Published 12 October 2026 · 2 minute read · Written for buyers, not for any one instrument
Age, serial number and variant.
Use the serial number and the manufacturer's records to check the production year. Check the factory or market covered by the table before applying it. Two pianos wearing the same model name can be twenty years apart, and that gap shows up in the price.
The variant matters too. A Yamaha YUS5 and a Yamaha U1 are both uprights, but they are not the same instrument and are not priced the same way. Check the model name on the plate, not just the brand on the fallboard.
Look up the serial number on the maker's own page before you agree a price: Yamaha and Kawai both publish their own tables.
What the hammers, pins and board tell you.
Condition is an important part of the comparison. The sale page shows what a dealer checks before a piano goes on the floor: hammers, tuning pin torque, the soundboard, bridges, dampers, action regulation and the cabinet.
Ask a technician to assess hammer wear, tuning stability and any soundboard concerns on the individual instrument. Photographs can identify points to ask about, but do not replace an assessment of how it plays and holds its tuning.
Ask what has been done to the piano before it went on the floor, and what is still outstanding. Both halves of the question.
The route decides the cost.
Ask for delivery to be itemised. The piano, floor and complete access route can affect the quotation: lift openings, turns, stairs, thresholds and gates all need checking. If normal access is unsuitable, ask what alternatives can be safely arranged and quoted.
Send the floor, the lift dimensions and the door widths with your enquiry. The delivery section on the sale page explains how a delivery is surveyed and carried out.
What is included, and what is not.
Ask the technician when to tune this instrument after delivery, considering its condition and the new room. Confirm whether the visit is included in the quotation or billed separately.
Ask what is covered after the sale: what kind of service, for how long, and what it excludes. Get the answer in writing, here or anywhere else you shop.
Six things to see before you pay.
The sale page lists six things worth having confirmed in writing: the exact instrument by serial and year, its condition today, the price of the instrument on its own, delivery, the first tuning, and what is covered afterwards.
Ask for all six as separate lines. A single total with no breakdown makes it difficult to compare quotations from different dealers.
Pricing, answered.
Why do used piano prices vary so much?
Because make, model, year, condition and included services all differ between instruments. Two pianos with the same model name can be twenty years apart in age and in very different condition. Compare dated quotations for identified instruments rather than assuming one model price applies to every used example.
Should I compare prices across dealers?
Yes, but compare the complete quotations, not just the instrument price. Check whether delivery, the first tuning and any after sale cover are included or quoted separately. Ask each dealer to itemise these separately so the comparison is fair.
Can I negotiate a used piano price?
Ask the dealer what is included and whether the figure is negotiable. What matters more than the number is what you are getting for it: the instrument, its documented condition, delivery, tuning and any written cover afterwards.
Is a more expensive piano always better?
Not necessarily. A well kept instrument at a lower price point can outplay a neglected one that costs more. Sit down at both and let your hands decide. Compare condition and preparation alongside price.
Where the rest is set out on this site: What the quotation should include → How to date a piano by serial number → Models and sizes → All guides →
Ask about a specific instrument.
Tell us the model you have in mind and the budget. Ask for current availability and a written quotation for an identified piano.