Buying a Used Piano: What to Check Before You Pay

Short answer: To lower the risk when buying a used piano, look at it yourself first, then have a piano technician inspect it before you pay or book a mover. You can check the basics in about 15 minutes: every key plays and comes back up, the pedals work, nothing buzzes or rattles, and the piano has lived indoors away from damp, heat and direct sun. Only a technician can judge whether it will hold a tune and whether the hidden parts are sound.

Private sales and giveaway pianos can cost less up front, but there's usually no warranty, and you pay for the inspection, the move and the first tuning. A dealer's used piano often costs more but may come serviced, delivered and tuned. Many beginners are well served by a digital piano with 88 weighted keys until a good acoustic comes along.

Lessons are booked, and there's an upright in an online listing that looks perfect, or grandma's piano needs a new home. Before anyone rents a dolly, here's what to ask, what to check, what a technician looks for, and when a digital piano is the better first instrument. A printable checklist is at the end.

Where to buy a used piano: dealer, technician or private sale

A dealer's used piano usually costs more but often comes reconditioned, with a warranty, delivery and a first tuning. A private sale usually costs less, but you take on the risk and the extra costs. A local piano technician can be a useful middle route, because technicians often hear about used pianos for sale and already know their condition.

Want to compare stores? Our guides to piano stores in Canada and piano stores in the USA list stores and the questions to ask any of them. We don't vet or endorse stores or service providers, so check credentials and reviews before you buy or book.

Before you go: what a beginner's piano actually needs

A beginner doesn't need a fancy piano. They need one that works: every key plays, the touch feels even from one end to the other, the right pedal sustains, and the piano can hold a tune.

As lessons go on, pieces use more of the keyboard and the right pedal. A silent or sticky key makes practice frustrating, and a piano that drifts out of tune makes it hard to hear what's right. Also think about where it will go: away from radiators, heating vents, outside walls and direct sun. Our winter piano care guide explains why placement and humidity matter.

Questions to ask the seller (before you drive over)

A few questions by message can save a wasted trip. A seller who welcomes an inspection is a good sign.

• What make and model is it, and what's the serial number? (It's usually on the metal plate inside, often near the tuning pins. With the maker's name, it can show the year the piano was made, using a reference such as the Pierce Piano Atlas; a technician can help.)
• About how old is it?
• Where has it lived? A heated living room is good; a garage, unheated basement, cottage or storage unit is a warning sign.
• When was it last tuned, and by whom?
• Has it been moved recently? Any repairs or work done?
• Why are you selling?
• Can a piano technician look at it before I pay?
• Who arranges the mover, and when do you need it gone?
• How do you want to be paid, and when? (It's usually wise to pay only after you've seen the piano in person, and ideally after the inspection. Don't send a deposit or a "delivery fee" for a piano you haven't seen.)

The 15-minute check you can do yourself

You don't need to play piano to do these checks. Ask the seller's permission before opening anything.

Keys

Play every key, one at a time, softly and then loudly. Listen and watch for keys that stick down, come back up slowly, make no sound, sit higher or lower than their neighbors, or click. One silent key is often a small fix, but many sticky or sluggish keys can point to bigger problems.

Sound

Listen for any single note that sounds like two different pitches at once, rather than just slightly out of tune. Also listen for buzzes or rattles, and notice whether some areas sound very dull or very harsh compared with the rest.

Pedals

The right pedal should hold the sound when pressed and stop it cleanly when released. Check that the left and middle pedals do something.

Look inside

With the seller's permission, open the lid and look with a flashlight. Watch for signs of mice or moths (droppings, chewed felt), rust on strings or tuning pins, deep grooves worn into the hammer felt, cracks, water stains, and missing or broken parts.

Case and room

Look for cracks in the wood, loose legs on a grand, and any damp or musty smell.

Photos and the serial number

Take clear photos of the inside, the keys, the pedals and the serial number. Send them to the technician before the inspection.

What a piano technician checks that you can't

A technician can tell you whether the piano will hold a tune, whether the hidden structure is sound, and whether it's worth moving at all. That's why an inspection before you pay or book a mover is worth it.

A technician typically looks at:

• Tuning pins and pinblock. If the wooden block holding the tuning pins can no longer grip them, the piano won't stay in tune.
• Soundboard and ribs. Cracks or loose ribs can cause buzzes.
• Bridges. Cracks or loose pins can cause rattles and poor tone.
• The action and hammers. How evenly the keys respond, and whether worn hammers need work.
• Overall structure. Whether the piano is worth repairing for a beginner, or not.

Ask for the findings in writing, even a short email. To find someone, the Piano Technicians Guild's guide to buying a piano links to its searchable directory of Registered Piano Technicians (RPT, a title the Guild gives members who pass its written, tuning and technical exams). We don't vet or endorse any technician, so check reviews and ask what the inspection includes and costs. Your child's teacher may also know a local technician. For when else to call one, see our winter piano care guide.

Red flags: when to walk away

Walk away, or at least get a technician's opinion first, if you see any of these:

• The piano has lived in a garage, unheated basement, cottage or storage unit.
• Single notes sound like two pitches, or the piano won't stay near pitch.
• The seller won't allow a technician to look at it.
• Many keys stick or return slowly.
• There's water damage, heavy rust on strings or tuning pins, signs of mice, or many cracks in the soundboard (a few cracks aren't always serious; ask the technician).
• It's a spinet (the shortest kind of upright, about 36 to 40 inches tall, with the action set below the keys, which makes it harder to adjust and repair) or a tall upright about a century old. Both are often poor choices for a beginner's practice, though a technician can judge the individual piano.
• It was made before about 1960 and has plastic action parts (ask the technician).
• The seller says the piano is already "with the movers" and asks you to pay a delivery fee before you've seen it. This is a common scam.
• You're pressured to pay before seeing or inspecting it.

Is a giveaway piano worth it?

Sometimes. You don't pay for the piano itself, but the inspection, the move and the first tuning still cost money, and an old piano that won't hold a tune may not be worth saving. Have it inspected before it leaves the seller's home, so you aren't paying to move a piano you'll then have to pay to remove.

Moving it and the first tuning

Use a professional piano mover rather than moving it yourself with friends. Pianos are heavy and awkward, and a bad move can damage the piano, the house or someone's back. It helps to agree in writing, even by text or email, who books and pays for the mover and when. Before moving day, ask the mover whether they're insured for piano moves.

After the move, give the piano time to settle in its new room before the first tuning. Many technicians suggest waiting about two to four weeks, longer if it came from storage or a very different climate; your technician will tell you when. If the piano hasn't been tuned in years, it may be well below standard pitch and need a pitch raise (a first pass that brings every string close to pitch) before an accurate tuning, sometimes over more than one visit. Ask about this at the inspection. After that, keep up regular tunings; our winter piano care guide covers how often.

When a digital piano is the better call

A digital piano is often the better first instrument when the costs or the space don't work for an acoustic. Many beginners start on one and move to an acoustic later.

Consider a digital piano if:

• You don't have room in the budget for an inspection, a mover and tunings right now.
• You live in an apartment, and headphones would help with neighbors.
• You expect to move again soon.
• The only acoustic you've found fails the checks above.
• A young child is trying lessons for the first time.

For lessons, look for 88 weighted keys, a sustain pedal, a sturdy stand and a bench at the right height. Our guide to choosing a digital piano explains the features. If you need the lowest-cost start, an unweighted keyboard with full-size, touch-sensitive keys can do for a short trial (see our unweighted keyboards for beginners), but plan to move to 88 weighted keys soon, because weighted keys build the finger control lessons need. For a bench, lamp and the rest, see piano accessories and tools.

Ask your piano teacher before you buy

If the student already has a teacher, ask them first. Teachers often have views on touch and size for a beginner, and some know local technicians.

Printable used piano checklist

Ready to bring a piano home?

Look first, have a technician inspect it before you pay, use a piano mover, and let it settle before the first tuning. If the numbers or the space don't work, a digital piano with 88 weighted keys is a sound start.

Prefer to look around first? Browse teacher profiles in your city.

Piano teacher? List your studio on The Best Piano Teachers.

Bought a used piano? What did your technician find? Tell other families in the comments.

Send this to anyone eyeing a used piano listing.