Guide to Home Lifts by the Homelift Experts
What is a Home Lift?
A home lift, also called a ‘domestic lift’ or ‘through-floor lift’, is basically a compact, attractive elevator designed and built specifically for a domestic setting.
Thanks to modern technology and a strong focus on look and feel, home lifts are becoming a popular choice over ugly, ‘space-stealing’ stairlifts, wheelchair lifts, or other disability lifts.
The latest domestic lifts on the market are affordable, can often be installed within a day and funding is available in many cases.
They run quietly, move smoothly, and take up very little space, so you don’t need a huge room to fit one in.
At Homelift Experts, we take the stress out of the search and help you to find the perfect lift for your unique requirements.
Here are some of the key considerations to think about when researching your new lift.
What types of home lifts are available
There are four main types of home lifts: hydraulic, vacuum, traction, and non-hydraulic. These days, non-hydraulic lifts are the front-runner for buyers looking for the best option.
Why? Non-hydraulic lifts offer a smoother travel experience because of the way they are made. Efficient motor systems minimise vibrations and jerky movements. They are also more compact, more attractive, and often more affordable than the other options.
Hydraulic lifts can be cumbersome and require a separate machine room, vacuum lifts work with air pressure, pumps, and turbines, and traction lifts use a mechanism that can sometimes feel a bit bumpy. Added to which, hydraulic, vacuum and traction lifts can be pricey.
Non-hydraulic lifts, on the other hand, with their superior technical and design quality are affordable and a fantastic choice.
Design Features
Our customers frequently tell us that their family and friends admire their lift installation and are always keen to take a ride in it when they visit.
The range of lift companies that we recommend at Homelift Experts are all intentional in design. ‘Intentional design’ is important because it is an approach where every decision made in the creation process is purposeful, with a clear rationale behind it.
It involves considering the end user, the context, and the function of the product or system at every step of the design process, which is very important when it involves something being installed into a home environment.
The goal of intentional design is to create a thoughtful and meaningful user experience, ensuring that every element serves a specific purpose rather than being added arbitrarily.
Details such as muted tones and an ergonomically considered capsule shape, ensure that the lifts we showcase, all have a cohesive, aesthetic design that enhances a space and looks great in your home.
Our lifts offer the best of both worlds, with the versatility of a compact footprint combined with a design that creates a sense of space when travelling between floors.
Clever features such as full-height or half-height transparent doors ensure this experience and the clear surround allows natural daylight to flood through into any room, wherever you choose to locate your lift.
People respond emotionally to design, and simple, uncluttered designs create a sense of calm and ease. For this reason, we have chosen a selection of home lifts which are committed to simple, intuitive controls. Several of our lifts also include a pair of remote controls so a user can call their lift to any floor from wherever they are waiting.
Traction Domestic Lifts:
Home lifts costsmassively vary but traction lifts are typically more expensive than other types of domestic lift and based on a standard installation could cost between £28,000 and £33,000.
Vacuum Domestic Lifts
Costs for a vacuum lift start from around £28,000.
Hydraulic Domestic Lifts
A basic hydraulic lift based on a standard installation for a standard through-floor lift is between £23,000 and £28,000.
Non-Hydraulic Domestic Lifts
The non-hydraulic is the Homelift Experts’ most popular lift type as it has not only experienced the fastest development in terms of its technical features, but it is also one of the most price-appealing and attractive looking through floor lifts. The top three brands requested are Stiltz Home Lifts, Lifton Home Lifts and Artico Home Lifts.
Based on a standard installation, a bespoke Stiltz Homelift has a starting price of around £15,000, LiftonDuo passenger lifts start from £17,000 and a lift from Artico from £20,000.
All home lift costs are indicative and are subject to a site survey and individual customers’ exact requirements, but the cost will include all site preparation work and delivery costs. All three home lift brands include all the safety standards expected of such products.
What are the benefits of having a home lift?
• Freedom and Independence
• Stay in your own home
• Convenience
• Companionship (2-3 passengers depending on type)
• Safety and comfort
• Economical to run
• Energy efficient
• Fast Installation
• Space efficiency
• Quiet and Smooth Operation
• Plugs straight into a standard domestic wall socket (in most cases)
Are there any grants or financial assistance for installing a home lift?
Funding the installation of a home lift can be approached through various avenues. One primary option is the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG), available in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, which provides financial assistance for necessary home adaptations, including domestic lifts.
Eligibility for a DFG requires that the applicant has a disability, with means-testing applied to determine the grant amount, except for applications concerning disabled children under 18. The maximum grant amounts are £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales, and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. It’s important to apply through your local council and await approval before commencing any work.
In addition to DFGs, other funding options include personal loans, charitable contributions, and potential VAT relief on certain adaptations. Exploring each funding route thoroughly is advisable to determine the most suitable method for your circumstances. For personalized assistance, consulting with experienced professionals, such as those at Stiltz Homelifts, can provide valuable guidance throughout the process.
Are home lifts safe?
Home lifts are designed with advanced safety features to ensure secure and efficient operation. Sensors at the top and bottom of the lift prevent its use if there are obstructions in its path, stopping operation if an object or uneven weight is detected. A weight limit sensor halts the lift if the maximum capacity is exceeded, while sensors in the entranceway enhance safety. Additionally, all lifts come with a battery-powered backup system, ensuring that the lift safely descends to the ground floor during a power outage, allowing users to travel with peace of mind.
Operating a through floor lift is straightforward, using a hold-to-run control button that gives users full control to stop the lift’s movement by simply releasing the button. An emergency stop button and a key switch for manual override enhance safety and convenience, particularly when small children are present. Further safety features include a fall arrest mechanism to prevent falls in the unlikely event of cable slackening. With 24/7 after-sales support provided by Homelift Experts, homeowners can rely on comprehensive assistance for their lifts.
Here are some of our customer reviews
“Before we had the home lift fitted, my partner Pete had to give me a piggyback upstairs! Not only is this bad for his health, but it’s extremely undignified for me. We did this for nine months until our lift was installed and it has totally changed my life. I can go to bed when I like, have a bath when I like… my independence is my life and that’s what my lift has given me.
- Dani Watts, 31, Wokingham, Berkshire
“I used to have to throw my clothes down the stairs and then try climb over them. There was no way I could carry a washing basket downstairs. I would regularly trip over my washing which was a big worry. Not anymore.”
- Steve Waller, 64, Rotherham, Yorkshire
“When I am at home, I don’t worry about how to get up and down the stairs, plus I only need one wheelchair. Previously I needed two chairs – one upstairs and one down. Transferring between them was a pain and the continual fear of falling from a wheelchair at the top of the stairs was really preying on my mind and causing me stress and worry. Whereas now I can wheel myself between floors safely and without interruption.”
- Benjamin Pritchard, 28, a wheelchair user from Ammanford, Wales
Homelift Experts Case Studies
Read the individual stories from Homelift Experts customers here who describe how and why they needed a domestic lift and how it has improved their lives.
What are the best home lift brands?
Stiltz Home Lifts
The award-winning Stiltz Home Lift is affordable, attractive and quick to install. It is no surprise that this brand is one of the UK market leaders. With its compact footprint, it is suitable for even the smallest of residences and can carry two people up one floor in less than 30 seconds. The through floor lift is transparent, allowing natural light to flood into a room and its curved design and neutral colourway are easy on the eye enabling it to blend into any décor.
The Stiltz is economical to use and plugs into a normal 13amp power socket – like a regular household appliance on a unique drive system. It sits on its own self-supporting structure so there is no need to find a load bearing wall and its motor is housed at the top of the lift, out of sight. It includes two hold-to-run remote controls.
This home lift solution is smooth, quiet and a great choice for affordability. Installers usually take just one day to put in a Stiltz based on a standard home lift installation.
Lifton Home Lifts
The Lifton Home Lift is designed to be noticed. Homeowners are drawn to its beautiful exterior and choose to complete their home design with the domestic lift as an enhancement, rather than disguising it.
It is the perfect lift for the multi-generational household, who prefer to have more than one way to travel between floors. It also includes two hold-to-run remote controls.
A Lifton domestic lift blends form with function and it impresses as much with its look as it does with its technology. Investing in a Lifton through floor lift helps homeowners continue enjoying the home they love and provides the ultimate home lift travel experience.
Aritco Home Lifts
The Aritco Home Lift is a fantastic domestic lift which meets the needs of the increasing popularity of the town house, as it can travel from ground floor up to two floors or even six.
Engineered with the Scandinavian principle of simple design versus superior functionality, this home lift can be customised to match home style and personality.
These high-quality range of domestic lifts are safe, efficient, and cost effective.
What are the Benefits of Installing a Home Lift?
There are many key benefits of installing a domestic lift in your home. This includes:
Future-proofing
Increasing numbers of people are choosing to adapt their homes now, so they are ready and prepared for later years. This is called future-proofing. Installing a home lift is an ideal adaptation to make, as from day one it can be used by the whole household and adds a subtle level of convenience and luxury to the home. Unlike stairlifts and grab handles which can be unsightly and cumbersome, a through floor lift is a smart and neat addition, whilst removing any anxiety about future mobility concerns.
Sleek appearance
Modern passenger lifts are beautiful. One can expect to see sleek and elegant casings, with large transparent panels to create a sense of spaciousness with atmospheric down-lights and high-end finishes. Some makes of through floor lift may be customised to suit your home style. Whatever the style of the home, be it contemporary chic, bohemian or classic, there is a domestic lift to complement the design.
Add value to your home
Research shows that installing a through floor lift can actually add value to your home with estate agents noting that buyers are increasingly likely to add a home lift to their wish lists. A well-placed, expertly installed domestic lift gives future owners the benefit of a wholly accessible house, be that for themselves, a young family, or older visiting relatives.
Versatile
The joy of a through-floor lift is that it has been designed all the way back at the blueprint stage to be completely versatile. Often built in pieces, low doorframes or tricky manoeuvres are no problem when the lift can be brought into your home in sections and built back up once in situ. Often slim and built on its own self-supporting structure, a home lift can be located almost anywhere. Some even plug straight into a domestic socket, removing the need for extra electrical work. The only building work required is a small opening in the ceiling for the lift to pass smoothly through between floors.
Forget about moving house
All too often people think that once they retire, acceptance of single-storey living is inevitable. However, installing a lift in the home allows homeowners to enjoy living independently in their family home for as long as they choose. Domestic lifts mean that the level of mobility no longer dictates where or how a person moves around their home and keeps them connected to activity in their home rather than isolated to one room.
Who Uses a Home Lift?
Independent Senior Living
As we grow older, the stairs can sometimes become a frustrating barrier to reaching parts of the home. Installing a through floor lift takes away the difficulty, making it safe and easy to get around the home. A domestic lift can be used not only for people, but also for moving heavy or bulky things, such as washing, luggage and boxes which helps to avoid accidents and injury.
For those with older parents, adding a home lift to their house can help remove the worry of around the safety of the stairs. A domestic lift means elderly parents can continue to enjoy living independently in the home they love, whilst staying safe and comfortable
Mobility
If getting up and down the stairs is a struggle due to a medical condition, or somebody is recovering from surgery or the legs just are not what they used to be, installing a home lift can be a life-changing moment.
A domestic through floor lift allows a homeowner to travel freely and independently upstairs, making the whole house accessible once again with no areas ‘off limits,’ and no need to ask others for help. Some lifts can be funded by a Disabled Facilities Grant.
For wheelchair users a home lift is a game changer as it enables them to take their chair with them, rather than having to have one chair upstairs and one downstairs. It also means the user can travel between floors with a laundry basket or a box or anything they need, without having to wait for assistance or worry about a fall.
Family Life
From the moment there are children in the house a lift starts to earn its keep. Whether it is to safely carry a new-born baby, move bulky baby equipment around the home, or make travel more entertaining for toddlers, a lift can take some of the stress out of the busy early years of family life. Equally when the home is full of teenagers a home lift comfortably accommodates two adults and a pet travelling together.
Where can Domestic Lifts be Installed?
Room to Room
This is one of the most common configurations. The lift travels from a hallway to a landing or a living room to a bedroom.
Cupboard to Cupboard
With the compact nature of today’s modern home lifts, customers can choose to have their domestic lift completely hidden by installing it inside an airing cupboard or wardrobe, as long as one is located directly above the other and they are the same size.
Garage
For houses built above the garage, having a through floor lift from garage to living space is a great solution.
Thru-Car
Unique to Stiltz and Lifton domestic lifts in particular is the Thru-Car concept. Where the home will not allow access from the same side of the lift on different floors, the
Stiltz and Lifton models allow users to enter and exit through opposite sides of the lift car. This is also ideal for wheelchair users, as it saves the need for reversing.
Multi-Storey, Multiple Lifts
If your home has several storeys, there are home lifts available which can travel up to six floors, such as the Artico model. Alternatively, the user can opt for multiple lifts in any location of your choice for maximum convenience.
A World of Choice
Think outside of the box with a home lift and a unique solution can be found for any specific needs. Be it conservatory to mezzanine or first floor landing to roof terrace, the possibilities are endless. It is even possible for your through floor lift to travel up the outside of the main building, as long as it is sheltered from the elements.
How long does it take to install a home lift?
The installation time for a lift typically ranges from one to three days, depending on several factors, such as the type of lift, the complexity of the installation, and whether any preparatory structural work is required. In some cases, with a standard retrofit installation, a home lift can be installed in as little as one working day.
For most modern domestic lifts, take the Stiltz Homelifts range for example, they pride themselves on customer service excellence and efficiency and installation is designed to be minimally invasive and straightforward, often completed within two days in most cases. Always allow extra time if extensive modifications to the property are necessary.
About Homelift Experts
The team at Homelift Experts is a specialist lift company here to ease customers through the process of buying their lift. We use our knowledge and experience to give advice and recommend the right size and style of through floor to suit the customer’s home, lifestyle, accessibility needs, and budget. Homelift Experts act as one central point of contact throughout the process.
More Useful Links:
Top Five Reasons for Installing a Home Lift
The Eight Step Guide Owning Your Own Home Lift
For more information, contact the Homelift Experts team on 0808 250 3647.