Humidity is the killer. As it swells the wood, the strings tighten and go sharp, as it dries, they loosen and go flat. Keep the instrument in a climate controlled room with a constant level of humidity.
The newer electronic pianos are offering interesting sounds, with weighted keys at a lower cost. Only getting better for newcomers who can eventually graduate to an acoustic grand if their talent warrants it.
The high end Yamaha electronic pianos are pretty sweet.