Buying a stairlift offers more than just a way of getting upstairs and back. It represents regaining mobility and independence in the face of aging. Many of us don’t want to leave the comfort of our two-story (or more) home just because of disabilities or limited mobility. Stairlifts are a way of making that possible.
As we age, it naturally becomes more difficult to do seemingly basic physical activities like climbing the stairs. But, because of limited mobility caused by injury, disability, or chronic diseases like angina and arthritis, stairs become a nearly impossible obstacle to overcome.
Some homes may have an option of installing an elevator, but not only can it be expensive, but it’s not practical in every home. But, buying and installing a stair lift comes at a much lower cost and is a popular common sense solution for limited mobility.
Today’s technology allows almost any home to be equipped with a stairlift and can be used even on curved staircases. Before buying your stairlift, find the highest-rated and most experienced starlift installer near you.
Here are nine quick and easy stairlift buying tips:
- Unsure which kind of stairlift is suitable for your home? The best place to start is to get unbiased, independent advice from the Occupational Therapy Department of your local Social Services.
- Learn more about the different brands of stairlifts and the models available from your local professional stairlift installers..
- When choosing between stairlift models, ask your installer which model would work best for you or if they have a better solution.
- Once you know the stairlift model or models that will work best for your home, get quotes from several different installers with these specific models in mind.
- Be sure that the quotes you receive from installers cover both buying the stairlift itself and the installation. It may be possible for you to spend less money overall purchasing the stairlift directly from a manufacturer yourself and only pay the installer to do the actual fitting. Sometimes it’s a better deal to get both from an approved supplier who also installs.
- If your home has a curved staircase, you will want someone from the stair lift installer company to personally come and inspect the staircase. A custom quote is often necessary for curved staircases as they are more complicated to fit.
- Before making a final choice on your stairlift installer, be sure to ask about after sales service. You’ll want to know how much your installation plan will cover if your stairlift breaks down. Are any repairs and maintenance included with your stairlift installation or are you responsible for purchasing an additional service contract?
- If you aren’t buying your stairlift directly from a manufacturer, make sure it’s from an approved supplier. There may be spare parts needed for your in-home installation and an approved supplier can get them more easily and at a lower cost. Otherwise, you may be footing a bigger bill to buy necessary parts and delay your stairlift installation awaiting their arrival.
- As you should for anything you buy, NEVER buy a stairlift from a company who pushes you to buy that day or is pushing one particular brand or model on you. It’s not really the salesperson’s fault, but don’t buy from any company who sends a salesperson that will offer a massive discount just to make the sale right then. The stairlift being pushed on you may not be the right model for you.
Installing a stairlift offers those of us with limited mobility free access to the whole of your home with convenience, comfort, and ease. It is also much more cost effective when compared to the cost of converting your existing home with ramps, elevators, or other accessibility options. You also won’t feel forced to relocate to a single floor home. Buying a stairlift could be the best choice you ever make, so be sure to take all of these stairlift buying tips in mind when making your purchase.