How to get a piano taken away - responsibly

Are you fed up of working round that big old dusty piano that no-one plays anymore? Once a well-loved part of the family, it feels like these days it serves only as a very heavy hall-table, as the family are more likely to put their bags down on the piano than sit down and play a tune. Even the keenest pianists have moved to an electric keyboard (with headphones - a blessing) and you’re eyeing up how much space you could reclaim if only the piano wasn’t there. Or perhaps you’ve acquired an unloved, out of tune piano as part of an inheritance and need to get it moved in order to sell the house.

At Monster Junk we’ve seen all kinds of situations, and we can help you find the best way to get a piano removed at minimal cost, and with the least environmental impact. So here are your options:

Could you sell it?

This will depend upon a piano’s make, age, condition and the market demand in your location. If you have a well-made, well-maintained instrument with special features and you are not in a hurry, you may be able to find a buyer. PianoWorld.com is a piano forum linking pianists and piano lovers, which may help you find your community. As pianos are very difficult to move, we recommend you insist that ‘buyer collects’ or arranges the transportation. You could try local instrument dealers or auction houses, who may have the facilities to collect the piano for you. They will certainly give you an idea of how much the piano is worth in today’s market. You could also try Facebook marketplace or NextDoor.

Could you give it away?

Who do you know who might want a piano? Perhaps friends or neighbours with plenty of space and a young family. You could offer it to a school, church, care home or local charity to see if anyone could give your piano a new home. PianoAdoption.com is a global re-homing website for pianos, perhaps you could find someone who wants yours. Worldheartbeat.org takes donated musical instruments, but unfortunately they are unable to accept upright pianos (because of the moving and storage costs). You might find a neighbour on FreeCycle who would take the piano off your hands. Again, be careful about the costs of moving the instrument. Piano moving is a specialist job and you could get stung for a big bill if you promise to include delivery as part of your gift.

We could just take it to the dump, right?

If you want to take a piano to your local household waste recycling centre, it’s certainly worth calling ahead in advance to make sure it will be accepted. You will need a suitable vehicle to transport the piano - usually a low-loader furniture van or a van with a mechanical tail-lift that can take the weight. Any van or commercial vehicle will need a one-off permit to enter the council tip, which you’ll need to apply for in advance. You’ll need at least four strong people to move it safely, and ramps and/or piano wheels to get it from the house to the vehicle. Be particularly careful of damaging uPVC door sills which are difficult and expensive to replace. Please don’t try to take the piano apart yourself at home, that is a specialist task and can be dangerous.