Think ahead on the stairs
MANY people need a home lift or stairlift put in urgently — and this can often be arranged. But perhaps it’s a good idea to think ahead, especially if climbing the stairs is becoming tiring. A stairlift can be very helpful on those days when your strength is not so good, as well as being handy for tasks such as taking the laundry upstairs. And should you need to stay in hospital at any time, you’re likely to get out faster if you have a stairlift in place to make life at home more manageable. Very few staircases are too small or awkward to take a stairlift. And modern design means that it will complement your home. Similarly, a home lift is a sound investment for the future that you can get a lot of use and enjoyment from now. What’s more, it is surprisingly simple to install. One type runs uniquely on dual rails, for example, and fits into any suitable space — from a corner, to a cupboard or utility room, needing only a small footprint and leaving the stairs clear. It is also super-quiet as it is powered by an intelligent electric motor system that simply plugs into a standard power socket. It takes 10 to 15 seconds to get up to the top floor and has a lot of safety features. All you have to do is simply open the door, pull the lever and press the button. The biggest installation job is cutting an aperture — a hole in the ceiling that the lift can go up through. When the lift is down, this aperture is covered by its roof, allowing the upstairs room to look and function pretty much as usual. Similarly, when the lift is upstairs, the downstairs space is available. So there is no pit or recess to interfere with normal use of the room. Either option can completely change the way you live in your home — and will be cheaper than moving.