You have the house that you love, but at some point, the stairs start becoming a struggle and you stop enjoying your home as much as before and start feeling limited inside your own place. At this point, you’ll have the option to try and find a new place, and get through the struggle of moving houses again, or the option to keep your house, with a few modifications so you can start enjoying it again.
That’s when you came across the option of installing either a stairlift or a home elevator in your place.
Deciding between a stairlift and a home elevator can be difficult. Both have unique benefits that will suit different needs, budgets, houses and lifestyles. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at stairlifts and home lifts and help you make a confident decision regarding your next life-changing purchase!
Home elevator or Stairlift: which one to choose?
In order to overcome the struggle of going upstairs, you may need to consider purchasing either a stairlift or a home lift. Both of these options can help you live a stress-free life inside your home, but when it comes to making a choice, how do you know which one will be the best choice for you?
The answer can be different depending on multiple factors, you need to choose by evaluating both options deeply.
Stair Lifts
This is the most famous and common alternative, the traditional stair lift.
A stair lift is designed to travel up and down a staircase. It’s made of a chair or platform that is attached to a rail system, which can be customised in order to fit any type of stairs. It’s possible to be installed either in a curved staircase or a straight one, indoors or outdoors.
Stair lifts usually provide a comfortable ride, with safety features to make sure you reach your destination safely. They are also very easy to use and can be folded away when not in use, helping you save some space inside your house.
Here are some of the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a stairlift.
Advantages
- Price: stairlifts tend to be more affordable when compared to other options for the same problem.
- Longevity: a good stairlift can last for several years with the right maintenance.
- Installing: a stairlift is often easier to install and might take about a day.
- Folding: when not in use, the chair can be easily folded away, helping you save some space.
- No need for constructing: the stairlift only needs to be installed, requiring minimal work done to the property structure itself.
Disadvantages
- Safetiness: depending on the case, stairlifts might not be the safest method for, for example, a wheelchair user to move upstairs.
- Style: a stairlift can be quite noticeable, which might affect the overall look of your house. Size: depending on the rail size, some bulky chairs or platforms might not fit in tight spaces.
- Noise: when compared to home lifts, stairlifts can usually be noisier and disturb a quiet house easily.
Home Elevators
Home elevators are a modern and elegant way to overcome the struggle of going upstairs. They offer a safe, reliable and comfortable ride for people with special needs or those simply looking for an easier way of accessing their second-story floors. You can find different types of home lifts with different types of features and styles, allowing you to find the perfect one for your needs.
They require some space inside or outside your house in order to be installed, so it’s important to take that into account when considering this option. Despite being more expensive than stairlifts, home lifts can prove to be a great investment with their safe operation and elegant design
Advantages
- Compact: the size of a home elevator will depend on brand and type. Our Stiltz home lifts have the great advantage of being extremely compact. Also, when the lift is not in the room, you’ll have most of your free space back.
- Customizable: you can easily customize the design and color of your model in order to match it with the rest of your house.
- Wheelchairs access: unlike a stairlift, with a home lift you’ll be able to transport a full-size wheelchair upstairs
- Home value: installing a home lift can increase the value of your house.
- Quietness: our Stiltz home lifts are powered by a quiet electrical self-contained motor, that makes them extremely quiet. This means that you can use it at any time without disturbing anyone.
- Low power consumption: some home lifts won’t consume more energy than any other common appliance. Our Stiltz home lifts connect to a normal plug that you’ll already have in your house.
- Safety features: home lifts usually offer more safety features when compared to traditional stairlifts. You can check which ones you’ll have in our products in both our Duo and Trio pages.
Disadvantages
- Space needed: depending on the type of lift you choose, you may need to dedicate some space inside or outside your house in order for it to be installed. Depending on the size of your rooms, this may or may not be a struggle.
- House renovation: you’ll need more work done in your home to install a home lift
- Price: This option can often be more expensive than a regular stairlift. You can still find some sort of affordable home lift that can be worth the price.
How to make the right choice for you
Choosing between a stairlift and a home lift can be difficult, as they both have pros and cons. However, there are some questions that you can ask yourself to make the right decision:
- How much are you willing to pay for the solution?
- How much space do you have available?
- How much work are you willing to do in your home?
- What safety features do you value?
- How many people do you need to use it simultaneously?
- What features do you value the most?
- Do you need it to be wheelchair accessible?
- Do you have any pets? How big are they?
What can Stiltz offer you?
With our pioneering range of domestic lifts and home lifts, you’ll have access to a revolutionary solution unlike any other. The small footprint, drive mechanism and dual rail technology in the Stiltz Home Lift allows it to fit even into restricted spaces that conventional models wouldn’t work with – making them a reliable option for virtually anywhere within the household.
Check our home lift range page or, if you want to be advised by a member of our team, request a callback and we’ll be more than happy to help you!