Research has shown that installing a lift and ensuring complete accessibility can boost a property’s value by up to 25% making a great long-term investment. It is important to consider the cost and the amount of work involved and know exactly the service you are going to be provided by the company you choose.
What to think about before you consider installing a lift into your home
The extensive range of home lifts available on the market today can be overwhelming, selecting the correct residential lift for your property needs careful consideration. Each one is designed for a specific purpose and seeking advice to ensure you achieve the right fit, form, and function the first time is greatly advised. With so many options to choose from such as small one passenger step and inclined lifts, platform lifts for up to 4 people, and the larger passenger elevators. Ensuring you choose one that is correct for your needs and budget can be quite daunting. Taking the time at the start to make sure you are not oversold, on an all singing and dancing passenger lift when you only really require a step lift, is important.
Inform your lift provider of your specific requirements such as:
- Why you need the lift
- Who is it for and how many people will utilise the lift?
- The number of floors it needs to serve
- Is the lift for functional use or to be a talking point feature in your property?
This will give a good starting point for your requirements.
How much space will I need for my lift?
This is one of the main deciding factors of the type of lift you may install into your home. Below is a simple overview:
Passenger Lifts. Tend to take up the most space and requires a lift shaft to be built if one is not already existing. They cater for more passengers and greater vertical travel distances.
Platform Lifts. Are smaller than passenger lifts and do not require a lift shaft to be built, and are designed for fewer passengers travelling shorter distances.
Inclined or step lifts. Are the smallest and as the name suggests are installed to straight or curved stairways and they provide independent accessibility access between building floors, generally for one person with low mobility or a person in a wheelchair.
Bespoke Lifts. There are standard sizes for all the different types of lifts on the market, you are not limited working with iKONIC Lifts, as we are well known for installing any lift of choice into any building, including listed buildings with limited pits and headroom’s, due to our highly accredited status, experience and know how.
Internally or externally. It is also important to remember that a lift can be installed externally on to your building which would not require any of the floor space within your home.
What about a home lifts regulations and safety aspects?
Ensure your provider can clearly and simply advice you of this. All iKONIC Lifts projects are compliant with all the relevant legislation required for the lift installation type. Including the Equality Act, Part M of the Building Regulations, EN81-1/2, EN81-41 and the 2006/42/EC Machinery Directive. Always ensure site surveys and risk assessments are completed before signing off any work. Our team provide site specific drawings with full building works required for each lift installation. iKONIC have been privileged to work on some of the most iconic buildings in the UK, providing sound impartial advice and safe installation solutions. You could not be in safer hands working with our highly accredited team.
What options are available regarding the aesthetics and customisation of my lift?
If you are looking for a lift as unique as your home that you wish to blend in to your existing surroundings, or a talking point feature that you wish to impress your guests, then iKONIC are well known for providing bespoke lifts. Working with team iKONIC your imagination is your only limitation, along with the standard customisation options such as size, materials, colour, and cabin finishes.
How much does a lift cost?
The question that everyone asks, always agree the cost with any lift company you choose before work commences. The price depends on several factors which is why it is important to establish the topics we have explained in this post. Generally depends on the type and size of lift, building works required for the installation, if the lift is installed inside the home or externally to the building.
Below is a simple overview:
Passenger Lifts. Require more building works and are a larger size, these require a larger budget and are the most expensive type of lift to install
Platform Lifts. Generally, require less building works and are a lot less expensive than a Passenger Lift to install
Inclined or step lifts. Are the least expensive lift to install into a home
Internally or externally. Passenger and platform lifts are also less expensive to install externally rather than inside the building, as this can reduce the building works required.
How long will a lift take to install?
Depending on the type of lift you require it is important to consider that areas of your home may be out of use during installation. Lifts can take between a day and several weeks to install. Ensuring the company, you choose has a clear installation plan is key. The more building works required the longer the installation process will be. iKONIC lifts always provide a clear time frame from consultation to hand over of all our lift installations. Below is a general overview of lift installation times.
Passenger Lifts. Takes the longest time to install and we basically work on the principle of 2 weeks per floor
Platform Lifts. Take less time than a passenger lift and can vary from a few days to a few weeks.
Incline and Step Lifts. Take only hours, to a day or two to install, depending on the distance they must travel.
What customer service will I receive?
It is important to ensure your lift service provider offer repairs and servicing as part of their service. If so, find out what their terms and warranty packages are. As with all machinery, problems can arise from general wear and tear. Lifts also require regular maintenance, how often your lift should be serviced is according to the type of lift, how frequently it is used, and the number of floors being served. All iKONIC lifts products come with a comprehensive 12-month warranty with options to be extended and includes as standard at least two service visits per year. We operate a 24/7 service and are open throughout the year.
I am still unsure of the correct home lift for me
If you would like more help selecting the correct home lift, please do not hesitate to take advantage of our free no-obligation home survey, to assess which lift solution is right for you, and your building if you would like some trusted expert advice.
