They make stair chairs that go up circular stairs. Before I'd consider significantly modifying the house and great cost by installing an elevator, I'd sure thoroughly research the installation of a chair. In the future a potential buyer likely could envision the details and cost of removing that chair if desired... not so much an elevator.

I've had two artificial knees for over 15 years, and I've did physical therapy with many a hip replacement patient. Very, very few of them/us ended up with any sought of disability or loss of mobility that would prevent negotiating stairs for the rest of our lives.

Best of luck.

I know a person who bought the sci-fi "lift" you posted. I thought the same thing, I wouldn't want it on display. It would need to be removed from all the time view or I think it would lower the house value.

Thanks cmarlin20. We are investigating if it can have it's own hidden space. Those things are fugly!! But functional, if needed. SaltiDawg. Our stairs are not circular. The problem is that they fan at the curve, thus no landing. There is a right angle wall on both sides, but the inner rail is weird. Nothing connects, so no way to put a rail. The outside wall after the curve is a sliding glass door to the veranda. You can't put a rail across a sliding glass door.

First, I would look at inclinator, prior to the space tubes, but that is just me. Having said that, I am not seeing the problem with the stair lift. Many companies make stairs lifts that attach to the stair treads. And I know they can vary the angle as they go up, so they should be able to do it.

Also the small unit is a diameter of 30" it said. That is way too tight for a wheelchair. Even if the wheelchair will fit, it can't fit a wheelchair and a person standing. Think that if you're in a wheelchair, there's the possibility you need an aide too.

Suzi:
I tried to send you a pm, but it looks like you have that turned off. I'd like to share something non-public.

bry911, It can't hurt to look at inclinators. Only an installer can know if it can be done. I just can't picture it. Re the small unit, cpartist, I understand a wheelchair can't fit. We thought someone with a cane could ride up to a walker or chair upstairs and have a secondary chair or walker down stairs. We are both on the slim side, but will have to actually go to a showroom to be sure.. WHEN or IF that day comes. Weedyacres, you can PM me now. It's enabled. Not sure where to get the PM's though.

Isn't the problem with chair lifts not only that they are ugly (my opinion) but also that you still require a mobility device at the top and bottom of the stairs?

I'd rather frame out a separate elevator shaft, than have to have two canes/wheelchairs/walkers etc, one for each floor. The elevator is more useful, more aesthetic, and thus more value in my books.

(But I admit we're rough framing for a future elevator in our new build.)

Well, just got off the phone with the sales department of a place recommended to me by a member here. Very nice. First thing I said was, "Don't get excited. I'm a Lookie Lou!" He laughed, understood, and they are working on a project near us. Waiting on parts. He got my number and will call ahead so they can swing by and give us our options. He did suggest the 37" size which would mean we'd lose about a foot of the upstairs hall, but would be an easier fit for a seat inside.
The company quoted $35,000 for the mid size vacuum elevator. They also do regular elevators which are not energy efficient, but we have solar, so not a big deal. I think if we build a faux closet upstairs and down, it will look like it is built-in. Open mind is listening to all options.
I know nothing about chair lifts, but if they are ugly, they are out! I'll see what they suggest.

Thanks for all the helpful comments!

Chair lifts are pretty institutional looking, but they're the simplest/cheapest solution. Bry's right, they usually attach to the treads.

Chair lifts may be ugly but they are WAY cheaper. My guess is probably more in the 5K range.
And way easier to remove if the next owners aren't interested in that kind of feature.

"I know nothing about chair lifts, but if they are ugly, they are out! I'll see what they suggest."

However, to a potential buyer I suspect the fact that they can be removed may be quite appealing!

If my wife or I become unable to negotiate stairs we'll likely move. Plan B would be a chair lift. In my neighborhood an elevator would be an unsightly space waster.

Knowing your neighborhood is important too.

Neither one of us ever wants to move. This is the most special place on the earth! It has orchards, a vineyard, pine groves and views of city lights, citrus orchards, ranches and dairy farms. Birds sing all the time here.

Our neighborhood is made up of baby boomer's. Either they are grandparents or never had a kid. This is not a kid friendly place for long term. There is not one kid on this long uphill road.. The road is gated at both ends, private and every home is custom on 1-5 acres. The road and homes are all on a ridge that slopes down steeply into ravines on both sides and back up other hills at the bottom of the ravine. Our homes border wilderness, and rattlesnakes, bobcats, coyotes and other critters are common. NOT kid friendly. Most homes are single story, but our builder somehow got this two story through the county for permits. The home is Spanish style with white tile roofs. Every room has many windows and there are at least 9 view decks here. I would expect it will be sold to young retirees. Thanks for all the responses. DH worked as a project manager for a publicly held builder his entire life and he tells me strongly, that chair lifts won't work on these stairs. I trust him.

I'd also get the elevator, more expensive, but much more useful and more attractive.

Suzi, based on the info you gave us, I'd put in a real elevator in a closet. Those tube things are ugly and really not in keeping with your neighborhood.

Just spoke on the phone with my DIL's mom. She just had knee surgery. She is all in favor of the elevator. She couldn't even master 2 steps to her bedroom. But she did say, "factor in the cost of external care: 5-6k per month. This is what they paid for her husband's mom. That elevator is getting cheaper by the minute!

" She just had knee surgery. She is all in favor of the elevator. She couldn't even master 2 steps to her bedroom."

I had both of my knees replaced at the same time some 15+ years ago. The physically therapy required after a bilateral replacement is more than twice the difficulty of a single replacement. I was up and down stairs inside of two weeks.

Again, it seems that you've made up your mind and I would suggest that you do what you are going to do without continuing to dismiss suggestions from folks here that do not think that you have explored fully the chair option.

Best of luck.

SaltiDawg, I never once wanted the chair. This thread is about elevators. Period!

"I know an elevator adds value to a home. Any suggestions or experiences you care to share?"

You ended your original post with the above.

Did you get what you want? I guess "suggestions or experiences" that don't fit your agenda are unwelcome. (Including first hand experience with bilateral knee replacements. lol)

Again, best of luck.

You know I hate to say this, but to some extent Salti is right. Planning for the future is great, but at this point that planning should go something like...Do we have options to stay in this house, should we be permanently incapable of negotiating the stairs? You should absolutely not be looking at spending $30,000 for any temporary medical condition, be it knees or hip. Wait a few months and ask your DIL if she had it to do all over again would she have spent $30,000 on an elevator. My father had his hip replaced, he camped out in the living room for a few weeks, it was inconvenient, but not prohibitively so.

"Capable" has a lot of wiggle room. My FIL can easily take the two steps up into the house, but it would be very difficult for him to climb to the second floor and inadvisable for him to go down, even using the handrail. Our neighbor has used a walker the past 8 years or so, and has a hard time with the single step into her house. She is determined to be carried out feet first.

SaltiDawg, sounds like a great recovery. Unfortunately we are not all going to be as resilient as you are. As one gets older I think knee and hip injuries are less likely to be a temporary medical condition -- I don't expect a 75 year old to have the same recovery as someone who is 45, or 60.

I think the point you should consider an elevator is the point at which the pain and risks of going up the stairs exceeds the pain and risks of handing someone $30,000. It is a smart thing to plan, but I think an easy decision to make. I believe, most people, when they are at the point of needing to spend the $30,000, will be very aware of what capable means to them. Until you reach that point, there is wiggle room.

To answer your question, the value of your home will not increase $30,000 if you add an elevator. It may add a little value, if your price range and comps support it.

We bought a 2-story + basement home with an elevator, not because we wanted one, but it had one (the person who built it had a wheelchair-bound child). The seller had it prominently listed as a feature, but it was on the market for a long time, so I don't know that it's a selling point. Maybe they're like pools--some people want them; some don't care or want to get rid of them.

Ours has had its advantages and disadvantages (can't remember brand). We had to spend quite a bit on repairs, the first being our fault because we let movers with furniture get in, ignoring the weight limit (newbies). Other breakdowns may have been due to age (maybe the elevator needs an elevator), and I don't know how good the model is. It does come in handy for moving furniture or the vacuum cleaner to another floor, and sometimes I used it for temporary storage. In another house, we left closet space in an addition, in case we ever wanted to put one in. Not sure I'd put one in "just in case," but it's smart to plan or be thinking about it.

Depending on the property value, $30k is NOT a lot of money to put into a feature that will make it functional for the current owners and future owners. I would not want to replace a main staircase with an elevator. However, adding one elsewhere, if it can be done without weird contrivances like visibility from the outside, sounds like a good idea for the OP, her location, and circumstances. We know people with "drive under" garages who added dumbwaiters to get their groceries upstairs without having to lug them up a set of stairs. I know several families with home elevators because one family member (not in a wheelchair) needed it. People desiring to age in place in a high value neighborhood will appreciate the elevator and it will certainly add attractiveness and some value, perhaps a third of the cost, to the property.

I would explore the idea a little more...how much does maintenance of the elevator cost? Do you need to have it certified by the city or state? Is there a certification of maintenance required? Are you expecting you will definitely need this in the future? I would ask your doctor what he thinks, given that you say your husband's knees are failing.

Dont expect that a knee repacement will be a permanent disability. I know people who cycle 50+ miles and run marathon distances after complete knee replacements.

If you think an elevator is something you will definitely use in the near future, and you can easily afford it, I would probably go for it. I would not buy the chair thing, expecially since you say it wont work on your rail (I think it is ugly and for some reason depressing also). I would buy an elevator big enough for a wheelchair.

I understand where you are coming from - you love your home and neighborhood, and should something prevent you from accessing the upstairs, you dont want to move. In this respect, an elevator is a small price to pay.

If the elevator makes it possible for you to stay in a home you really love, it's PRICELESS. And compared to adding a MBR downstairs, cheap.

Knee and hip replacements are NOT permanent disability. My SO got a metal knee a few years ago and he skis and bicycles and goes upstairs with ease.

That said, we're planning a house with a first floor bedroom/office that can be used in our declining years.

Came across this in a search for opinions of the vacuum elevators. I just had a morning spent getting quotes for a stair lift for our house. We have a mobility decreasing child, and are planning for the future.

From the picture I saw, and the description you've given, the stair lift is definitely possible. The custom bends mean you can't get a cheap "off the shelf" version, but you can certainly get one for a fraction of the cost of an elevator.

Having said that - I'm still interested in elevators too. I'm curious to find out if anyone has used the PVE30 (small version) and how well it works. It certainly takes a smaller footprint than the other options. Mind you - cutting a hole in your floor is no small modification. You'll want an engineer to check about boxing out joists etc. If you build a "closet" for it, you may be able to make those load bearing - but it would really depend on your house design.

cpenner312 I would ask the question in the building a home or the remodeling forum. I think you'll get more answers in either of those forums.

I would go for the elevator if affordable. I would never do a chair lift in a house I loved unless the chair lift was a temporary thing. The elevator would be appreciated by older folks and if well incorporated into the design of the house.

We lived in a house in NY which was built on the side of a hill. There were three floors plus a few steps from the front to the living area.

When I was 28 yrs old I broke an ankle. The stairs were a nightmare. Even getting to the guest bathroom was down three steps. I would have loved an elevator. It would take me almost an hour to get to the bedrooms on crutches. Getting laundry down stairs involved me throwing all the clothes down the stairs and taking another trip down to pick them up. I was 28!

A well designed elevator should be a selling point even for younger people.

I certainly would have loved one back then!

Jane

I have to wonder how many of the folks advocating these tiny elevators have ever actually used one. I'm in FL like cpartist and used to be a professional harpist, which meant I had much experience with home elevators on gigs.

Those smallest elevators are TINY. They are horribly claustrophobic and I'm normally not bothered by anything except a closed tube MRI. But I would let the harp go up by itself (if it would fit; some were too small even for that), and take the stairs.

If I were planning a new build and could incorporate an elevator into the design in a pleasing way, yes. I've seen several homes with nice glass elevator stacks in the center of the house.

But most of the ones that can fit into a closet stack or something like that are pretty grim.

ETA With the smallest ones there is no way to maneuver a walker in them, let alone a wheel chair. You would have to back in or out.

writers block, what would you consider to be too small? For example the one I'm planning the interior is 4'3" x 5'.

That would be a lot better. I've seen some that are about 36" square, or even 36" x 30. I would say that I would want it to be large enough for me to turn around or move over to where the phone is in case it stuck. Thinking in terms of being in there with some assistive device like a walker or chair.

ETA I know most folks would plan to use their cell to call for help if necessary, but I know darned well that for me it would get stuck the one time my phone was still on the dresser or wherever.

cpartist: is that the car size? Residential elevator code limits car size to 15 square feet. Yours is almost ADA-size (min 4'-3" x 5'-8")

A few years ago, I heard of a case where an elderly couple was stuck in a home elevator without the ability of communication to the outside. It didn't end well for either of them. Make sure you can contact someone if you plan to use one of these.

One of the reasons I like the pneumatic elevators is if you ever lose power, it will automatically lower itself to the lowest level to allow you to get out.

Definitely things to research when one is elevator shopping. Ours has a backup battery and is supposed to return to the first floor if power goes out. We also have a land line phone in the elevator. I think many folks will get a service contract with the elevator company for peace of mind that it is being inspected on a regular basis.

cpartist: is that the car size? Residential elevator code limits car size to 15 square feet. Yours is almost ADA-size (min 4'-3" x 5'-8")

I'll have to ask. I measured the inside on my house plans and that's the measurement. I hope it's not smaller as I'm one of those who are also claustrophobic.

A few years ago, I heard of a case where an elderly couple was stuck in a home elevator without the ability of communication to the outside. It didn't end well for either of them. Make sure you can contact someone if you plan to use one of these.

All of the elevators now have a telephone within the elevator so you can call someone.

One of the reasons I like the pneumatic elevators is if you ever lose power, it will automatically lower itself to the lowest level to allow you to get out.

Also nowadays all elevators are I believe required to lower themselves to the lowest level and then open the door. But I will of course be sure to check.

If you don't want to put in an elevator now, you can always plan area for a shaft (two closets located over and under). We're putting an elevator in our house anyhow. We've already got a friend who went from being a senior airline pilot to a wheelchair while stopped waiting for a turn. Our house is universally designed.

Battery lowering is NOT a code requirement, but it's a good idea to buy it as an upgrade. However, there are other things that can happen that stop an elevator from moving, other than power outages. It's good to have a phone as a backup.

cpartist: sounds like you measured the inside clear dimension of the shaft. The car is smaller than that, to allow room for the rails, wiring, doors, etc.

I'm surprised this old thread of mine is still going. We ditched the elevator idea in favor of a shower addition to the powder room. That way, if someone is temporarily unable to climb the stairs, they can sleep on a temporary bed, use the shower and kitchen downstairs, and feel very comfortable. The shower is almost done. They tell me one more week. It's a "roll-in" shower so no steps. I can't wait till it's done. I am an early bird, and he sleeps late, so this way I can take my shower down here without waking him up. It's a win-win!! Hopefully we will never have to face the elevator issue.

Thanks for the (belated) update.

A shower is certainly less expensive than an elevator. :-)

Weedy do you have any idea what the interior would be?

This is an interesting thread. There are many good options, but as you see here, no one size fits all.

The long range view may be hard to envision, but it's helpful to look 25 yeas down the road. This should place you more in a equity mindset vs cost and help get past the sticker shock shock or enticement. A low cost stairlift, if it just buys you a few years isn't likely a very good investment, because it's a big cost if it just defers moving a couple years.

We do cost assessments for seniors interested in comparing aging in place vs seniors facilities, and most are surprised at the long term costs of either option. Investing $100,000 in a home to make it fully accessible might sound prohibitive, but in most cases, even if it allowed you to stay in your home one year longer, you'd get your payback and pocket an extra $100,000 each year thereafter.

The 25 year exercise also helps get in a planning mindset vs bandaid fixes that appear to make great sense in the short term. Consider your Total Equity, as that's what you're likely trying to preserve. Reallocating some of your investment equity into your home can be a nobrainer, but often not our inclination after decades of accumulation and guarding against drawing it down.

For some who want to maintain lifestyle for as long as possible, and not limit themselves to living in half their home, a good elevator can make perfect economic and practical sense. For others, it can make no sense at all. Every situation s unique.

cpartist: sorry, I never saw your follow up question. Interiors can be anything from basic power coated steel painted white to wood moldings or glass, mirrors, whatever.

Home ideations: I disagree with your math. Spending $4K on a stairlift isn't worth postponing a move into assisted living for a few years, but spending $100K to postpone a move by a year is??

You don't "pocket" $100K a year because you don't spend it on a nursing home or assisted living, you avoid a cost. And if it's just a matter of accessibility, there's a third option that will cost you much less than $100K/year: buy a different house that is already accessible.

Finally, if you spend $100K making your house accessible, it's unlikely that will make its market value $100K higher.

I would never spend that kind of money because of something that might happen 25 years down the road. There are way too many things that might happen to change where you live.

Hi Weedy, you had said:

The car is smaller than that, to allow room for the rails, wiring, doors, etc.

so what I was asking about was if you knew the interior size of the car.

Hello everyone. I was doing some research on home elevators for an upcoming seminar I am doing for retirees who want to "age in place" or build or buy their "forever home" and came across this thread. It's been very insightful to say the least. One thing that kept coming up is the appearance of an elevator and/or a chairlift for the stairs. Having worked with older adults and mature homeowners for the better part of 2 decades, I can tell you that when someone is faced with relocation to a senior community, assisted living or other such healthcare environment due to mobility issues, how their home looks is the least of their concerns. Before someone is at this point, the focus tends to be on appearances because we are still entertaining and "enjoying" our space. As one ages or health declines, their concern for appearances goes out the window. It's all about what needs to be done to stay here - at all costs. This is also NOT the time you want to be putting in an elevator or doing any major remodeling. People need all the energy they have to simply manage daily activities of daily living and personal care needs. I only say this because as the debate over whether to add or not add an elevator due to the way it looks (and size) tends to be one of younger retirees or empty nesters, if you are truly planning for this to be your forever home, it may be important to fast forward to what life will really be like should you "need" this amenity. My advice, for what it's worth, if you have the means and you are building a multi-level house, DO IT. Don't settle for the small model either - unless it will accommodate a wheelchair and/or full sized walker. That's the point right - mobility regardless of your situation, whether temporary or permanent. All the best. Thanks for letting me join the conversation.

I'm too impatient. I'd go batty if I had to use an elevator several times a day in my own home. Love the comment above from someone who used their elevator as (very expensive) storage space!

People are often very *attached* to their homes, but many find the best solution as elderly people (over 60 in medical terms) is not to retrofit, but to MOVE...to a more suitable home if they aren't ready for assisted living. The Family Home is great for that stage of life, but seldom a good fit -- or even a safe one -- for Seniors.

There is also a lot of talk about The Forever Home, often poorly planned by middle aged people who cannot imagine why it won't work for them as elderly or old or old-old individuals. (Not that many people actually live to the moment of death independently in any private home.) Aside from the very few remarkable physical specimens who don't fit the actuarial norm, old bodies require one floor living, wide hallways, roomy bathrooms, low threshold showers with grab bars -- in safe structures that are near good medical facilities...and near family.

For every thing there is a season...and a most livable home for a single young person, a young couple, a family, and for the elderly (60-69), the old (70-84), the old-old (85-94), and the oldest old (95+).