Piano removal christchurch

Piano Removal Christchurch: Uprights, Grands and Digitals Moved With Care

EZMoving plans, wraps, and carries your piano with a trained Christchurch crew, from a porch step to a third-floor flat.
We wrap uprights, baby grands, grands, and digital pianos in padded blankets, move them on trolleys, and strap them into tail-lift trucks. You get the crew, truck, and charging basis before moving day.

EZMoving · Serving Christchurch for over 7 years · 250+ customers moved · 1% of every job donated to the Cancer Society

How does a professional piano move work?

A piano move with EZMoving follows the same order every time. First we confirm the type, make and rough size of the piano, then how it gets from its room to the street at both ends: steps, stairs, turns, doorways, lift size and parking. On the day, the crew closes and secures the lid, then wraps the cabinet in padded blankets and protective covers. An upright travels standing up on a piano trolley. A grand is normally moved on its side, with the legs, pedal lyre and music desk taken off by the crew, never by the owner. Straps hold the piano on the trolley and again inside the truck, and the tail lift raises it into the truck so nobody has to carry it up a ramp. At the new address the crew reverses the process, places the piano exactly where you want it and, for a grand, refits the legs and lyre before leaving.

Fill the form below and one of our team member will contact you shortly.

Date*

Size of your Move*

Moving From*

Moving To*

First Name*

Last Name*

Phone Number*

Email*

Which Piano do you have?

A piano’s weight decides how many people are needed and how the stairs are handled, so it’s the first thing we ask about. The weights below are approximate industry ranges; the real figure varies by make, age and frame.

Piano type	Approximate weight	Typical crew size	Main concern
Digital piano or keyboard	10–90 kg	1–2	Electronics, stand and loose cables
Upright (including older uprights)	140–350 kg	2–3	Top-heavy on stairs; worn castors
Baby grand	225–300 kg	3	Legs and lyre; wide body through doorways
Grand (parlour to living-room size)	300–400 kg	3–4	Weight on its side; tight turns
Concert grand	450–550 kg	4 or more	Length and weight; needs a full access plan

Who we Move Pianos for

A family moving an upright up or down stairs

The barrier is the staircase. Most uprights outweigh three adults and tip easily on a step, so moving one with friends risks injury and a cracked cabinet. Tell us the steps, landings and turns, and the crew plans the lift before arriving. Families booking piano movers Christchurch-wide find the stairs, not the distance, usually set the time.

An owner of a baby grand or grand worried about damage

The barrier is fear of damage. A grand leaves most rooms with its legs and lyre off and its body on its side, which is when finishes get scratched, so only our crew handles it. Photograph the piano from every side beforehand.

A school, church or hall moving a piano around opening hours

The barrier is timing: halls are booked and car parks full during the day. Our piano removal specialists work weekends and plan around building hours. Mention stage steps or locked gates when you ask for a price.

Someone with an old piano they no longer want

The barrier is knowing whether it’s worth moving. Ask a technician if the soundboard and tuning pins are sound, confirm any new home actually wants it, and ring the council before using a transfer station. We don’t buy pianos or find buyers, but we can take one to the place you’ve arranged.

How do you plan access for a piano?

A piano has to fit through every point on its route, not just the front door. So before the day, the crew needs the narrowest doorway, hallway and stair turn at both houses. Uprights are measured for height, width and depth; a grand is measured by its length on its side. Parking matters too: a long carry from the truck, gravel, lawn or a sloped driveway all add time. Apartments add lift size and loading-zone rules. With these details early, we send the right crew and truck and tell you before moving day if anything won’t fit.

Access checklist: what to tell us for an accurate price

Piano type, make and approximate size
Floors and number of steps at both addresses
Narrowest doorway, hallway and stair turn
Lift size, if there is one
Parking and any loading zone rules
Gravel, lawn or slope on the path
Your preferred date

Common problems when moving a Piano in Christchurch, and how to solve them

Most problems on moving day can be spotted and solved a week earlier. The table shows what causes each one, what you can sort beforehand and what our crew handles on the day. If you’re comparing piano movers, ask each how they’d handle these.

Problem	Why it happens	Before moving day	On the day
Narrow stairs, tight turns	Uprights are top-heavy; grands are long on their side	Count steps; measure landings and turns	Route and angle planned before lifting
Apartments, small lifts, loading zones	Lifts are often shorter than a grand; CBD loading rules	Measure the lift; book it and the loading zone	Lift fit checked at quote stage, or stairs planned
Grands needing disassembly	Legs and lyre won't clear doorways attached	Leave legs, lyre and pedals alone	Crew removes, wraps and refits them
Floor and wall marks	Castors concentrate weight; corners catch	Clear rugs and furniture from the route	Padded blankets and protective covers
Rain, cold and damp	Wet Christchurch winter days	Clear a covered entry if you have one	Fully wrapped before leaving the room
Climate at the new home	Wood moves with humidity and heat	Pick an interior wall away from heaters, heat pumps, vents and windows	Placed exactly where you choose
Tuning going out	The new room's climate	Book your tuner for a few weeks later	Left in place to settle
Won't fit the room or stairs	A doorway or turn is narrower than expected	Measure the piano and the tightest point	Told early, at quote stage
Slopes, gravel, lawn	Trolley wheels sink or run	Tell us about the surface	Extra handling time planned
Digital pianos, keyboards	Electronics and a separate stand	Note settings; bag cables and power supply	Wrapped and moved with its stand
Old or antique pianos	Loose veneer, weak legs, worn castors	Note known damage	Legs, castors and veneer checked first
Damage and insurance	Accidents happen even with care	Photograph every side; check contents cover	Our cover explained before booking
Not worth moving	Cracked soundboard, loose tuning pins	Get a technician's view	Collected for the place you've arranged

How we price piano moves

For piano removal Christchurch jobs, EZ Moving charges by the hour for the truck and crew the move needs. Our trucks range from 16 to 40 cubic metres, all with tail lifts. Every job has a 1.5-hour minimum, a half-hour callout charge within 30 km of our base, and 15-minute increments after that. Stairs, long carries, tight turns and grand disassembly add time. That’s why we ask about access first and confirm the crew, truck and charging basis before the job starts, so there are no surprises on the bill.

What affects the price	Why it changes the total
Piano type and weight	More crew for heavier pianos
Stairs and steps	Each flight adds time
Doorways, turns, lifts	Tight routes slow the move
Parking distance	Longer carry, more time
Grand disassembly	Legs and lyre off and back on
Moving date	Weekends and month-end are busier

What happens to tuning after a move?

A piano usually goes out of tune after a move, mostly because of its new surroundings rather than the trip. The soundboard and the wood holding the tuning pins swell and shrink with humidity and temperature, so a new room changes the tension on the strings. Most tuners suggest letting the piano settle for a few weeks before tuning. In Christchurch winters, keep it away from heat pumps, heaters, fireplaces, vents, sunny windows and exterior walls. EZ Moving doesn’t tune pianos, so book your own tuner and tell them when the move happened.

Storage
We don’t offer piano storage, so if settlement dates don’t line up, ring early and we’ll plan piano moving dates that suit both properties.

Moving a piano as part of a bigger move

If it’s part of a full house move that includes a piano, we plan it into the same day. Packing and unpacking help keeps boxes out of the piano’s path.
Heading further? See moving a piano to another city.
If you were after grand piano movers Canterbury-wide, the same access plan applies in Rolleston, Lincoln, Rangiora and other Canterbury towns around Christchurch.

Damage, insurance and what isn’t covered

EZMoving is a licensed and insured mover. Before booking, ask what our cover includes and how a claim is lodged, and check your contents policy for items in transit.
On the day, clear the top, close and latch the lid, and leave everything else to the crew. Don’t remove legs, pedal boards or lyres yourself.
Not included: tuning, repairs, storage, or crane and window-hoist lifts. If stairs or a lift won’t work, we’ll say so at quote stage.

Frequently asked questions

What should I do before the crew arrives?
Clear the top, close and latch the lid, and move rugs out of the route. Leave the legs, pedals and lyre attached; the crew removes them if needed.

Will my piano need tuning after the move?
Usually, yes, mainly because of the new room’s humidity and temperature. Most tuners suggest waiting a few weeks so it can settle first.

Can you move a piano up or down several flights of stairs?
Often, yes. Tell us the steps, landings and tightest turn at both addresses; if the route isn’t safe, we’ll say so before moving day.

Do you work weekends or outside school and church hours?
We work weekends and plan around building hours. Tell us when the space is free.

Can you take away an old piano?
Yes, to a new owner or disposal site you’ve arranged. Check they accept it before booking piano removals of this kind.

Do you move digital pianos and keyboards?
Yes. Bag the cables and power supply; we wrap the instrument and stand and move them together.