Piano and safe moving

An upright piano weighs between 200 and 300 kilograms, a grand between 300 and 500. Most of that weight sits in the cast-iron frame and the strings, so the distribution is uneven: the instrument is heavier at the back and loses its balance easily.

On top of that the case is polished, so every knock shows, and the internal mechanism — hammers, dampers, string tension — is sensitive to shaking.

That is why a separate crew comes out for a piano, with specialist straps and a dolly. If a provider tells you “two people is enough”, treat it as a warning sign.

Use this list to check whether a provider really specialises in this:

Carrying straps

distribute the weight across the crew

Piano dolly

a wheeled platform

Soft blankets and film

protect the polished case

Corner protectors

prevent knocks against the stair rail

Securing straps in the vehicle

hold it upright

Wooden ramp

for thresholds and stair treads

Indicative rates. The price rises with the floor, and when the instrument does not fit in the lift.

These are indicative prices, not an offer. Only the provider sets the final amount — based on volume, floor, lift and the distance between addresses.

Four questions — this is where a mistake costs the most:

1. 01 “How many people will come?” — fewer than three for a piano is doubtful; without a lift, four.
2. 02 “Do you have carrying straps and a dolly?” — if the answer is vague, this is not their line of work.
3. 03 “Will you confirm the price after seeing a photo?” — a serious provider looks at the stairs and the entrance first.
4. 04 “What happens if something is damaged?” — the answer should be specific.

1. 01

   Stage 01

   Assessment — the instrument and the route

   They need the type of piano and roughly its age, the floor at both addresses, the size of the lift and the width of the stairs. A photo matters more here than anywhere.

2. 02

   Stage 02

   Wrapping on site

   The keyboard lid is secured, the case is wrapped in soft blankets and film, and the legs and pedal block are protected separately.

3. 03

   Stage 03

   Carrying it down

   On the dolly and straps, step by step. Into the lift only if the size and load capacity genuinely allow it — otherwise down the stairs.

4. 04

   Stage 04

   Transport and positioning

   In the vehicle the piano stands upright and is secured with straps. At the new address it is placed where you want it — preferably not against an external wall and not next to a radiator.

Three things set the price of moving a safe: weight, floor, and whether the safe is bolted to the floor or the wall. A standard office safe is 100–300 kg, and fire-rated models are considerably heavier.

Movers will transport a safe, but they do not open it and do not fit locks. If the safe is anchored to the floor, it must be released before the crew arrives, or agreed separately.

The lift’s load capacity is checked before it is used. If the safe is too heavy for the lift it goes down the stairs — which needs more people and more time, and shows up in the price.

Piano and safe moving in every district of Tbilisi:

Trips out of the city are agreed separately, after the route has been looked at.