More Melbourne pianos live in apartments every year, from Southbank towers to boutique blocks in Brunswick and Brighton. Apartment moves bring their own planning: lifts, loading docks, building rules and neighbours. Here is how to get it right.
Check the lift first
The lift decides almost everything. Find out the internal dimensions of the car and door, and the weight limit. An upright on a trolley usually fits a standard passenger lift. Grands go in on their side on a skid board, so the lift needs enough depth and height. If the lift is too small, the stairs may be the only option, so ask about the stairwell too.
Book the loading dock and lift
Most buildings require moves to be booked with the building manager, often with a lift key or protective lift curtains. Book the loading dock or a visitor parking bay as well, so the truck can get close.
Know the building rules
- permitted moving days and times
- whether a certificate of currency for insurance is required
- rules about protecting lifts, corridors and doors
- any noise or access restrictions
We can provide insurance details for your building manager on request.
Protect common areas
Corridors, lift walls and door frames should be padded before the piano moves. It keeps the building manager happy and avoids any disputes about marks afterwards.
Think about placement and neighbours
In an apartment, place the piano against an internal wall, not a shared one if you can avoid it, and off the floor on cups or a rug to reduce sound travelling. Keep it away from balcony doors and air conditioning.
Let specialists handle the logistics
We move pianos in and out of apartments across Melbourne every week, including Port Melbourne, Collingwood and Brunswick. Tell us the building and the lift details and we will plan the rest.
When the lift misbehaves: a real job
One of our customers was moving an upright piano into a level one apartment when the lift got stuck partway through the job. The crew stayed calm, worked the problem and got the piano safely into the apartment. The customer later wrote that they worked like heroes and made a stressful situation much easier.
Lifts do misbehave. What matters is a piano that is strapped to a trolley rather than balanced on its own casters, and a crew that does not rush when something unexpected happens.
No lift? Walk-up apartments
Plenty of Melbourne apartments, especially older blocks, have no lift at all. Another customer had their upright carried up to a second floor apartment through what they described as a tight and difficult stairwell. It went in perfectly, because the stairwell was measured and planned for before moving day.
What to measure before you sign the lease
If you are choosing an apartment and the piano is coming with you, a tape measure is worth taking to the inspection. Most uprights are around 1.5 metres wide and about 60 centimetres deep, so check:
- The lift door width and the inside depth of the lift car
- The stairwell width at its narrowest point, especially at the turns and landings
- The apartment front door and any hallway turn inside
- The wall where the piano will stand, away from heaters, air conditioning and direct sun
Send us those numbers or a few photos and we will tell you honestly whether the piano will fit, before you commit.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Will a piano fit in an apartment lift?
Most uprights do. Grands can fit on their side on a skid board if the lift is deep and tall enough. Send us the lift dimensions to check.
Do I need to book the lift for a piano move?
Usually, yes. Most buildings require moves to be booked with the building manager.
Can you provide insurance details for my building?
Yes. We can supply our insurance details on request.
Ready when you are