My parents downsized from their family style large suburban house to a city townhouse (22 ft wide & 4 levels) about 15 years ago. It came with an elevator - which is a common option in new townhomes appealing to empty nesters in our area because space is at a premium and builders can only fit the required 2car garage on the lower level. The option cost 50K and it holds 3 or four people comfortably. At first they rarely used it for heavy things like luggage and Costco hauls but Today ( they are almost 90) they use it every day. If they didn’t have that elevator they would have had to downsize further to an apartment.

I am currently producing construction drawings for a cottage that has the master bedroom on the first floor and three bedrooms and bunk room on the second floor. My client wants the elevator so they may have overnight guests no matter what their physical condition is.

I have put more elevators in commercial buildings than I have in residential buildings.

They are uncommon in residential construction. But, they are becoming more common. It is a selling point for a home. Even designing the home with stacked closets that can be converted is a selling feature. Plan on spending around 20K if you go all the way to actually installing one.

I know of two friends in my neighborhood that have them in their homes. One is very elderly and designed the home to accommodate aging in place. He's almost 90, his spouse has passed away, he has full time help and he couldn't have stayed there if he didn't have the elevator.

I have another friend who is designing a townhome at the beach. They will be installing an elevator with aging in place as the goal. A new development of high-end town homes in my small town is being constructed. In order to appeal to a higher price point they have elevators in each unit. Retirement is big business.

Live at the beach in So California, very common here , especially in new construction because the lots are so narrow & houses are usually two or three stories . I’ve also seen elevators in new construction townhouses in Palm Desert. I would want my master on the first floor for a variety of reasons, also, it’s a big plus for resale in my town, but you’re not reselling. A few of my neighbors have installed them in their older homes. As I said, very common & new construction almost always has them.

Elevators are much more common now, but I would still consider a change in your 1st floor room layout instead.

If you set up the house so that the great room and kitchen/dining are in the middle, the 1st floor master is on one end, and the rest of the bedrooms (or a stairs to access them) are on the other end, you will separate your master from the rest of the house. You can even add a study/sitting room between the master and the rest of the house for more of a noise barrier. Any architect should be able to provide a plan that gives you privacy without requiring stairs to access your MBR.

You and your family will find it much more convenient in the long run (until you die) to have your master bedroom on the main level with no stairs needed to access.

Bruce

If you can afford it, why not? Regardless of what you decide to do, please consider creating a second master bedroom suite on the main floor. It will very likely come in handy many times over the years. Not only will elderly relatives appreciate it, you likely will too before you reach old age -- while recovering from a major illness, awaiting knee/hip replacement surgery, nursing a broken ankle, living with a power snorer, etc. As the commercial says: Llife comes at you fast!"

We have provisions for an elevator in our new two-story house on our farm. Not common around here but neither are two-story houses any more.

Make sure you understand the minimum dimensions needed, adding for drywall thicknesses, concealed lift equipment (aka the "cart") and any misc. stuff & location of pump or hoist equipment. A 3'x5' elevator may need 5'x6' interior shaft dimension, etc. Some require 8" pits and 12" above the top.

Elevators are almost de rigeur in new higher-end homes in our area. We're providing space for it in our new build.

Elevators are not just for seniors!

In our jurisdiction, an elevator added to an existing home makes the owner eligible for government grants if a family member is disabled. Our early 20s child has started a lifetime treatment for ankylosing spondylitis , a crippling arthritic disease for which there no cure. And which affects up to .5% of Americans--1,650,000 people.

Yes, in beach houses where the homes are raised above ground level. I could see adding one as well if you lived in a hilly area where the entrance (either front door or garage) wasn’t on the main level.

Without those considerations, I would prefer a master on the main.

If you have the space and the $$$$, a well-designed plan that includes an elevator could add great practicality. Even for able bodied people, to send laundry, luggage and other heavy and bulky items up and down by elevator sounds like heaven. Even more so if the whole house including entrances is cart-friendly - I saw how much mileage my elderly mother got out of her cart in her 1-level condo and how it increased her independence.

IMPORTANT: As noted above, you MUST have a very solid safety plan to avoid the chance of ever getting trapped in the elevator. This could be due to falls, power loss, malfunctions, shaft obstruction, lack of maintenance, confusion, panic attacks etc. There have been some very unfortunate incidents. Mobile phones and "help me I've fallen" devices may not work inside an elevator. I would not be satisfied with just a phone, either. I would want a multi-factor safety plan.

My parents have one. My father has knee foot problems (and has since his 20’s because of a sports injury). My parents have the master bedroom on the main level, but the elevator allows him access to the whole house even when his knees become problematic from time to time. It is also used by my 93 year old grandmother when she visits, as the guest bedrooms are upstairs. Oh, and my mom uses it regularly to transport things to/from the lower level storage rooms that she can’t carry up the stairs alone.

We bought our current home mainly because the builder had installed an elevator. The master bedroom and one guest room are on the main floor, but the elevator makes it possible for anyone with mobility issues to get to the upstairs as well as the basement. It proved to be a lifesaver in the first year alone when we had to get to our safe space quickly due to tornadoes. We keep carts in the basement garages and have used the elevator to move furniture and holiday decorations as well as luggage.

While our elevator has a telephone built in, we've mainly used our cell phones and have had no trouble with reception. The elevator has an alarm button, and it has battery back-up to lower it slowly to the next level in the event of a power outage.

While it's a large house, it's nothing like the 20K sq ft mansion mentioned above. When looking at potential second homes, I prefer single story but will consider multi-story only if it would be feasible to install an elevator. I'm intrigued by the pneumatic elevators, which seem to be cheaper, but am not sure there are any that would be large enough for our needs.

My house is 2870 square feet, master on the first floor and we have an elevator since my studio is on the second floor and we are getting up there in years. In fact all the 2 story homes around us are putting in elevators. Of course we live in retirement land.

While I never use the elevator now and prefer the stairs, I do send luggage and boxes up and down in the elevator and I've had elderly friends visit who have used the elevator. If in the future I need it, I'm glad it's here so I can continue to live in this house.

I guess another, less expensive option would be to design your staircase so that it would be easy to outfit with a stair lift later, should you become unable to climb stairs safely.

Sorry that's not a good solution. My mother who had Parkinson's disease could have easily gotten in/out of an elevator but would have had trouble seating herself on one of those stair lifts.

While you may not have seen elevators in smaller homes, that doesn't mean it isn't becoming more and more common.

If you can't fit a wheel chair and a second person in it, it may become useless very quickly.

Exactly. Neighbors designed their home with an elevator. However if anyone ever needs a wheelchair, they'll have a heck of a time maneuvering it out of the elevator since there's only 4' of clearance to the opposite wall. Very poor planning. You need at least 5' of turning radius in front of the elevator and easy access in/out. No turning corners like another house I saw with an elevator.

What are you supposed to do - get a land line just for the elevator?

Actually yes you get a land line for the elevator and or your fax machine. :)

By law, there must be a phone in the elevator,

Actually not law in FL as we found out. We put one in anyway.

Front foyer with elevator on the right.

Interior of elevator. (Ignore the ladder. We had to change a fire alarm battery upstairs)With the gate closed.Our elevator is large enough for a full sized wheelchair and 1-2 people. I know because we have a friend who uses one.

My hairdresser and his wife put one in - it only required 36" of space. It goes from their basement to the 2nd floor. Right now, they use it for "hauling", but as they are approaching 70, they believe it will allow them to stay in this house longer. There's the pneumatic tube kind.

I'd put one in if I had the space - just no where to get a straight run for 3 floors (basement to 2nd floor).

We have an elevator in our beach house, about 4000 sq. ft. It's definitely not a mansion! The house has 3 levels so it comes in handy with groceries, etc. Maintenance costs are low other than having to have a landline.

I put an elevator in our home that I designed and we loved it. Most important element in the whole darn house. 5800 sq. ft. So amazingly helpful in all regards. For a two story home, you only need approximate a 5' square envelope of space for a two person elevator, plus a small area in the attic or a garage for the mechanics. I had extensive Christmas decorations and a very large Christmas storage room on the second level. Made bringing all that stuff downstairs a breeze. So, if I could, I would definitely install an elevator. You can also design a space such as lined up walk in closets than can be converted later. Takes some good planning, but that can be done as well. I think elevators are going to become more and more commonplace as the population ages!

I believe a phone inside the elevator is a requirement around here. And that is important. that's why you need the land line. Although, if there is power outage, you could loose land line connection too, so texting from a cell phone would work better!

I will be putting an elevator in our 4000sq ft home. We are 50 year old healthy empty nesters, but they are good to have when you have a basement and if your master suite on the top floor. I will have the builder build the shaft for it and then intsall it for $18k after we move in.

I live in an area with 3-4 story brownstones and rowhomes. Quite a few have residential elevators, especially those split into high-end duplexes. Most have residential elevators installed which I find to be painfully slow. If I had to use it everyday, I’d tear my hair out. SO slow. And small. But I guess in a pinch they are fine and likely allow people to age in place, etc.

" LOL...... By the time you can't climb up/down the stairs? You won't want the 4000 sq feet either. I am counting up the downsizes I have done in just the last five years : ) "

Nah, it's going to be installed within the first month of moving in. I just don't want the builder to tack on his 15% on the install. We don't plan to downsize anytime soon. LOL.

Flo Mangan, cpartist and anyone else that may have suggestions. Can you please offer suggestions for elevator brands? We want to start getting estimates for an elevator in our home since we are remodeling for my injured mother-in-law to move in permanently with us. She broke her femur in August 2017 and has finally gotten to the point of walking with a cane and driving on her own, but is not able to do more than a few stairs. We have a second staircase that leads from the 2nd floor-kitchen-basement and think it could be the right spot to replace with an elevator. (OP Colin Reilly let me know if you prefer I start my own thread)

Best to start your own thread so you get more responses. :)

However, I can't recommend companies because most are local.

I use Marchal/Stevenson Elevator in Houston. Great people. Call them for information. 713-961-1940 They are experienced and have done hundreds of homes in the greater Houston area. Very helpful too. Don't know where you are, but they can probably give you a reference they trust outside this area.

I use Residential Elevators https://residentialelevators.com/ They have manufacturing/install/service locations throughout the US.

Inclinator is a good brand for residential. If you want a referral to a local installer, PM me and tell me where you live. I may have a contact for you.

I second Architectrunnerguy's recommendation of Residential Elevators. While they don't have an office in our area, they do send service techs here regularly from their Atlanta location. Unless there's an emergency, you may have to wait a couple of weeks so they can group service calls to minimize road time and cost.

Our master is on the main level but the kids' rooms are on the top level and we have a basement. We set aside space and electrical capacity for a future elevator on all 3 floors that is currently being used as stacked closets.

I have a new elevator in my 2 story. We designed it to also open into the garage to complete a "zero step" home. While several family members utilize it and it's great, I don't personally need it... however, it is a miracle for moving in, hauling furniture, luggage (upstairs master to the garage), etc. We use it all the time for when guest arrive in the garage, they dump all their bags/etc into it and it goes right to the landing upstairs.

Also have lockouts/keypad so it doesn't become a kids toy.

weedyacres I PMd you

We used RAM manufacturing out of Edmonton, Alberta. For now...it's a great place to hide recycling! Eventually, it will be put to use hauling firewood (and us) up to the main floor. Our floorplan is flipped to capture the views.

We have an elevator in our 3 storey, 5000 sq. ft. 3 year old build. We had looked for a “master on main” house but they aren’t common in our area (land is super expensive so most build up rather than outwards). We are early 60’s but my DH already has knee and back issues so we are planning ahead. We also made sure that the master bedroom/bath are wheelchair accessible as well as adding some other aging-in-place features. This may turn out to not be our final home but it also can’t hurt the resale value. Our brand is Garavanta. It will hold approx. 1000 lbs and is roughly 5' x 6'

Ours has a landline phone in it but it also is designed to return to the lowest level - walkout basement - in the case of a power failure.

Yes, yes and yes. I designed one into our large home and would love to have one in current home. Best thing ever. I have a huge amount of Christmas decorations and loading them in elevator made my hubby really happy! I believe in the future most multi-level homes will have them. The technology has improved since we put ours in 15 years ago. For the value worth twice the price.

I just built a new townhouse with elevator due to my husband being in a wheelchair. It was an expensive option but we absolutely needed it. In my neck of the woods, suburban Pittsburgh, many empty nesters downsize to a patio home with one-level living, but we could not get the square footage we wanted at an affordable price with this configuration. Also I do prefer that there is a separation from the public living spaces and bedrooms. So far so good . . .

We raised our family in Oakmont! Still have Steeler season tickets!! Been gone for over 20 years! Daughter and grandsons use them. We try to go up once or twice a season, but not last year! Yes, you are smart and in Pittsburgh area, it is hard to get any good housing. Down here in greater Houston, Texas the building is phenomenal. Can't keep up. Pricing rising as well. You will love having that, but do make sure to check out the "notification" methods you have so you don't have a problem. We used our cell phones and put a "booster" near the elevator so we never had a problem, even in power outages that worked well. I'm sure you have already done that. Get him a pouch for his cell phone, so he always has it with him. Best to you. Go Steelers!

Yes, go Steelers Flo! We used to live in Gibsonia but moved to Seven Fields in Butler County. Hubby has his cell phone on him at all times. We have good service in the elevator... I tested it. We made our elevator cab a little larger to accommodate wheelchair and caregiver. I am a realtor and our market has been crazy here like the rest of the country.

Small world Rachel. Our daughter lives in Gibsonia. Deer Lakes school district. It was all farm and country when she bought there. Now Cranberry is booming. Her oldest is teaching in a area north and her youngest son is in college at Penn State. So all doing well. We had a condo in Shady Side for several years but sold it when it was just too hard to maintain two homes. We still love Oakmont and so do our kids. They appreciate it more now than they did when growing up! They visit the ole homestead when they visit to make sure it’s being maintained to Mummy’s (that’s me) standards!! Haha. Let us know how everything goes. Wishing you both the best!!

Wow I remember commenting here two years ago. Anyway, I just finished my construction and installed the elevator. I’m very pleased with it.

Flo, I am in the middle of the Cranberry craziness and left a large home on 1.5 acre lot in Gibsonia (Pine-Richland School District). We have great shopping and easy access to I79 but I miss the tranquility. My new home is lovely and I feel I made the right decision given my husband's condition and the fact I am not getting any younger having just turned 60. My only child, a daughter is in graduate school in NY so I needed a more maintenance free lifestyle.

So many are want to age in place and remain as independent as possible so I feel an elevator is a good investment if you can afford it. With new construction prices going through the roof, it also gives empty nesters the opportunity to 'build up' rather than trying to accommodate all living on a single level. Most patio homes have a smaller master bathroom and closet than many of us had in prior homes where I have almost 2800 accessible square feet and didn't need to compromise so much on room sizes.

I think you made a wise decision. Best of luck and may you enjoy it for many many years!

Thanks Flo, unfortunately my husband is now in a rehab and may have to go into an assisted living facility. Life throws you curve balls . . .

Oh my I am so sorry. But I would still do it. They are doing great rehab work in rehab centers around here. Will be praying for you both! 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Thanks Flo, you are too kind!

I do not have the patience to wait for an elevator to get around in my *home*. I wouldn't plan to 'age in place' in a house that would not work without an elevator. If you require an elevator NOW, you would probably be better served to build a one-level home with wide doorways and large bathrooms, one step up from the ground. Few Family Homes are optimum choices for Seniors.

One of the exciting things about being an elevator installer is getting to work in your house from the comfort of your own home. You can program each lever based on your preferences or program them all to operate simultaneously. This allows you to be more efficient and take advantage of every second that your equipment is working. When completed, it often will enable homeowners to save two hours per week at home in paperwork related tasks, labor costs, and equipment maintenance alone! In such questions, the guys from https://hinchong.com/lift-maintenance-singapore/ are the best. They are the most trusty company on the market.

f you require an elevator NOW, you would probably be better served to build a one-level home with wide doorways and large bathrooms, one step up from the ground

Nice if you can get enough land to do this but many of us are on narrow lot lines and the only way to get everything is to build up.

I put a residential elevator in the design of my showcase home 15 years ago. It was fantastic. Not only for our knees, but easy for guests who had trouble with stairs since the guest rooms were on the second floor. After I put this in, more and more people did one of two things. Put one in or stacked closets to allow for backfit to do later. More and more builders are offering as option and stacking closets to accommodate later. So I believe with an aging population more and more will have elevators. They also are wonderful for things like moving Christmas boxes from second level to main floor and then back up. Putting printer paper in elevator to home office on second floor and on and on.

@cpartist thanks for providing those details on your home elevator! Can you share what specific model you went with, and more detailed interior dimensions?

I can look to see what model we had and the actual details. Will be tough to measure as right now it's filled with luggage. LOL.

All my living space is intentionally on one level. But I have the capacity to convert the main master bedroom closet into an elevator shaft (on purpose) so I can access the basement (and its workshop) should I need to do so.

I would simply have to downsize my clothing - and the secondary closet houses the clothing I wear for farming, gardening, painting - which can be easily gotten rid of for the good stuff that would be shuffled over from the main closet. If I can't use the stairs any longer, I won't be doing much farming or gardening, anyway.

A phome in there - good idea. I already have a land line, should not be hard to set up wiring for another charging station for another handset.