Whether playing music is your full-time job or just a beloved hobby, there’s no doubt that protecting your precious instruments is a huge priority. Knowing how to safely move musical instruments—including how to pack, transport and store them—can spare you expensive repairs or replacements so you can be making music in your new home as soon as you settle in.
Musical instruments are delicate and valuable, which presents challenges for any kind of transport, including airline travel. Yet musicians are known to travel a lot, and Australians are mobile in general, with hundreds of thousands of us moving understood per year. Even if you’re not selling out stadiums, knowing how to safely move musical instruments is a useful skill for any musician.
As professional removalists with 17 years of experience, Ready Movers has an in-depth knowledge of how to safely and efficiently move musical instruments. We know how to pack a guitar for moving house without damaging the instrument and how to move a piano without causing injury. With moving house already a stressful, time-consuming experience, we can take the hassle out of moving your musical instruments to lighten your load and bring you peace of mind.
Whether you’re shifting a piano to another room in the building or relocating across the country, here’s how to safely move musical instruments with Ready Movers.
How to Safely Pack Music Instruments for Moving
Properly packing your musical instrument will help ensure your musical instrument travels safely to your brand-new home. Here are some top tips for the packing process:
Use original cases when possible
Pack your instruments in their original cases whenever possible, as these were designed for their protection, including while travelling.
Refer to the instruction manual
Check the owner’s manual for moving guidelines for a particular instrument or contact the manufacturer for packing and transport instructions.
Use quality packing materials
Invest in high-quality materials and supplies to pack and protect delicate musical instruments during your move. Some useful gear includes bubble wrap for cushioning and protection, packing paper for smaller items and filling up box space, cardboard boxes that are cheap or free, and towels and blankets for wrapping larger instruments.
Clean instruments before packing
Before packing your instruments away, remove any dust and debris and tune or replace the strings if necessary. Dirt and dust can accumulate on instruments and cause scratches and other damage during the process of moving.
Disassemble instruments and pack separately
Disassemble any movable parts from your instruments, such as drum hardware and mouthpieces, and pack them away separately. Packing small parts individually protects them from damage, reduces the risk of breakage, and makes them easier to move and manage.
Label boxes well
Make sure you clearly label each box so you know exactly where you’ve placed all your instruments and their parts and can easily unpack them.
Use different packing techniques for different instruments
Musical instruments come in all shapes and sizes, and all of them require their own packing techniques for safe transport.
For string instruments, loosen the strings slightly to prevent damage caused by tension. Remove any detachable components and store them in bags or containers. Pad your stringed instrument with bubble wrap or soft cloths and place it in a cardboard box secured with packing tape.
Remove detachable components from brass instruments and store them separately in labelled containers or bags. Break down drum components like cymbals and hardware and wrap and pad for protection. Velvet-lined hard cases are best for brass instruments, but if you don’t have any available, foam or bubble wrap will suffice.
How to Move House with Musical Instruments
The moving process is always a few long days. But there are steps you can take to prepare and tips you can take on board to make it run smoother. Safely moving musical instruments is no exception.
Choose a moving company with experience transporting instruments
When it comes to moving instruments, the best possible choice is a company with a proven track record of handling delicate items. Check the company’s reputation and reviews, and don’t be afraid to ask them about their processes for moving delicate items.
Plan the move well in advance
Planning your move well in advance will give you a better chance of a smooth move in which no instruments get scuffed or broken. Book your removal company and procure supplies early to make sure you have a reputable remover and the right high-quality materials well in advance.
Use the right equipment
When it comes to moving pianos, you have a few tools you can seek out to make the job easier. Dollies are great for moving upright pianos that are on the larger and heavier side. Padding and blankets guard against damage from bumps, and lifting and tying straps make it easier to grip the piano while you move it.
What to Avoid When Moving House with Musical Instruments
Like all delicate items, musical instruments need to be handled with care, and a well-planned move is more likely to be a successful move. Some of the biggest errors you can make when relocating musical instruments include:
Failing to plan
When you’re moving items that require special planning and equipment to shift, such as musical instruments, it’s important to plan ahead. Leaving everything to the last minute can leave you insufficient time to find suitable equipment and leave you feeling overwhelmed and flustered, increasing the risk of an error.
Attempting to move heavy instruments on your own
Unless you’re a trained professional, lifting heavy instruments like pianos on your own can cause injury and risks damaging the instrument. Enlist professional movers or another kind of assistance if you can, and if you are handling the piano yourself, follow safe lifting procedures.
Not hiring capable movers
Not all removalists are created equal. When you have expensive and easily damaged musical instruments, the last thing you want to do is leave them in the hands of a less-than-qualified removalist. As always, do your research, look at the reputation of the moving company and ask lots of questions.
Trust Ready Movers for Stress-Free Home Removals
Ready Movers can safely move musical instruments to your new address and make the process easy and seamless. We understand that removals come in all shapes and sizes, so we offer single-item and internal moves for large musical instruments like pianos and other items.
No job is too small or too large for the Ready Movers team. We can pack or unpack a single room or your entire home, assemble and disassemble musical instruments and furniture and assist with large, fragile and bulky items.
Our home removalist service handles all kinds of moves from local to interstate. For interstate moves, all furniture is transported by rail, sparing your musical instruments from the bumps of the highway.
Whether you’re struggling with how to pack a guitar for moving house or need someone who knows how to move a piano safely, get in touch with the Ready Movers team for a free moving quote.
