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Acoustic pianos are often given away for free in the Netherlands, but moving and tuning one costs several hundred euros, and a bad piano is a burden. For most beginners and apartment dwellers, a used digital piano with 88 weighted keys is the better buy. If you want an acoustic, focus on the condition of the inside, not the cabinet.
Search 'gratis piano' and you will find plenty. The catch: a professional piano mover typically charges a few hundred euros, more with stairs or a hoist through the window, and the piano will need tuning after the move. A piano that has not been tuned for years may need several tunings to settle, and some will not hold pitch at all.
Before you say yes, ask the brand, the serial number (inside, usually on the iron frame) and when it was last tuned. The serial number tells you the year of production.
Yamaha uprights (U1, U3, and the smaller b and P series) and Kawai models are reliable and keep their value. German brands like Schimmel, Seiler, Grotrian and Bechstein are well regarded. Many free pianos are old cabinet pianos from the 1960s and 70s from lesser-known makers: some are fine, many are tired. If you are paying more than a few hundred euros, a piano technician's inspection is money well spent.
Grand pianos (vleugels) need a lot of space and a careful move. Only consider one with a technician's opinion.
Digital pianos have no tuning cost, a volume knob and a headphone socket, which matters with neighbours. Good used options: Yamaha P-45, P-125 and P-145, Roland FP-10 and FP-30X, Kawai ES110 and ES120 for portable models; Yamaha Clavinova CLP and Arius, Roland HP and Kawai CA for cabinet models. Look for 88 keys with weighted or hammer action; 61-key keyboards are fine for a start but not for learning piano properly.
Test every key at soft and hard velocity, all pedals, both headphone outputs and the speakers at high volume for rattles or crackling. Ask for the power adapter and the sustain pedal; the cheap square pedal that comes with portable models is worth upgrading.
Portable models weigh 11-20 kg and fit on a back seat. Cabinet models like a Clavinova weigh 40-70 kg and usually need to be taken apart (stand, pedal unit, keyboard) to move, so ask the seller to help and photograph the cables before disconnecting. If you want a weighted 88-key digital piano with a stand and three pedals that you can collect by car, vindje.com can filter out the 61-key keyboards and accessories in a plain search.
Digital pianos lose value steadily, so a five-year-old model sells for well under half its new price. Good acoustic uprights hold their value much better, and a Yamaha U1 in good condition rarely goes cheap. Old upright pianos without a known brand are often worth nothing more than the cost of moving them.
| Item | Typical asking price |
|---|---|
| Old upright piano, unknown brand | EUR 0-300 |
| Yamaha U1 or Kawai upright | EUR 1500-3500 |
| Portable digital piano (Yamaha P-125, Roland FP-30X) | EUR 200-450 |
| Yamaha Clavinova CLP or Arius, 2-6 years old | EUR 400-1300 |
| 61-key keyboard | EUR 30-100 |
| Professional piano move | EUR 150-400 |
Rough Marktplaats asking prices in the Netherlands. Condition, age and season move them a lot.
Describe what you want in your own words and vindje.com searches Marktplaats in Dutch, then reads every listing and keeps only the real matches. For example:
Digital piano with 88 weighted keys, Yamaha or Roland, with stand and three pedals, under 600 euro, within 25 kmSearch Marktplaats like this
Only if it plays evenly and holds a tuning. Moving and tuning cost a few hundred euros, so check it carefully first.
Usually around EUR 100-150 per tuning, more if it needs extra work after years without tuning.
A digital piano with 88 weighted keys suits most beginners: no tuning, quiet practice with headphones and easier to move.
Find the serial number on the iron frame or soundboard and look it up for the brand. Yamaha and Kawai publish lists by year.