Buying a piano for your child? Why you shouldn't rely on a free one! And the true cost of a 'free' piano...

If I had a pound for every parent that said 'we want to see how they get on' after getting a 100 year old rickety straight strung overdamper for the kids to practise on...my internal thoughts are 'I can almost guarantee they won't'. Let me tell you why - If someone like myself can't get the piano to sound good after playing for 24 years, it is completely disheartening for a child trying to learn because whatever they play, it will sound dreadful. There is no way to monitor your progress if it sounds terrible anyway. Imagine the same child is learning to drive, and gets given a left hand drive car with flat tires and a misfiring engine...Hardly a recipe for success!

Before I carry on I would like to say; I understand money is tight and you don't want to invest in something expensive right now because your child might not carry on! But let me talk you through how much a free piano really costs...

Let's talk about the elements of a "free" piano you ought to bear in mind first:

1: If it is free, that is probably it's value - £0.

2: If the piano is on the older side, it is almost guaranteed to need tuning at least twice a year. If it isn't already at concert pitch, add another 2/3 tunings to the first year...

3: Transport is not included in the price - and it ain't cheap!

4: See my blog on how to buy a piano - it's likely dreadful. (I scan FB marketplace regularly, and for every piano I pick up, I probably scroll past 200). You are likely paying to remove someone elses inconvenience...

5: The inevitable cost of removing it from your house when it becomes unused.

Now bear in mind 10 years ago I sold my first 1976 Yamaha U1 piano for £2,800. That same piano in the same condition I am now selling for £3,800! So consider the costs over 10 years as follows:

Free Piano

Piano: Free

Transport: £175 (our charge for upright pianos locally)

10 years of tuning: >£1500 (6 monthly, assuming it's already at concert pitch)

Repairs: >£450 (On 100 year old pianos, tapes and cushions are the least you will likely need)

Value today: £0

Removal cost: £150 (I can't use a 100 year old piano and will be charged for disposal)

Total cost over 10 years: >£2,275 (This is what you will spend on your "free" piano over 10 years!)

1976 Yamaha U1

Piano: £2,800

Transport: FREE (Included in the price)

10 years of tuning: £685 (1st one was free, and only needs tuning yearly with normal use)

Repairs: N/A (5 year warranty means that even if it needed any, they would be free in that period)

Retail price today: £3,800

Trade price: £2,000 (For a piano I sold I would buy it back for this price, if it's been looked after)

Total cost over 10 years: £1,485 (If you sold the piano back to me, this is what it cost you over that 10 years)

I understand that initial outlay is difficult to find, but I can almost guarantee your child will not carry on with the rickety creaky free piano off eBay...I have seen two pupils carry on long enough to get another piano, that's out of about 100!

Remember, we do offer finance - it may be the most important investment you ever make!