A mobility home lift can offer a new level of convenience and mobility in moving around your home and provides solutions to many common accessibility issues.
If you are struggling to decide whether to purchase a stairlift, or you do not think that one will fulfil your needs, then looking at a mobility home lift is worthwhile.
They’re often much more expensive than a stairlift, but the convenience that they offer is often well worth the expense for users. However, before diving in and making a decision on which mobility home lift to purchase, there are some important considerations.
We’ve outlined some of the most important as follows:
Building Requirements & Type Of Home Lift
The first thing you will need to consider if you’re thinking of choosing a mobility home lift is what the requirements are for the house or property you are in. Home lifts come in several varieties, with the most popular and often cheapest being the through floor lift.
These serve properties with just two floors; ground and first. They can be located in just about any room and provide an elevator up to the next floor through a hole (aperture) in the floor/ceiling.
There are also residential lifts and platform home lifts, both of which are much bigger, more expensive and require some sort of lift shaft to be installed. Due to this expense, when we talk about home lifts, the variations of through floor lifts is generally what we refer to.
Cost-Effectiveness
Installing a mobility home lift can involve considerable expense, however, you need to think about the longer-term implications of your purchase. Firstly, if the primary user has a condition that will deteriorate and be further debilitating, then a home lift can help give piece of mind that mobility will remain possible between all rooms in the house.
Secondly, installing a home lift is often much cheaper than undergoing extensive renovations to your property for alternative solutions. Again, we refer to the installation of a through room lift against some more invasive home improvements such as having residential elevators or significant bespoke stairlifts designed.
Finally, it may also be a lot cheaper and less stressful than moving house, which is the obvious other solution if moving between floors of your property has become troublesome.
It’s important to keep in mind that through room lifts can often be resold when they are finished with too, so there remains value in them for many years which helps to add to how cost effective they are.
Can The User Be Catered For With Alternative Means?
If you’re looking at home lifts, the chances are that you have already investigated other solutions. But if not, make sure you take the time to look at stairlifts which may provide a better solution for the user.
That said, mobility home lifts provide an excellent way of maintaining mobility through the house for physical disabled users, but also the over 50s who may be starting to struggle with some elements of mobility around the home.
Where Should The Home Lift Be Located?
It’s important to think of the practicalities of your mobility home lift. A through floor lift can be located in just about any room that has the depth and space to fit one in, so long as the floor above has the same available to it.
However, look around the rooms you wish to put it in. Is there enough room to make the lift accessible to the user, especially if they are in a wheelchair? Is it going to block any key elements of the room, such as doorways, windows or other features?
Often, through floor lifts will be placed in the corner of the largest room in the house. Have a think about the space you have available to use for the lift.
Still Got More Questions?
If you are considering installing a mobility home lift in your house, then why not get in touch with us today on 0151 525 3610 to speak to our experienced team. Alternatively, you can complete our simple enquiry form here and we will call you back at a time convenient for you. We will be able to offer important advice and also visit your home to help you plan your installation.