Piano Removals in Sussex & Surrey

Every piano move is priced individually, because the honest drivers of cost are the instrument and the access rather than a flat rate: an upright on a ground floor is a very different job from a grand that needs its legs and lyre removed, or any piano that has to turn a narrow landing. We look at the type and size of the piano, the stairs and doorways at both ends, and the distance between them, then send a fixed written quote — usually within 24 hours — that holds on the day. Nothing is priced over the phone on guesswork, and nothing gets added once the crew arrives. For a rough starting point before the survey, the moving cost calculator gives an instant estimate, and moving a piano as part of a full house move usually makes more sense than booking it separately.

Moving a piano yourself is something we would honestly advise against for anything bigger than a small digital keyboard. An acoustic upright typically weighs as much as three or four adults and carries that weight high and awkwardly, so the common results of a DIY attempt are crushed fingers, wrenched backs, gouged floors and cracked casework — and if it goes wrong on a staircase there is no safe way to stop it. There is an insurance angle too: damage caused moving your own piano is rarely covered by anyone, whereas a professional move is insured from lift to set-down. If budget is the concern, tell us — a straightforward ground-floor upright move costs less than most people expect, and a fixed written quote costs nothing at all.

We dismantle pianos only as far as the instrument is designed to allow, and only when the job needs it. Grand pianos are routinely prepared for transport by removing the legs, lyre and music desk so the body can travel safely on its side on a piano board — that is standard practice, not surgery, and everything is refitted at the other end. Upright pianos move in one piece. What we never do is dismantle the action, strings or frame: that is a piano technician’s territory, not a mover’s. If a piano genuinely cannot leave a room intact — which is rarer than people fear once the access has been properly surveyed — we will tell you plainly at the survey rather than improvise on the day.

Usually, yes — moving an upright costs less than moving a grand over the same route. An upright is a one-piece lift with predictable handling, while a grand needs partial preparation — legs, lyre and music desk off, the body edge-loaded onto a piano board — which takes more time, more equipment and often an extra pair of hands, so a grand move is generally quoted higher than an upright over the same route. Access moves the figure for both: a first-floor flat with a winding staircase can make an upright the harder job of the two. That is why we survey rather than price from a list — the type of piano starts the estimate, but the building it is leaving and the building it is entering finish it. Either way the quote is fixed and written before moving day.

Piano weight varies enormously, which is exactly why we plan each move individually. A typical upright is 180–300kg, a baby grand starts around 250kg, and a concert grand can exceed 500kg. But it is the balance and centre of gravity, not the raw figure, that dictates technique — uprights stay full height on a trolley, while grands are partly dismantled and laid on a padded skid board. We confirm the type and approximate weight when we survey the job so we bring the correct equipment and crew. The weight is also why we size the crew to the instrument rather than sending two people to everything: crews of two to four mean a baby grand on a first floor gets the hands it needs, while a ground-floor upright is not billed for people standing idle. Tell us the make and model if you know them — it helps us arrive with exactly the right kit first time.

Almost always, yes — a piano will need re-tuning after a move. The vibration of travel and the change in room temperature and humidity will shift the tuning slightly. We recommend waiting a few weeks before having it professionally re-tuned so the instrument has settled and acclimatised to its new surroundings — tuning it too soon usually means it drifts again. Positioning the piano away from radiators, exterior walls and direct sunlight also helps the tuning hold. A few weeks in the new room also lets the instrument settle into its new humidity and temperature before the tuner works on it, which is why most technicians suggest waiting rather than booking the tuning for moving week itself. If the piano is heading into storage first, mention it — we will advise on positioning it away from radiators and outside walls at the new address too.

Most staircase piano moves are perfectly possible — but only after we have surveyed the access. We measure doorways, stairwells and landing turns at both properties first, then bring the right lifting straps, stair-climbing equipment and crew size for the route. A grand that comes apart onto a skid will pass through spaces an upright cannot. Where an internal route is genuinely impractical, we will advise on a window or hoist option rather than risk damaging the instrument or your home. Our honest experience since 2016 is that far fewer staircases are genuinely impossible than owners fear — but the ones that are get identified at the survey, not discovered on the day with the instrument half-committed to a turn. If a stair route truly will not go, we will say so plainly and talk through the alternatives before anything is booked.

Yes. Wolves Removals is fully insured, with goods-in-transit and public liability cover in place, and as a LAPADA Approved Service Provider and Checkatrade-verified company we apply specialist handling standards to every instrument. We are based at Dorlyn House, London Road, Ashington near Pulborough RH20 3JT, and cover West and East Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and Kent, as well as moves across the UK and Europe. To arrange a survey and quote, call 01903 893731. Coverage runs across Sussex and Surrey and into Hampshire and Kent, from single-instrument moves to pianos travelling as one item within a full house removal. If you are outside those counties, ask anyway — long-distance piano work is quoted the same way as everything else, in writing, from a survey of the actual job.

How long a piano move takes depends on the circumstances. A straightforward upright between two ground-floor rooms with easy access can be quick, while a grand coming down several flights of stairs and travelling across the county is a far bigger job that warrants proper time and care. The biggest factors are the type and size of the instrument, the access at both properties, the number of stairs, and the distance travelled. Sharing photographs and describing the access when you request a quote lets us plan the time, crew and equipment accurately. Booking-wise, a standalone piano job is easier to slot in than a full house move, so short-notice dates are often possible outside the month-end rush — call with your dates and we will tell you honestly what the diary allows rather than squeezing the job into a slot that rushes the carry.