Generally speaking, when looking for a new piano, buy the best piano you can afford. The first thing is to decide how much you can afford to spend on a piano without breaking your budget. Remember, a piano is an investment. A good quality new piano will cost upwards of $2,000-$3,000 (easily several thousand dollars more if you want to spend that much), but that piano will also last you a long time. If its well-taken care of, a good piano will last about 50 years before needing to be rebuilt.
If your budget is tight, consider purchasing a used piano. They can be a good value. The best bet when purchasing a used piano is to buy from a reputable dealer so that you dont end up with a piano that needs a lot of work to make it play and sound good. If youre buying from a private party consider having a piano technician check it out before you purchase it. The small investment to have it checked out can save you serious dollars down the road. Remember that a piano may look good on the outside but need a lot of work on the inside (strings may need to be replaced, pins may need to be fixed or replaced, etc.) so its best to have a professional look at it before you purchase....