Blog Tracy + Chris Sadly, Another Piano Is Heading to the Scrap Heap

Sadly, Another Piano Is Heading to the Scrap Heap

By Tracy Dau, April 27, 2021

 

Back in this piano’s heyday, which was at the end of the 1800s and start of the 1900s, my clients piano would have been a source of home entertainment, as well as being a sign of status, and was often put in the best room in the house.

But in the 1920s, pianos were they were made for the mass market. They were not made to last, they were made to sell. Much like a house, a good piano needs to be built with a good foundation to last. After making several calls and posting free ads online for the piano pictured, my seller has found it impossible to find someone to take this instrument that we had made the focal point in our staging. I’ve heard the same cry from  past clients that find themselves having to take their old well-loved possession to the dump.

What I have learned from talking to piano restoration enthusiasts is that a piano has thousands of moving parts, making restoration a very time-consuming, and specialist business. Just polishing a piano can take 70 hours. They become a money pit. I have also learned firsthand that it can be dangerous to dismantle a piano if you don’t know what you are doing because of the tension of the strings. Snapped fingers don’t feel so good.

I like that all of the old pianos that have brought happiness to people’s lives. And that maybe the piano was even ‘happy’ for its 100+ year life span.

Tracy Dau

Broker | Earth Advantage | OR

She/Her

When you meet Tracy Dau, it doesn’t take long to realize where her true passions lie.  She loves houses and loves matching her clients with the place that’s perfect for them.  Ask her clients and they’ll tell you she’s a whirlwind of energy, a juggler of projects, a creative force, a good listener and a tireless advocate.  She comes to the job with a vision for what’s possible and the background to make that happen. Maybe it’s because she grew up in the breathtaking town of Juneau Alaska, where it rains 250 days a year.  It’s the kind of place where you either give into gloomy weather or dig deep and find the will to preserve. Maybe it’s because her folks instilled in her the drive to succeed. For the past sixteen years she has gutted and restored many houses, using any opportunity to work with her hands. Blending her formal training as a fine artist and designer with her experience as a builder, these old-house remodels have become her creative canvas. Her time as a product developer and architectural consultant at Rejuvenation House Parts introduced her to a community of like-minded folks who encouraged her to become a REALTOR®. She is drawn to vintage homes. The artist in her is drawn to their detail, the builder in her to their craftsmanship. Their charm and imperfections make them all the more fascinating and soulful. That’s what drew her to her first home. Stripped of all her painted-lady features, she sat sadly on a corner lot in SE Portland waiting to be loved and cared for. She had a yard full of shopping carts, a tree that had grown through her facade, motor-oil soaked mattresses and a basement full of the neighbor’s missing car parts, and yet, in spite of this her husband Nate and Tracy bought and fixed her up. This renovation lead to the next house-love-affair, followed by another and another. It only made sense to apply this knowledge and the valuable lessons learned along the way to help others looking to buy or improve their own homes. Which brings me to why she became a REALTOR®. Tracy chose this job because she is passionate about houses and loves the chance to develop relationships with her clients. When you choose to work with Tracy, she will advocate for your best interests, guide you through the home buying process and protect you from the stressful moments as they inevitably arise. She will advise you every step of the way to enable you to make good decisions, stay centered and reach your goals. Even after your  transaction has come to an end, Tracy is still available to answer your questions and help with your home projects. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors. Her hobbies include teaching her children, Lander and Olivia, about nature, hunting for sea creatures, spotting birds, drinking bourbon in the winter and gin in the summer, eating chocolate and traveling to warm destinations.
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  • T: 971-275-0387
  • tdau@livingroomre.com

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