Okay well it depends on the house but overall if it saves time and energy why not?

Good question. It does make sense to plan ahead and to make your house wheelchair accessible, but I would be tempted to use the elevator in everyday life and avoid taking the stairs. I think I would not install an elevator, until actually needed.

yes of course. I have 2 bad knees and a hinky hip! In our current house we had originally planned to put in an elevator but changed our minds because we turned the second floor into a rental, while we live on the first floor. just last night I went up the circular stairs and I would much rather live up there. We are located in Central America so our houses are concrete. Often stairs are located on the exterior of the house. I could have had a home made elevator contructed for less than $1000 US dollars and no one would ever require inspection.

As I get older, the desire for one grows stronger. What's sad is I only have a one story home.

I picked no for a couple reasons. First, elevators will only encourage sedentary living. Where exercise is vital to us, I would prefer to use the stairs. Also, I don't like the feeling of being stuck in the elevator when it breaks down. Sure. An elevator for a multi-family unit is good, just not in a single family. Doesn't feel right.

For mobility reasons I would prefer single story or multi-family housing.

Planning ahead for the future is always a good idea. Making your home more accessible whether it be an Elevator, Vertical Platform Lift, or Stair Chair.

YES!

We are in the planning stages to build a 3 story home on the Gulf coast. The ground floor is elevated on pilings to meet code and we will live on the 2nd & 3rd floors [master bedroom]. This is our dream home and our LAST home! We know the knees or hips will give out; or some medical aliment may occur and for those reasons an elevator is more a necessity than a luxury...and the size is being determined so that a wheelchair will fit! If anyone can make recommendations, experiences etc. I love to hear from you!!!

Check the code in your municipality. I've heard an outside elevator has different requirements and fewer inspections than an inside elevator. If you live on the coast you may have seen a few that are up to balcony instead of enclosed in the home. I don't have specifics but I live on the coast and heard from a few people that the regulations for inside elevators are much more stringent.

Thanks! We're boxing for a shaft from the get-go as don't want to have to contend with bad weather. A couple of houses on our street are exterior retrofitted elevators and work great but no fun to use them when it's a monsoon outside!

I had a home with an elevator..... I only used it to take luggage up and down when traveling..... I was always afraid it would stop while I was in it.... So it was like a big expensive dumb waiter :) It was super cool though!

All the newer housing being built is all up at least 3 flights of massive stairs carrying laundry or a back injury an elevator would be a very welcome addition

My mom is a paraplegic and in a wheelchair, an elevator would be awesome.

I keep reading the same thing over and over, yes for aging in place. someone even said that it does no good if you are not prepared with extra wide passage for wheel chair. I am not considered aged, I have always been active and healthy, and I do not need a wheel chair. I looked it up and millions of people in the US have some form of lung disease it is the 3rd largest cause of death. I had a rare cancer, there are only 8000 of us alive in the world. Your wide hallways would make my life miserable but, i can not walk up or down stairs either. I moved here got sick within 6 months. To move now would be very difficult and here, people know me. I am close to neighbors, the hospital, and most of my doctors. I have lost the use of half my house. So no an elevator is not a luxury. Yes you might need it before you are old, and no there is a good chance you will never need a wheel chair, so those wide halls will make you curse yourself.

Thank you 'havingfun' for your input! I'm one of those who plans' on finishing my life in our latest building project here on the coast of Florida. Yes, we are putting in a wheelchair accessible elevator, as the 'living area' will be on the 2nd and 3rd floors... and only access to those floors would be by either a very full flight of stairs or the elevator. Worried about illness, physical incapacity or a combo dictates I should be prepared 'just in case'. Using ADA requirements, I decided to make sure most of the house would have 4' wide hallways, pathways and one bathroom on each floor wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair... I'm not bothering with being able to 'park' under counters, etc. ...I'll make do! Lastly, I'm having a propane back up generator installed for peace of mind and again, 'just in case'!!!

As i said, many people young and old, need oxygen. When you have oxygen problems, going farther to the bathroom is a heartache, ramps are a heartache. Most of the people who use carts in stores, are either limited by their oxygen intake or some form of arthritis, walking is hard for any great distance.

Just over 6.8 million community-resident Americans use assistive devices
to help them with mobility. This group comprises 1.7 million wheelchair
or scooter riders and 6.1 million users of other mobility devices, such
as canes, crutches, and walkers.

If you read the following article you will see that most mobility device users, use them due to arthritis and/or heart/oxy problems. They can hobble around their homes, most can make it up 2-5 steps with help. Ramps are worse because they take so long, same with extra space. These people make up roughly 5 times those in wheel chairs.

http://www.disabled-world.com/disability/statistics/mobility-stats.php

I hate to ask but how many out there are in wheel chairs, because wheel chair accessibility prevents them from getting around their homes?

If an elevator fit in the budget, I would definitely add one. It allows for comfort at any age and ability, while living in a vertical home with less sprawl.

my house has 3 levels of living space + the basement, and i have the spot for the elevator all ready. it was part of our decision process when we bought this house in our mid 50s.

It's case-by-case. For lux factor, I think it's a waste of money. But for needs, it's great. My niece has CP, and my BIL designed their home with an elevator in mind for a powered chair.

I agree andy. Just like to get the word out there that for most, if not due to be afflicted with a degenerative disease, that wheel chair bit is going to be a killer.

I will amend my earlier answer: I shoot a lot of new vacation beach-front properties (for VRBO, AirBnb, etc). Many builders/remodelers are adding small elevators when there are 3 floors and lots of stairs. Helps a ton with luggage and the mgmt can charge a rent premium that many people will gladly pay for the convenience.

Yes, we have one, and its great for elderly people, luggage, groceries to come upstairs from the garage, and also at times when you're feeling lazy;D

starting to hate the term elderly.

You sound elderly.

nope in 50s, just get tired of being clumped all together. or everyone thinking that is all they need to plan for.

Sure, an elevator that allowed someone to stay at home longer or made life easier for their challenge so they could stay at home would be great. Just for the sake of having one? No. If you need an elevator in your home otherwise? It's too big. Or you're too lazy, or both, lol. I suppose if you have lots of money and can foot the bill, an elevator is like another toy to add to the shoe collection.

I wouldn't mind an elevator for groceries and such--like an old school dumb-waiter, but I still want stairs.

If I had the money for an elevator? I'd use it to build one at a church we know needs one, not for our home.

PirateFoxy makes a good point about the emotional value and a long-loved house being "home" and a great comfort in our later years.

To expand on that, a long-owned home may not be financially feasible to move from. If you've owned your home 20+ years, you're still paying property taxes on a value much closer to what you paid than current prices and you may still have a mortgage payment that is reasonable. Moving can increase property taxes, mortgage interest and payments and bring about homeowner's association dues that one may not have on an existing/older home. And if retired, most of us can expect reduced income... Just another side to consider. So, adding or having an elevator may be the best fix for aging at home!

This is a virtual blue print of what I would like in my dream home, but not green tinted!

Once I've got my location, I'm having my home designed and built with a lift/stairs feature incorporated in it very similar to this. As many others have commented on the mobility issues, this is exactly the reason I hope to settle in my new home for the foreseeable and thus have future issues covered as best I can.

That's a very nice elevator first thing i have to say. I guess depends how the house looks. I think it some instances it would look a very nice feature to have and other instances it maybe such a waste of space and money.

although i have not bought one yet, the stairlift might be a more reasonable idea

I live in an historic home with an elevator. It is an interesting conversation piece but we only use it once or twice a year. It's mostly used for temporary storage.

There are a lot of valid comments on reasons to have an elevator in your home and I agree with all of them! We will be building a new home in a couple of years and because it will be a two story, will be putting in the shaft or stacked closets to install an elevator when needed. There are many reasons for this, one being our intention to "age in place" (please forgive the term, @havingfun!). But I also live with some chronic health issues that have caused us to change things in our current home to work better for us. Universal design is the name for making areas of your home accessible for anyone who might have difficulty getting around. Our bathroom shower will be wheelchair accessible, the toilet ADA, etc. It isn't a matter of not wanting to use stairs or stay fit. Speaking just for myself, I can use them, it is carrying things up and down that I have trouble with. We plan to live on the first floor, but chose to put in a second floor for extra bedrooms and storage, as well as my husband's office. This will be our last home as well as a legacy to our family ( it is on a beautiful, pristine lake) and we want to enjoy every day of living there.

It would depend on the house and the physical abilities of those living there. Might make absolute sense or might be ridiculous

We plan to have a vertical lift installed in our three-story home. It appears that the smallest footprint for a wheelchair-accessible lift is about 50' x 54'. Does anyone have advice or information on anything smaller that accommodates a wheelchair? Any comments from people with experience? Many thanks.

As a former nurse and having had an elevator installed in my new three-story home the following thoughts might help you. The purpose is to transport not only a wheelchair but another person assisting as one without the other could be quite frustrating, especially as the wheelchairee becomes older. What may possibly meet your needs today may be too small tomorrow. If medical equipment may ever need to be transported at any time, that should weigh into your decision on size too. Much better to err on the side of too big vs too small.... as too small could become useless over time. The mentioned size is approximately what I have installed...the measurement is ID.... on the inside of the elevator. Good luck~

Thank you for your very helpful response.

Yes! Looking to have one added to our 3 story home now, as my husband, a disabled Vietnam Veteran, keeps falling down the stairs. Agent Orange is/has been wreaking havoc with his body. He's not ready to go to a nursing home. It's the only way he can stay in our home!

Instead of installing a chairlift, my mother had a knee replacement. The operation was a success. But she died, long and agonizingly, from a c. dificile infection picked up in the hospital. Our latest new home will have an elevator shaft, just in case an elevator is ever needed.

I was told that they are illegal in San Francisco, due to the risk of being trapped during an earthquake, but I knew someone who had one in his house on Telegraph Hill. I think he was the one who told me that it was illegal.

Your information is outdated. Your friend's elevator may have been out of date and therefore illegal. Of course elevators are allowed in San Francisco County. They just have to meet current Building Codes.

My family has 2 special needs children so it is helpful but for a regular family with no need specific need for it, it is useless.

Good to have for two+ stories homes and not just for health. If you need to carry items, carry a child, laundry or have large items moved to the second floor, an elevator would definitely help and prevent accidents such as falling down the stairs when carrying items up to the stairs.

Lastly, if this is your 2+ story dream home, an elevator is a must so that you can Age In Place and don't have to move because you can no longer go up the stairs. Many of my friends parents that live in two story homes either end up living downstairs only and no longer go up to the second floor or they sell their homes for a single level home.

Many good personal and future-minded reasons for adding an elevator here to agree with. I am building a 3-storey townhouse, and for me there are also other reasons: layout will have kind of an upside-down design where kitchen and living areas are on top, with bedrooms on middle floor. While an elevator's practical usefulness speaks for itself, there is also a psychological reason for it. Not just knowing I will be OK if my mobility fails but also, for example, having to let guests in on the ground floor and making them walk 2 flights up would not be a source of pride. So even if the stairs are still mostly used it will always be of comfort knowing the elevator is there. Also, since there will be an elevator I am OK not putting a powder room on top floor, because nobody will be forced to use stairs to reach a bathroom. But most no-brainer of all is elevators typically provide a positive return on investment if/when the house is sold. Which makes for good 'bidness sense.

Installing an elevator is cheaper than moving. The housing market is now break even if you’re lucky for those of us looking to downsize. My brother in-law and wife replaced a 3000 sq ft house and 1 acre of pristine upscale surroundings with 1,000 ft less and 1/3 acre in a cramped neighborhood. Gone are the days when you sold your big house and put some money in your pocket. They got no break, same taxes in the same town... hearing this story more than a few times, especially with wood costs skyrocketing, improving and staying is cheaper!!

My husband and I both work out, eat a healthy diet, and love to hike and take long walks. I just had a new oak staircase and bannister installed. We had them stained to match our Italian porcelain wood look tiles. I personally don’t see any need for an elevator in my home. My Mom is also quite health conscious, is 94, and can climb a flight of stairs. Maybe others would feel the need for an elevator.

Both of our houses are single storey and so an elevator is not really necessary. I've also never lived in a house with a basement and have only been in one that had one that I can remember, and that was in Vancouver. We spend a lot of time in our patios, and so our style of living is very horizontal.

Serves a great function if you or any guest can't take the stairs for whatever reason. If you can afford it, I don't see why not.

Well, three years on, permit in hand this week, and just spoke to the elevator company: C$24K-C$36K for a three-storey unit rated for 1,000 lbs, sized for one person plus wheelchair. Elevators are virtually standard in our area for new homes.

Turns out all that "healthy" running helped wreck my knees. Next lifetime, I'm swimming!

Yes! In fact, I'm considering it now for a possible addition in 10 years or so. Not as a luxury, but as a necessary utility to properly access my basement as I get older and less stable.

Normally not.