How to buy a stair lift: look around – and put it off as long as possible

IIf you have difficulty climbing stairs and are wondering whether you should move, have you considered having a stair lift installed? At around £4,000 it will be significantly cheaper than using the estate agents.

The modern stair lift was supposedly first invented in the 1920s in Pennsylvania, when entrepreneur CC Crispen designed his ‘Inclin-ator’ to help a sick friend move between floors. be able to climb the stairs for longer. This is evident from a study by consumer group Which? the the average price paid for a new stairlift last year was £3,867. The price typically paid for a straight stairlift was £3,371, or £4,728 for a curved stairlift.

Due to inflation, these costs are now likely to be around 10% higher. The final bill depends on the brand, whether you go for new or used and especially on the type of stairs. The good news is that providers can accommodate almost any type of stairs, but the more complex the stair system, the higher the final bill. Which? says that as a general rule, each corner of your stairs will double the initial price. If you have a staircase that consists of two straight stairs with a landing in between, it may be cheaper to purchase two straight stair lifts rather than a single curved stair lift.

One of the problems consumers have is comparing prices. While researching this article, it turned out to be quite difficult to obtain prices from the companies. Only by posing as a customer would the companies give an amount, insisting that they would have to send a salesperson around for a free home survey and quote. As always with major home purchases, it really pays to shop around, get multiple quotes and not rush into a decision, no matter how pressing an issue may seem.

The final price paid will depend on many factors, especially the type of seat chosen. It is recommended that you go directly to the suppliers and where possible, vulnerable buyers should try to bring a trusted other gift with them for the seller’s visit.

Suppliers are increasingly offering used stair lifts that are usually 30% cheaper than new and many of the products on offer will have barely been used. Market leader Stannah says the used models have all been extensively tested, are under five years old and are currently £1,000 off.

Another option homeowners have is to rent a stair lift. This will be attractive if you only need it for a short period – not least because you don’t have to worry about it being removed when it is no longer needed. A large part of the cost is in the installation, so it may not look as cheap as it should be – usually £1,000 plus upfront, and then a flat monthly fee of around £50-£100. By our calculations, Most buyers are better off buying it right away if they plan to keep it for more than six months.

So which companies should we look at? Only one brand made an impression. Which? enough to become a recommended provider, who “surprises its customers with first-class service”, and it was Stannah. TK Home Solutions also scored very well among its members and is worth considering. Other big names are Acorn and Handicare.

Don’t forget about independent stair lift providers in your area if they get rave reviews from friends. If there are problems, a local person can be worth a lot, and often cheaper.

Please seek medical advice before registering. If you still have good mobility and do not experience pain when climbing stairs, the advice is to postpone this for as long as possible, as most people’s joints degenerate faster if they are not used.

Are you registered as disabled or do you have a chronic condition? Please note that you can claim VAT exemption when purchasing a stair lift. If you have to buy a stair lift due to a chronic illness or another form of disability and you want to continue living in your current home for the next five years, you may also be eligible for an income-related benefit. subsidy for disabled facilities to help with costs.

When you no longer need it, you can try to sell it back to the company that supplied it or to a specialized company that buys used lifts. Stannah says it will often buy back its lifts, provided they are in good condition, have been regularly maintained by the company and are less than two years old.

When selling a used stairlift, request a range of quotes as the original supplier may not give you the best price. If it is very old or broken, you may have to pay a handyman to remove it.