How to sell your piano

Selling a piano is easier than most people expect once you know the steps: understand what you have, present it well, price it honestly, and put it where piano buyers are actually looking. Here's the whole process.

1. 1

   Figure out what your piano is worth

   Start with the facts: brand, model, serial number (usually stamped on the metal plate near the tuning pins — it dates the piano exactly), and honest condition. Then look at asking prices for the same model and era. A tuned, regularly played Yamaha U1 is a very different asset than one that sat untouched in a garage. When in doubt, a piano technician's appraisal ($100–$200) pays for itself on any instrument worth more than a couple thousand dollars.

2. 2

   Get it ready to show

   You don't need to restore anything — but do get it tuned if it's been years (an out-of-tune piano sounds broken to buyers even when it isn't), dust the cabinet, clean the keys, and clear the room around it. Buyers hear with their eyes first.

3. 3

   Take photos that sell

   Shoot in daylight with the lid open: full piano from a front three-quarter angle, keyboard straight-on, the interior (plate and strings), the serial number, the bench, and any cabinet wear — honesty in photos builds the trust that closes sales. Five good photos outperform twenty dark ones.

4. 4

   Price it to sell

   The used market is a buyer's market for common pianos and a seller's market for sought-after models. Price near the middle of comparable listings if you want it gone in weeks; price at the top only if you can wait. Leaving modest negotiating room is normal — most piano sales close 5–15% under asking.

5. 5

   Write a listing that answers the questions buyers ask

   Brand, model, year, size, when it was last tuned, its history (one owner? teacher's studio?), why you're selling, and what's included (bench, cover). Mention the room it lived in — 'climate-controlled living room' is worth real money versus 'garage.'

6. 6

   Plan the move before you need it

   Pianos are 400–1,000+ pounds and genuinely dangerous to move without equipment. Professional piano movers charge $150–$400 locally and $700–$2,500 cross-country depending on size and stairs. Decide upfront whether your price includes delivery, and never let an unprepared buyer wrestle a piano down your stairs.

7. 7

   Screen buyers and close safely

   Serious buyers ask about tuning history and want to play it; casual scammers ask to overpay by cashier's check. Meet during daylight, keep payment simple (cash, verified transfer, or an escrow service for expensive instruments), and don't release the piano until funds have actually cleared.