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Piano &
Specialist.

Dedicated crews and proper kit for upright and grand pianos, antiques, fine art and other delicate or oversized pieces.

Request a quote 01992 361141
Service Overview

Pianos. Antiques. Sculpture. The things a normal removals van won't carry safely.

Uprights, baby grands, full concert grands. Marble-topped tables, tall sash mirrors, snooker tables, taxidermy. The pieces that don't fit in a normal van — and won't survive being carried by people who haven't done it before.

We've moved pianos out of basements with three flights of stairs, through second-floor sash windows, and up Welsh hillsides. The crew, the equipment and the insurance all reflect what that experience demands.

Years moving pianos
20+
Pianos moved last year
150+
Per-item insurance cap
£100k
What's included

Specialist crew. Specialist kit.

Specialist crew

Permanent staff trained on grand pianos, antiques and high-value items. Not subbed out to day-labour.

Piano boards & skates

Boards, skates, ramps, slings, harnesses. The proper kit, owned by us — not hired by the day.

Stairs & access

Three storeys, narrow stairwells, sash-window hoists — sized up at survey, planned in advance.

Climate-aware transport

Pianos and antiques travel in temperature-aware vans. No overnight in a freezing yard.

Tuning recommendation

A piano needs 4–6 weeks to settle after a move. We'll introduce you to our preferred technician.

Specialist insurance

Goods in Transit plus per-item cover up to £100,000. Higher available on request — instrument-grade.

How it works

Surveyed in person. Planned in advance.

01

Survey on site

Every piano move is surveyed in person. We measure access, weigh up routes, take photos.

02

Plan the lift

Crew briefed, specialist kit booked, sash removal or window hoist arranged where needed.

03

Move day

3–4 specialists, dedicated van, full PPE. Most piano moves take 2–4 hours door to door.

04

Settle & tune

We leave you with care instructions and a recommended tuner for after the piano has settled.

What our specialist customers say

Word from the keyboard.

★★★★★
“Inherited my grandmother's Bechstein. Three flights down a Victorian terrace. Ray Rose mapped it out and did it without a scratch on the piano or the walls.”
Hannah W. Grand piano · Islington → Hertford
★★★★★
“Moved my late father's snooker table — half a tonne of slate, in pieces. Ray Rose were the only firm who didn't try to talk me out of it. Faultless.”
David B. Snooker table · Loughton
★★★★★
“We had a marble dining table that needed extracting from a basement flat. Specialist kit, specialist team, sensible price. Wouldn't hesitate to use again.”
The Carter family Marble table · Enfield

Request a SPECIALIST quote

Every specialist move is surveyed in person

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Common questions · Piano & specialist

Before you book.

Can you move a piano up or down stairs?
Yes — stairs are routine for our specialist crew. We use piano trolleys, skates, ramps and proper lifting straps, and always send enough experienced hands for the job. For tight staircases, narrow doorways or upper floors we assess the route at survey and plan the safest approach before the day, so there are no surprises.
How soon can I tune the piano after moving?
We recommend leaving it two to three weeks before tuning. A piano needs time to settle and acclimatise to the temperature and humidity of its new room — tuning too soon means it's likely to drift out again. Once it's had a chance to stabilise, book your tuner and it'll hold far better.
Do you handle grand pianos differently to uprights?
We do. Grands are partially dismantled — legs, pedal lyre and lid removed — then stood on their side on a padded piano board for safe transport, and rebuilt at the other end. Uprights travel upright, fully wrapped and secured. Both are handled by crew trained specifically on pianos, never general removals staff.
What about antiques and fine art?
Antiques, sculpture and fine art are core specialist work for us. Pieces are wrapped in acid-free tissue and blankets, corner-protected and, where needed, crated in bespoke timber cases. Paintings travel in custom-made picture boxes or crates. Everything is handled with cotton gloves and logged on your inventory.
Is my piano insured during the move?
Yes — every specialist move is covered by our comprehensive goods-in-transit and liability insurance, and you can declare the full replacement value of the piano so cover reflects what it's actually worth. For particularly valuable instruments we'll discuss enhanced cover at survey. You'll have the details in writing before we lift a thing.
Can you move a snooker or pool table?
Yes. Slate-bed snooker and pool tables must be dismantled to move safely — we remove the cushions, unbolt and lift the heavy slate beds, and transport the frame separately, then reassemble and re-level at destination. We'd usually recommend a specialist re-cloth if the slates are separated, and can advise on that at survey.
Do you do same-day or weekend specialist moves?
We can often accommodate weekend and short-notice specialist moves depending on crew availability — it's always worth a call. Because piano and specialist jobs need the right trained team and equipment, we'll confirm the soonest slot when you enquire rather than promise a date we can't safely staff.
How is the piano protected in the van?
Inside the van the piano is fully wrapped in quilted furniture blankets, stood on a piano board or its trolley, and strapped securely against the vehicle's rails so it can't shift in transit. Our vans have anti-slip floors and proper anchor points, and the crew load it so nothing else can move against it on the journey.