The need to consider a home lift arises for a number of reasons but often once installed, customers described them as ‘life-changing’ or one of those things ‘we can’t believe we managed without’.

There are a range of options out there to choose from but it is reassuring to know that whichever of the contemporary domestic lifts on the market you select, the likelihood is you will find it hugely beneficial

Here at the Home Lift Experts, we look at the stories of three customers to demonstrate the positive impact a home lift has had on their lives.

Staying in a home you love

For most customers, the fact that they have not had to move home is a huge benefit. The modern style of home lift can be tailored very specifically to a customer’s requirements, décor and preferred location, in almost any home.

A man suffering with a painful leg ulcer installed a home lift to help him get between floors after his condition became so painful he could barely walk.

Mr Harris had the through the floor domestic lift installed in his dining room which travelled to the spare bedroom. As this style of home lift required no hydraulics or supporting walls and was powered by a self-contained motor, plugging straight into a normal 13-amp power socket, it was installed in just one day. This particular, home lift travels on self-supporting stilts with only a small opening required in the ceiling for the lift to pass through between floors.

“I couldn’t sleep and had a home lift put in as eventually I became wheelchair-bound,” said Mr Harris. “We’ve lived in our house for 35 years so we had no intention of moving home. The home lift enabled me to move between floors without any help, and meant we didn’t need to move house.”

Independence

For many home lift users, the lift has given them a sense of independence that otherwise would not be possible. This can make a huge difference to an individual’s sense of well being. We met a 95-year-old woman who is now able to move around her home freely and independently again after having a domestic lift installed.

Doris Rogers lives in a self-contained annex in Ipswich, Sussex, above her son’s garage. Her home includes a bedroom, living room, wet room and galley kitchen designed specially to suit her. But Doris began experiencing trouble with her legs and could no longer use the stairs. Son David looked into stairlifts but decided on adding a home lift instead. A great thing about home lifts is they are designed for domestic use and with highly flexible, modular sections as well as a remarkably small footprint, is can be installed almost anywhere in the home.

The installation process was quick, simple and cost effective and the entire process took a couple of days. David said: “The staircase in the garage was removed and the lift slotted into its place. It couldn’t have been easier. Mum absolutely loves her lift. It really has given her so much independence back and a whole new lease of life.”

Avoiding the inconvenience of a stairlift

Many customers do consider the alternative options of a stairlift and a home lift. For one customer, his experiences of a stairlift left him firmly convinced that a domestic lift was the best solution.
James Ashdown suffers from angina and has had two knee replacement operations. He had a stairlift installed in his home as using the stairs was difficult. However, it broke down regularly, and on one occasion, he had to be rescued by the Fire Brigade.

He said: “It was the third time in a week the stairlift had broken – it was ridiculous. I was only on it for a second before it apparently went into overdrive and got stuck. I couldn’t get off!. Mr Ashdown refused to use the stairlift again and instead had a Stiltz Home Lift installed by the Home Lift Experts which travels up to his main bedroom.

“I decided I wasn’t going to use the stairlift again,” he said. “I was frightened of using it in case I became trapped again. It was regularly serviced and still broke down. I didn’t know about home lifts when I bought the stairlift or I would have got a Stiltz Home Lift back then. It’s easy to use, runs smoothly and I feel safe. It is electric-powered and plugs straight into the wall. I had a power cut the other day while I was in the lift but, because it has a battery back-up, it brought me back down safely until the power came back on again. The lift has improved my life and made me more mobile, plus I’ve no anxiety about using it.”