Attention Realtors! When a Piano Is Included with a House

Surprising Insights About This “Gift” That Might Just Change Your Tune

Hello Realtors! Odds are good that you have a few piano technicians or piano movers in your contact lists for new homeowners looking for professionals for piano tuning or piano moving services. I’m writing to you today to help with a slightly different scenario and how piano technicians like me can be of assistance before agreements are signed and the homeowner wastes a lot of time, money, headaches, and heartaches at a time that should be celebratory.

Recently we published a blog about what to do when someone offers you a “free” piano. What we didn’t discuss in that post was what happens when a home seller either offers to include their piano with the house or abandons the piano when they move out of the house.

Occasionally, the “free” piano simply needs to be tuned, but this is rarely the case. Pianos that are left behind are often instruments that have been neglected for years. At some point they likely stopped playing it, which means they stopped having it tuned.

If it was kept in a living area of the home that was frequented it might be free of pests, clean, and in decent condition. But if it was relegated to a far-off area to collect dust (i.e., basement, attic, garage, etc.) and accumulated clutter, it might also have become home to mice or been subjected to unfavorable conditions such as moisture, heat, or cold.

Now we do realize that a piano is a rather small consideration compared with such a large purchase as a house. But we would argue that the home buyer doesn’t want other items that come with the house — kitchen or laundry appliances, HVAC, or window treatments — found in poor condition on the day they move in. Especially if the item has been neglected and it’s going to cost them hundreds of dollars to have a company repair it or haul it away.

Few people care to admit that the beloved family piano isn’t wanted anymore. But in all likelihood, they too don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars to have a piano hauled off in the event that they can’t sell or donate it.

So now what?

Preventing Piano Abandonment

Just as you would hire a professional to inspect the structure of a house you plan to purchase or pay for a home warranty to cover the condition of the home appliances (kitchen/laundry/HVAC), either the seller or the buyer should consider hiring a piano technician to inspect the condition of the piano so there are no unexpected surprises after the close of the sale.

As The Seller

Before a seller puts their home up for sale, they need to be honest about their piano and how to deal with it. Do they think they’ll start playing again? This is an opportune time for a technician to do an evaluation. Might they consider donating the piano? A piano technician may know of people or organizations like Keys for Kids in New Brighton, MN that can take the piano. A technician could also provide other recommendations on how to dispose of a piano that is no longer in any condition to be passed along. It can be helpful for staging a home to have the piano removed or tuned up before showings.

As The Buyer

As we’ve stated in the past, a piano is typically never “free.” We caution buyers to be wary of any piano that is left with a house. Just as one would have any household repairs written into the contract for the sale of a house, I would also encourage the buyer to include an agreement that the seller is responsible for the removal of a piano from the house if one is present. Or if the piano is in playing condition, request the seller be responsible for an evaluation and tuning before the sale.

Surprise!

You’ve closed on your new house and you have the keys to the front door. You enter your new abode and (wah-wah) … there sits a piano in your house that you weren’t expecting. Now what?

You might want to check with your realtor to see if you have any recourse to have the seller take responsibility for removing the piano. But in our experience, this is unlikely after the closing.

If you want to see if the piano is worth keeping, you can reach out to a piano technician to have it evaluated and to get information on what to do next.

If you know you absolutely do not want it, contacting a piano moving company would be the next step. Yes, it is going to cost you money to have it removed, but it is far better to pay professionals to move a piano than to risk harm to yourself or a handful of buddies you convinced to help you out. Pianos can weigh anything from 200–1,200 pounds depending on their size. As painful as it might be to pay to have a piano you didn’t ask for hauled away, it’s still cheaper than running the risk of covering medical bills for your friend’s broken foot or slipped disc through your brand-new homeowners’ insurance!

Invitation To Network

Having been former members of BNI (Business Network International), including serving with the regional team in MN-Northern WI, we are strong advocates of referral network marketing. If you are a realtor or work in the housing and trades businesses, please feel free to reach out and introduce yourselves. We would be interested in learning more about you and how we can help one another’s businesses flourish.