Know what you are dealing with
An upright can weigh anywhere from three hundred to over five hundred pounds, and a grand can pass a thousand. Almost all of that weight sits in a cast-iron plate, so the balance point is nothing like a sofa.
Measure the instrument and every doorway, hallway turn, and stair landing on the route out. Grands usually come out on their side with the legs and pedal lyre removed.
If the piano has been in the family for decades, take photographs of the finish before the move so any question about existing marks is settled before the crew arrives rather than argued about afterward.
The right gear is not optional
Professional piano crews use a padded skid board for grands, heavy straps, a four-wheel piano dolly, and thick moving blankets. Furniture dollies and ratchet straps from the hardware store are not built for the load.
Stairs need a ramp or a stair-climbing dolly and at least three people. This is the point where do-it-yourself moves most often end in a cracked lid or a hurt back.
Protect the finish and the action
The lid, fallboard, and music desk are wrapped and taped shut so nothing swings open during the carry. On a grand, the lid is usually removed and wrapped separately.
Inside the truck the piano is strapped to the wall, never left to ride loose, and it stays upright or on its skid board the entire trip.
In Texas heat, the piano should be the last item loaded and the first unloaded on a long-distance run, because a sealed trailer can climb well past outdoor temperature.
Apartment and elevator moves
Plenty of pianos in Frisco and Plano live on the third floor of an apartment building. Book the freight elevator with the leasing office, confirm the weight limit, and ask whether the building requires protective padding in the cab.
Where there is no elevator, the crew will walk the stairwell first and decide whether the turn at each landing allows a safe carry.
A short conversation with the property manager about which elevator to use and where the truck may park saves an hour of standing in the lobby on the day.
Setting it up at the new place
Choose an interior wall away from windows, vents, and exterior doors, since sunlight and air-conditioning drafts swing humidity and knock the instrument out of tune.
Give the piano a few weeks to settle in its new room before calling a tuner. Wood and felt need time to adjust to the humidity, and tuning too early means tuning twice.