How to Choose a Piano Moving Insurance?
Pianos are beautiful instruments that are used to create some of the world’s most popular music. But they are also heavy, bulky, and fragile. So if you need to move a piano from one place to another — it’s important, not to make it essential that you have piano moving insurance. Here are the basics of insurance and also some tips on how to find a great piano mover.
Are you already covered?
Pianos are often the most expensive thing a person may own (they can be worth more than a car!). It’s likely that it will already have some form of insurance. This may be part of the house and contents insurance or a separate musical instrument insurance. If you have a piano that is already insured in your home or workplace, check if this policy covers or can be extended to cover the transport. This is the best-case scenario as your insurance is already familiar with your history and finances and can easily get your transportation sorted. If it’s not covered, you may want to look around for other options before asking them to extend. That’s to ensure you are getting the best deal.
Use an insurance platform
The world of insurance has got much more competitive thanks to the advent of insurance platforms that act as filters for insurance companies. Find a platform online, add your details in and the site will scour the web for relevant companies. Then the platform offers you the prices all in one list with easy to compare tables and information. This is a great way to be able to look at insurance policies side by side. Often companies try to make themselves difficult to compare by using different languages, so check carefully.
What do you need to be covered?
Once you start to look at different policies you can start to understand your own needs better. Do you need the insurance to cover storage as well as transportation? Does the policy cover damage costs as well as a full replacement (depending on the age and value of your piano this may not be even possible).
Sometimes the choices can be overwhelming and the internet can be more confusing than helpful. Then it’s time to go old-fashioned and get an insurance company on the phone or visiting them at their office. In this case, it may be possible to get a policy that is custom-made to suit your needs. Speaking to an insurance broker will help you fill in the gaps that came up during your initial search.
Transport conditions
One critical point to note is that the conditions of your insurance may depend on the method of your transportation. Professional, certified piano movers are likely to be required if you have comprehensive insurance.
This then leads us to the next part of this article: — how do you find a transporter?
How do you find a transporter?
Information is key
Before you begin your transporter research, you must understand what it is you need to move. It’s essential to know how big the piano is, its model, make, and approximate weight. An Upright Piano can range from 300 to 500 lbs, whereas a Grand Piano can weigh more than 1,200 lbs. Additionally, check if it has wheels or if any parts are removable. Once you know the details of your piano, you can begin to look for a mover.
Using a local moving service
Your local moving service will have the equipment and the staff. But they may not have the experience of moving the piano that you do. Pianos are less and less common these days, so be sure to check if your local moving company has handled one before. While they may have a flat fee for a house move, heavy, bulky, and fragile items such as pianos can mean extra fees. If the move takes longer than expected, even more charges may incur.
CitizenShipper is a marketplace that matches transporters with people who need things moved. Start by creating a listing for your piano with the necessary details of size, location, new address, and preferred dates. Then just wait: professional, experienced piano movers will contact you with personalized quotes. You can discuss their experience, equipment, and availability before choosing a mover.
Your mover will arrange all the necessary extra labor, equipment and provide the truck or van. This makes moving so simple and easy. Better yet, you can organize CitizenShipper in another city or state with ease. Many movers do long interstate drives, so if you bought your piano move at an auction elsewhere — they can figure out a way to move it.
Making sure your insurance policy will be upheld.
Before you move your piano ensure that the insurance policy is in place (double check the dates!) and that you are fulfilling all the requirements of the policy. This could include supplying pre, during, and post photos or documentation or inspection reports. Make sure you have ALL the information before you start to avoid any devastating damages that aren’t covered. Finally, spark to your chosen transporter about the insurance policy and make sure they are fulfilling any extra requirements such as having an up-to-date license, adequate own personal insurance, etc.
Good luck on moving your piano and happy playing!
Originally published at https://citizenshipper.com on August 9, 2021.
