Unlike other popular mobility aids such as chair stairlifts or platform stairlifts which have to be installed in a specific area of your home, when you choose to invest in a home lift, you are in complete control of where it is installed. Homeowners choose to have their domestic lift installed in various different rooms, from the living room to the hallway, and there is no right or wrong answer when deciding where to install yours.
Due to the fact that this mobility aid is so versatile nowadays and there are lots of different locations to choose from when planning a home lift installation, many people struggle to decide which will be best for them and their property. Understandably this is a big decision to make and a residential lift isn’t easy to move, so you will need to ensure that you make the right choice before any preparation work is started. To help homeowners with this important decision, we have put together a list of things to think about when narrowing down your options.
Are you retrofitting your home lift?
Unless you’re planning on refurbishing your whole house or even building a new home, you will have to fit your new lift into your existing home and ideally, this should be done with as little modification as possible. Depending on the layout of your property, you may find that changes need to be made, so it is always worthwhile bearing this in mind from the outset.
Will the lift be inside or outside your property?
Many don’t realise that you can get both internal home lifts and outdoor home lifts, so you don’t necessarily have to install the lift into one of the rooms in your property, it could be on a patio in your back garden instead, for example. Take some time to look into the pros and cons of both of these types of home lift installation and think about which will be best for you.
Which rooms have the biggest floor space?
When choosing to install an internal home lift, it is important to think realistically about how much floor space it will take up in your home. Depending on the home lift design you’re interested in, some will be more intrusive than others, but it is helpful to think about which rooms are the biggest and have spare floor space which could be used for your through floor lift.
How many floors do you need to access?
As you may expect, if you have a three-storey house you will need to take into consideration the placement of the lift on all three floors when choosing where to have it installed. It can be easy to overlook the other floors in your home when thinking about your home lift installation, but you need to ensure that it is convenient on every floor that the lift will be stopping at.
Do you use some rooms more frequently than others?
You should also think about whether you want your home lift to give you immediate access to a specific part of your home or room. For example, would you like the lift to go from your living room to your bedroom because they are the most commonly used rooms? Or, on the contrary, would you rather have it out of sight and in a room that you don’t tend to use or a cupboard?
Who is going to be using the lift?
More often than not, when having a home lift installed, it will only be used by the homeowners and therefore, no rooms will be off-limits when thinking about placement. However, if family, friends or other guests will also be using your home lift, then you may want to think carefully about which rooms you’re happy for everyone to see whenever they use the lift.
Installing a home lift at your property
Hopefully, by taking the time to carefully consider everything above, you should find it a little bit easier to decide where to install your new home lift. Don’t worry if you’re still unsure and you’re looking for some professional advice, a home lift expert will gladly help you when choosing the perfect location for this mobility aid. They can ensure that you’re making the right choice both for the layout of your property and also your individual needs.
Our team here at Vimec will gladly assist you to ensure that you’re investing in the best home lift and that you’re also installing it in the right place too. For decades now, we have been producing beautifully designed home lift solutions that make a huge difference to our customers’ lives, giving them their independence back. We have the knowledge and expertise required to provide you with the advice and assistance you require in this regard and our friendly team will always do all they can to help.