I recommended one in my brother's big house. I hope to some day get a 4 stop for my three floor and basement house. Depending on how big they are, they can be a great help moving "items" as well as people floor to floor. They don't screw up your stairwell like inclinators. That's all I got. Hope it helps. Bill

Brenda is right, finding the right place for them is tricky as an "after market" solution. All of our custom homes that have Master Suites on upper floors go with elevators. Easy to design into a concept when starting from scratch! And yes, many a beautiful stair have been comprised by inclinators!!! I Suggest working with a local designer to help study a few options for you.

Sorry to hear about the health crisis. What a challenging remodel.
https://www.houzz.com/photos/2012-new-american-home-contemporary-orlando-phvw-vp~549821

if space is available then having an elevator would be a good investment.

I'm in NY and we just installed an elevator (lift) on one of our projects. It worked out great. My understanding though, is that 3 stops changes from an elevator to a lift. an elevator is about 80k where a lift is about 20k. this may change your decision. I would look into it.

Hey Bens, not sure I followed your last post. Did I miss something? My experience is adding that third "stop" adds big money to the cost.

Thanks to you all for responding so quickly. It is a big decision but so far it looks like the best plan. Any other comments are still appreciated. In my county (Washington state) 3 stops is still a residential elevator, but it can't be larger than 15 square feet or it has to be considered commercial and more expensive.

Kevin thank you . typing quicker than I think. An elevator has more than 2 stops and is 80k as opposed to a lift which has 2 stops and is about 20k. My apologies

No worries, I do that all the time. Add the fact that I'm left handed and it makes things even more interesting!

Friend of mine parents now in their eighties built their amazing dream home 33 years ago. A beach house with 4 stops. They planned for their eventual aging the elevator has been extremely handy over the years with frequent guests of all ages. Handy for bringing up large heavy items. While thankfully they are still health conscience and use the stairs frequently, the stairs are being used more often due to being a little more weary at times. They have had no problems with the elevator. It is a great peace of mind to know they will be able to stay in their house always. I think it adds great resale value. I have no idea of what kind of maintenance they require.

I might someday have to add an elevator too bc I would like to live in my current home even at old age. Even though we have the space, I would hate to disturb the house floor plan so when the time comes I would like to install it from outside and have the elevator doors open on the first and second floor, to new 'door ways' made on exterior wall of choice.

Sorry to interrupt - Kevin there is a lady in distress: "how can I use an area that is only six feet tall?" when you are free?

Which thread?

I think it is a great idea. I work with a lot of clients that are planning on staying in them as their last home. I think that anything that helps you stay in your home longer is great.

Yes the need for residential elevators has exploded in the last few years! The aging "baby boom" generation and the lackluster real estate market, people staying longer in their homes! EVERY new home and remodel i am designing is discussing elevators!

Best of luck to you. I wonder if an outside addition (adding a room the height of the house that is just large enough to accomodate the elevator might be less disruptive to a floor plan.

In my current home I have considered if I needed to move my folks into my 2000 sq ft walk out basement I could easily add an elevator to serve just the basement and first floor. There would be no real need for them to go to the 3rd floor. But that would be my folks living in my home.

In the new home we are designing I am not building in an elevator but I have a place where I have marked that it could be added if we someday need it. We do plan on staying there for life. The space is in the garage (but extra depth has been added so adding an eventual elevator in the locaation would not interfere with parking a car there, and upstairs it is an unheated but still height storage area under the eves.

I hope we will never need to add one but knowing we could easily do so leaves me worry free on that count. I encourage anyone that plans to reside in a multi-level home for the rest of their life to consider options and plan for them if they are building custom.

Hey this is an old thread, but thought I would put my two sense in here, since I'm looking for threads on elevators here in Houzz that I can advise on.

I work with Cibes Symmetry who is an elevator manufacturer. Ok, so three different locations are planned due to your mobility issues. Each stop would require me to pay close attention to exactly how an elevator would open on each floor. Ideally, I'd like to ensure there are no additional challenging steps like stair climbing, and that all major rooms in the home are easily accessible from the elevator entrance.

Think about your needs 2-5 years down the road, not what you need today. Most residential elevators can comfortably service 3 levels. Our traditional residential elevator can go up to six stops per ride, cover up to 50 feet of vertical distance, and support up to 950 pounds. So three stops wouldn’t be unusual for us. The bigger question is ensuring the car size, doorway opening size, and landing area will work for whoever will actually use the system. If you love the house and want to live there, getting those details right will matter more than finish options or anything else.