how should I get this piano moved?

[hovely]

A friend has offered us her old upright. We are delighted to have it. It seems quite good, nice sound, but I don't think it is anything special. Should I try to find a specialist piano mover or will any firm with a tailgate lift be able to do it? The access is ground floor and pretty level at both ends.

we got ours (an old knackered one) in the back of a friend's van - we put up ramps to wheel it in and out.

Although they have castors on as a rule they are tiny and very very old; also pianos are v heavy and pushing it on the castors could gouge huge ruts in the floors both ends.

An expert piano mover can do it single-handed with his little finger practically, upended on a proper small flat truck with big smooth swivelly castors. Definitely ask for a quote (if you can find someone) before you make up your mind.

Ask Laurel and Hardy

Sorry, that wasn't helpful, was it?

get a couple of chimps and offer them pg tips

I'd ask for a quote for a proper piano mover - the guy local to us does it pretty cheap (about £25 I think it was going to be had he been available). At least then you know it's being moved properl

Ours was delivered by tractor much to DS's delight. It was very old and clapped out though and I don't think I should recommend that anyone else does it this way !

If you can get someone with a tailgate. Top tip for moving the piano once inside. Place it on a heavy duty piece of tarpaulin for carpet or carpet for wooden floors, which fits right underneath. Then two push the piano and two drag what's underneath. It protects your flooring. Also make sure you get rubber castors underneath the feet if you have wooden/laminate floor otherwise you'll get terrible marks/indentations. My piano's moved from Uk, to Holland, to Scotland to USA. All times with professional removals, but then it's worth more now than my mum paid for it 30 years ago. So I would get a quote. But I'll tell you now it will not be cheap.

Thanks for such excellent advice!
(now wondering where to get chimps from...spies neighbour's idiot DH...thinks...)

My piano travelled 300 miles as part of a load with conventional house movers. I contacted removal firms at each "end" of the journey and asked if they would include my piano in a move. It worked out very well and wasn't desperately expensive. Insurance included in the price. I did the same thing with another "family heirloom" a few years back and it worked well.