Daily Mail

Declare a state of independen­ce

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TOMORROW might be Independen­ce Day in the United States — but today is a good enough time to declare your own state of independen­ce at home and start working towards making life easier.

If navigating your way around the house is becoming harder, preparing it to be as safe and convenient as possible is an essential first step.

Start by declutteri­ng your home to free up space and avoid trip hazards, such as loose mats and rugs, cords and wires.

Installing handrails on staircases, in the kitchen or in the bathrooms, to help with getting in and out of the shower, is a good idea.idea And adding timers to some of your interior lights, such as next to your bed and in the hallway, will also help improve the accessibil­ity of your home.

When it comes to the stairs, options now include a home lift.

A lift can be fitted in as little as a day and takes up surprising­ly little space. This means it can be installed almost anywhere.

It could take you from the living room to the landing, or the kitchen to the bedroom, for example. It is also quiet and economical and plugs into a normal power socket.

Whether it’s taking you smoothly and quietly up to bed at night or helping you to run the vacuum around upstairs and down,down it can make your life much easier.

As an alternativ­e to a stairlift, a lift allows you to keep your stairs the way they have always been and is usually more costeffect­ive than moving to live on one level or building a downstairs bathroom extension.

An affordable home lift can even add value to your home.

There are models that carry two people and larger wheelchair lifts that carry up to three people.

Having a home lift installed is a great way to future-proof your property, so that you can continue to live a full life in the family home you love for many more years to come.

 ?? Picture: STILTZ ?? Upwardly mobile: A home lift helps future-proof the house
Picture: STILTZ Upwardly mobile: A home lift helps future-proof the house

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