GARY WATTS REMOVALS
Antiques, Fine Art and Pianos, our speciality
EST 1987
ABOUT US
Established for over a quarter of a century, Gary Watts Removals is a small, independent piano and antique removal specialist, based in mid-Cornwall. Well known in the piano trade, we are recognised as one of the most experienced piano movers in the South of England.
We are recommended by other removal companies and entrusted by several piano removal specialists to deliver on their behalf in the west country.
SERVICES
We carry out Piano and Antique Removals for both trade and private customers as one of our main services and are the preferred movers for many, including;
Schools and Colleges
Music Shops
Tuners and Technicians
Churches
Concert Venues
Further to this, we are able to provide Piano Access Surveys for trade and private clients prior to a move. These are sometimes necessary to determine whether a proposed property or location will physically accept a particular sized instrument.
To request a Piano Access Survey, call us on
07812 571262 or send us a message and we will contact you to discuss this.
WHERE WE OPERATE
Areas we cover include:
The South West of England
Wales
London and the home counties
As well as this, we work in conjunction with other professional piano movers which enables us to arrange trusted transportation to and from the north of England and Scotland. These contacts can arrange shipping of pianos worldwide and take care of all relevant permits and paperwork.
EQUIPMENT
Having moved such a large number of pianos, of all shapes and sizes, we have, over the years, invested in the finest moving equipment available. However, a lot of this equipment has not changed very much over the last 70 years.
Therefore, we have improved and re-designed existing items and developed and engineered our own bespoke items, in order to bring the art of piano moving into the 21st century.
No longer are piano moves the domain of three or four burly men, but a carefully planned and orchestrated smooth operation. This is where our many years of experience and passion show.
ESTIMATES, INSURANCES AND PRICES
We are happy to respond to initial enquiries via email, however then prefer to liaise with clients over the phone. This enables us to ask a few questions regarding van access, make and model of the piano, whether there are steps or steep drives at collection or delivery addresses and gather any other relevant information.
Once we have this, we are able to provide an accurate quote based on the information provided. This ensures that we arrive properly equipped to carry out the removal efficiently.
We strive to be flexible and are often able to consolidate several pianos together to make a trip viable for us and cost-effective for our clients. We are able to include a piano on one of our regular runs or, provide a quotation for a dedicated van for a single instrument.
Please feel free to call us at any time to discuss your removal and we will be happy to provide you with free estimates and advice. We are also able to provide contact details for a recommended piano tuner in your area.
Insurance
All quotations include full Goods in Transit insurance and full Public Liability cover.
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Gary Watts Removals has been trading continually throughout the South of England and beyond, since 1986. My brother Marcus and I grew up in a family that was heavily involved in the antique trade and in turn, we began moving antiques for various dealers from a young age. This involved collecting antique furniture from shops and auction lots from sale rooms, then delivering them to trade and private clients. Marcus too owned his own removals firm with which we have worked closely over the years and although he no longer runs his own removals, he does continue to help and advise us on a regular basis.
Quite often we would be working in two or three different counties, two or three times a week. Whilst doing so, we learned the ins and outs of the trade at the sharp end and soon became the removers of choice for many of the local dealers. This was due to our extensive knowledge of the furniture we were moving and the pride of which we took in our work. Our clients knew that they could send us on any job, large or small with the knowledge that we would be punctual and polite and take special care of their goods.
Once we were well established within the antique trade, we starting contracting to the local auction house Phillips, who then later became Bonhams. Although they no longer sell in Cornwall, they do still run busy offices in both Truro and Exeter. Twenty-five years later we still work closely with them, carrying out collections and deliveries on their behalf.
Alongside working with antiques, we carried out many years of household removals throughout the whole of the UK, as well as a number of moves to and from France. This earned us a reputation for good old-fashioned “service with a smile”, whilst providing professional removals at a reasonable price. I still adhere to something my Dad told me when I first started out in business, “Always do a little bit more than people expect, rather than a little bit less and people will always have you back” – Great advice that has always stood me in good stead.
My piano moving days started in the early nineties, helping Bromley Bland and his sons at his premises near Truro. We learned how to move pianos with Brom, upstairs, downstairs, through windows, over garage roofs and across gardens, using various means from forklift trucks to digger buckets. We were probably winging it a little more than we should have done, but that was back in the day.
One of the many things I learned from Brom and his son Nigel was that nothing was too much trouble when customers were concerned. They had many years of prestigious concert work at a number of venues including the IMS at Prussia Cove, twice a year, along with many hundreds of piano deliveries to both private and business customers.
Piano Moving takes you to some lovely places, meeting lovely people who all have one thing in common, they all love pianos. I have always said that “you have to love them to move them”.
TESTIMONIALS
FOR SALE
FOR SALE
Coming soon..
BLOG
Coming Soon....
CONTACT US
Please feel free to contact us at any time by phone or email to discuss your removal and we will be happy to provide you with free estimates and advice.
2 Besowsa Cottage, Menna, Truro, Cornwall, TR2 4HB
07812571262