Now, you are thinking of purchasing a home lift, but before delving into the purchasing journey, there are a few things to be considered first to ensure you end up with the perfect solution for your property.

Firstly, highlighting what your specific needs and reasoning for installing a platform lift into your property are. Is it for accessibility? Is it to future proof your home? Is it to add value? Or perhaps it is for another reason… regardless, identifying what the lift will be predominantly used for can help assist with decisions further down the purchasing process such as choosing the footprint of your lift, the door opening style and, the finishing aesthetics.

Secondly, the placement of the lift within your property is another important factor to decide. This is of course dependent on the space available within your property (most home lifts come with footprints as small as 900 x 1217mm). If you are purchasing a lift to access multiple storeys of your property, then placement near a pre-existing staircase may be the best option, however, if you are installing a home lift to add value and the ‘wow factor’, making it a statement piece in the centre of an entrance or room may suit better! An added benefit of installing a home lift is that there is rarely intensive associated building works, with installation taking place in as little as 2-3 days. If you do not have the room internally, platform lifts can be adapted to be fitted to the exterior of your home.

The above should assist in determining a budget to be spent on your domestic lift. Home lift prices can vary due to many contributing factors such as the footprint, the model of lift you choose and, the finishes. Many home lifts have bespoke design options which can select to suit the surrounding aesthetics of your property. If you choose to have a high-spec lift, the cost will coincide.

Following installation of your lift, you will likely need to take out a maintenance contract. This again, is dependent on the first point – what you will be using your lift for and how often. If the lift is for accessibility, it is assumed it will be used multiple times on a daily basis; therefore, it is recommended to commit to a maintenance contract that provides numerous service visits per annum to ensure the lift and its components are lubricated, thoroughly checked and any issues or faults can be pre-emptively identified… in the long run this could save on costly part replacements and, prevent your lift from being out of service for prolonged periods of time. On the other hand, if your lift is to add value to your property or to future proof your home, you may not be using it to its full potential as of yet – benefiting from taking out a maintenance contract that provides at least one routinely health-check service each year (similar to how you would care for your car).

It is clear there are lots of factors to consider when purchasing a home lift. It certainly isn’t a straightforward process due to a domestic lift being a long-term investment and structural addition to your home. With that, the benefits of having a home lift certainly outweigh by adding value to your property, future proofing your home, providing accessibility solutions and, ultimately connecting generations within your environment.