Many larger houses — and a good deal of smaller apartments too — have pianos that need to be moved in the process of a homeowner's relocation. If you are planning a move in the near future, you may have already boxed up smaller, easily carried things such as clothes, kitchenware, and home office accessories. A piano is best left to professionals, however, and thus will require you to contact a piano moving service. If you are unsure of what to look for when searching for piano movers, take a look below at three of the most important things.

Insurance

One of the first things you should look for in a piano moving service is that they hold a decent insurance policy. When moving your piano, you should never be expected to pay out of your own pocket on the rare occasion that something doesn't go according to plan. Instead, the piano movers should have insurance to cover the total cost of your piano. In addition, you should request proof that all of their movers, whether employees or contractors, are completely insured. This will protect you against any claims that you or your property is liable for injuries or any other damage.

Special Equipment

If you are moving all of your belongings from one residence to another, the last thing you want to see is your piano squeezed in between other large (and possibly valuable) objects such as a dining table or an antique cabinet. Piano moving services should have special equipment to move your piano, load it, and secure it. Many piano movers will also remove the lid and legs before wrapping the casing. All of this is done with extra soft and padded blankets to ensure that no part of your piano is ever in danger of being chipped.

References

After you've checked that the piano moving service you're thinking of using does in fact have proper insurance and special equipment, you should ask for any references you can contact. These should be individuals or businesses who can testify to the professionalism and overall quality of service provided by the piano movers. Ideally, you should be provided with a reference whose moving situation closely resembles yours. For example, someone moving from one apartment to another can testify to how the movers handled several flights of stairs. Because online reviews are not always available or may not be sufficiently detailed, specific references are almost always preferable.  

For more information, contact a piano moving company near you.