cost of moving many old pianos will often exceed the piano's value. If you decide to repair, or restore your instrument after getting a proper appraisal, then moving costs to the repair facility, and from there to your new residence should be part of the quotation.

 There are many variables that will alter the cost of moving a piano:

 

 

Robert Lowrey’s Piano Experts have been in the piano business since the 1970’s and is not only Canada’s largest piano retailer, but very importantly, is Canada's largest piano service facility  Our knowledgeable staff will be able to assist you in all of your piano needs, starting with an onsite piano assessment, appraisal, restoration and maintenance work, tuning and referring a trusted piano moving company. You may be able to come to your own conclusions, simply by visiting their huge and fascinating facility in the center of Toronto. You will never see a greater variety of new piano from affordable entry level, to Europe's finest hand-crafted instruments, but you can also tour their work-shops, talk to their technicians, and see the kind of work which goes into restoring older, worthwhile pianos.

 

 

For more information please visit us at our main website at www.pianoexperts.com or contact us at 416-423-0434 or toll free at 1-888-569-7397.

 

If you would like to visit us in person and see the wide range of pianos available for sale we are located at:

 

943 Eglinton Avenue East

Toronto, Ontario

M4G 4B5