Once you have assessed that a domestic lift is the best mobility solution for your and your home, the next step is choosing the best domestic lift for you and your home.
With the domestic lift becoming an ever more popular residential mobility aid, the amount of home lift models on the market could be overwhelming, so where do you start on finding out the best option?
How to choose the best Domestic Lift for you and your home?
We’ve created a list of considerations that can help narrow down your search for the perfect domestic lift. We’ve split them into factors to consider for yourself and ones to consider for your home.
Which Domestic Lift is best for me?
Accessibility Needs
At the end of the day, the main reason for investing in a home lift is to improve your accessibility of your home, so therefore the most important aspect of choosing a domestic lift is making sure it can cater fully to your mobility needs, as well as anyone else who may need to use the lift. For instance, does the lift need to accommodate a wheelchair, or more than one person at a time?
Also worth bearing in mind that homelifts can last 20-25 years so consider not just your current needs, but any potential future needs. That way, you’ll be investing in a home lift that will serve you for a long time to come in the event your mobility needs change over the years.
Budget
It’s no secret that domestic lifts can be a significant investment, so perhaps one of the most important things you can do when choosing your domestic lift is looking at how much you’d like to spend. Consider things like how much it will cost for the initial outlay plus any extra modifications, and how much it will cost to install including any renovations to the home.
Upkeep and Maintenance
Once your home lift is installed, it will require ongoing upkeep, maintenance and running costs. This could influence which home lift is best for you, as certain models may require more frequent servicing, or could be more costly day-to-day which could impact your energy bills.
Customisations and additional features
Finally, make a list of any additional features you’d like your domestic lift to have. Most lifts come with standard features that have certain customisations which can be upgraded, so making sure you know which ones you’d like ahead of time can help you in choosing your lift. Additional features might be a seat within the lift, an enclosed or open cab or bigger operation buttons.
Which Domestic Lift is best for my house?
Space
Potentially one of the limiting factors on the domestic lifts you can choose from, is how much space your home has available. Luckily, as domestic lifts have become more popular, the advancements in making them much more compact mean there are still plenty of options if space is tight.
Location
Not just space, but having a potential location in mind may help guide your choice on the model you end up going for. For instance, some people would ideally like their domestic lift to fit into an existing cupboard, so when shopping around it’s good to know your parameters. If you’re not sure where a good location would be, don’t worry, as when you have your home survey, a qualified and professional engineer will discuss your preferences and needs with you and can help you decide the best location for your home lift to go.
Floors & Ceilings
Consider how many floors your home is and how many you’d like the domestic lifts to travel to. Some lifts can only travel a max of two floors storey, so if you’d like it to cover more floors it may require a more specialist home lift.
Aesthetics
We know as a homeowner that you may have spent many years decorating your home, so it’s important that your domestic lift will fit in. Thankfully, as domestic lifts have advanced, they are no longer unattractive and utilitarian-looking, but can even be quite sleek and stylish, such as the Stiltz homelifts. Think about things such as colours and finishes so your domestic lift will blend in with the look and feel of your home.
Further advice on which domestic lift is right for me and my home?
Once you have worked out your ‘wishlist’ for your new domestic lift, get in contact with a reputable home lift supplier and installer, such as us here at Multicare. From there they will listen to your needs and wants, and try to matchmake you with the most suitable home lift model.