Evaluations

Buying a second hand piano can be a daunting experience, especially if you have no knowledge on how a piano works and what to look for. I charge a small callout fee to go and evaluate a locally available piano on your behalf, helping you make a more informed decision. If you've seen an advert for a second hand piano privately for sale, send me a link and I'll let you know whether it's worth further consideration at no charge.

If you're purchasing a piano from a reputable dealer, who are offering a warranty, you can almost certainly trust that you are getting what you pay for. However if you have any concerns, do get in touch with me.

Free Pianos

Often you will see pianos on Facebook Marketplace being offered for free or a very low cost, the only thing you have to do is pick it up. In the majority of cases, the costs associated with getting these pianos into your home and back in to a playable condition are not worthwhile. In my experience, most have not been tuneable, or require hundreds to thousands of pounds of work to repair, and many people only find this out once they've either paid the cost of moving, or have gone through the effort of moving the piano themselves.

Often with a second hand piano, especially those at a sub-£1000 price, the low cost is marred by high maintenance and repair costs. I've often found a piano that was sold for £300 required another £1000 of work to make it playable. Comparisons to a car are not unreasonable; a free car often needs a new gear box or engine, a cheap car needs new brakes and tyres, and they never last as long as something just a little more expensive.

Hidden Costs

To give you an idea of some of the hidden costs that can arise:

Then come the unexpected costs that will be unrealistic for all but the most valuable pianos: