Everything You Need to Know about Residential Lifts
Residential lifts can be a great investment for homes for a number of reasons. Whether you have many different floors or occupants with limited mobility, home lifts are a great way to navigate different floors with ease. Although you might be picturing a clunky-looking lift, modern lifts are designed to fit in with the home’s interior, adding to its appearance rather than taking away from it.
This article serves as your ultimate guide to residential lifts, telling you everything you need to know about modern lifts. This includes who might benefit from a residential lift, their key advantages and the considerations to make when choosing one for your home.
What Are Residential Lifts?
Commercial lifts are found in many public or private buildings, such as car parks, hotels and museums, to help individuals navigate different floors with ease. Residential lifts are designed with the same purpose, helping residents to easily get around the home without using the stairs.
Many individuals would benefit from residential lifts, including:
● Wheelchair Users: Wheelchair users often face significant challenges in navigating homes without accessible solutions. A residential lift eliminates the need for assistance with moving between floors, promoting independence and improving quality of life.
● The Elderly: Ageing can bring mobility issues, making stairs difficult to manage safely. While stair lifts are an alternative, residential lifts offer a faster, more reliable, and aesthetically pleasing solution.
● Individuals with Limited Mobility: For people with mobility limitations, stairs can be a time-consuming and exhausting obstacle. Installing a lift provides a practical way to make their home more convenient, comfortable, and tailored to their specific needs.
● People with Multi-Storey Homes: Even for those without mobility challenges, residential lifts can add convenience to daily life and add a touch of luxury to their homes.
What Are the Benefits of Residential Lifts?
Residential lifts provide numerous advantages for homeowners, enhancing both convenience and quality of life. Let’s explore some of their key benefits below.
Futureproof Your Property
Many people buy a property, hoping that it will be their ‘forever home’. However, houses with multiple floors present access challenges as you age. Climbing the stairs is an easy task while you are young and fit, but in the future, it often requires a great deal of energy and can result in dangerous falls.
By installing a lift that can take you from the ground floor to the top floor, you can rest assured that your home will continue to serve you well into old age, meaning that you won't have to downsize to a single-level property.
Property Resale
Whether you are looking to sell in the near future or perhaps further down the line, purchasing a home lift can be highly beneficial. Having a well-designed and integrated home lift can make your property attractive to potential buyers. It may even be the deciding factor that makes a person choose your property over another. Additionally, with a functioning lift, you can justify listing the property at a higher price, making it a worthwhile investment.
Aesthetic Appeal
Lift companies don’t compromise on aesthetics when creating a residential lift. Aesthetics are integrated into the core of the design process. Whether you are interested in a sleek lift that blends in seamlessly with surrounding features or you wish to create a bold focal point, modern lifts can be built according to your exact requirements for a beautiful yet functional lift.
Transporting Heavy Items
Although residential lifts are designed as passenger lifts, nothing is stopping you from using the lift to transport heavy items between floors. So long as the maximum weight limit is not exceeded, residential lifts can eliminate the heavy lifting involved in moving items around the house. Whether you are carrying washing from the bedroom to the laundry room, moving heavy suitcases or taking the vacuum cleaner to another room, residential lifts make this process effortless.
Safety Features
Residential lifts possess many essential safety features that are required to meet regulatory standards and keep lift users safe. However, many modern lifts can be designed with additional safety features, which can be customised to the needs of the customer to enhance the experience and usability.
Sensors
Sensors are a vital safety feature which is installed into lifts to determine whether an object or person is blocking the doors or underneath the lift carriage. If any obstructions are detected, the door mechanism will prevent the doors from closing and the lift will not move, ensuring passengers are not harmed.
Backup Power
Although residential lifts rely on the main power supply to function, they also possess a backup power source in the case of a power cut. The backup battery ensures that should someone be in the lift when power is lost, the battery will kick in, enabling the person can safely descend and exit the lift.
Controls
Buttons serve as the primary controls that allow passengers to operate the lift with ease. They are typically designed to be simple and user-friendly, often requiring a press-and-hold action to ascend or descend.
For safety, an emergency stop button is always included, enabling passengers to stop the lift immediately in case of an emergency. Additionally, a key switch feature is commonly integrated. This feature disables the lift when the key is turned, making it particularly useful in households with young children.
Fall Arrest Mechanism
The fall arrest mechanism is one of the most critical safety features in any lift, residential or commercial. In the unlikely event that one of the lift cables becomes loose, the emergency brake mechanism will kick in, preventing the lift from falling.
How Much Do Residential Lifts Cost?
Residential lifts can cost anywhere between £13,000, for basic, standard lifts, and £60,000 for luxurious models. While this may seem like a large range, the exact price depends on many factors, including:
● The number of floors
● Lift type (hydraulic, traction, pneumatic, chain or rack and pinion)
● The size of the lift
● The quality of the materials and the finish
What To Consider When Choosing a Lift
When it comes to residential lifts there are many things you should consider to find the right solution for your home. To better understand your requirements and determine which details matter to you, we recommend asking yourself the following questions:
- What is your budget for lift design and installation?
- Do you require a wheelchair-access lift?
- How many floors does the lift need to serve?
- Do you want the lift to carry one or more people at a time?
- Where do you want the lift to be located?
- What are the height requirements of your rooms?
- Are lift aesthetics important to you?
- What is your time frame for lift installation?
With the answers to these questions, you are well-prepared to begin discussing your requirements with reliable lift companies. Lift designers will explain your options to you, ensuring your needs are met.
You needn't worry if you don't have answers to all of the previous questions already. Lift companies are able to help you understand your needs and can visit your home to determine where a lift would be suitable.
ADL Lift Services
At ADL Lift Services, we're one of the leading lift companies in Scotland, specialising in providing bespoke residential and commercial lifts. From lift design, supply and installation to maintenance and repairs, we are your one-stop shop for lift services. Our experienced team of lift designers and engineers work closely with you to create a functional and stylish lift that not only meets your requirements but also exceeds your expectations.
To discuss your lift requirements with one of our helpful team members, contact us today. We’re here to help!
