Buying a home, though exciting, can be a long and complicated process. However, it’s important to take the time and do your due diligence to ensure that you are getting a great deal on your dream home. Purchasing a home with an elevator is no different.
With huge advancements in lift technology, home lifts are no longer a luxury found in the most expensive homes. In fact, more and more home owners in Australia are installing small home lifts for practical use. Not only does a home lift ensure that all areas of your home are easily accessible, regardless of mobility level, they also provide the added convenience of easily transporting large or heavy items between floors, from groceries and laundry to a pram and even furniture.
When purchasing a home with an elevator, there are a number of factors to consider to ensure that you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into, from hidden costs and ongoing maintenance, to the benefits a home elevator provides when it comes time to sell.
Here are 5 considerations when purchasing a home with an elevator:
1) Safety Features Safety Features
Arguably the most important part about buying a home with an elevator is ensuring that it is safe to operate. Find out what safety features are included with the lift and how to use them. For example, there should always be a way to contact someone from inside to lift in the unlikely event of an emergency.
Similarly, you need to know what safety precautions are in place to deal with an unexpected power outage while using the lift. For example, is it equipped with an emergency lowering system to ensure passenger safety in such scenarios.
If these safety features don’t already exist in the lift, there will need to be some upgrades before the lift is considered safe for use, which is an additional cost that should be taken into consideration when purchasing the home.
2) Professional Inspection
Just like you would have a house professionally inspected before purchase, it’s important to also have your home lift inspected by a trained professional. This is typically not included in standard home inspection as the inspector is unlikely to have experience and knowledge of home elevators. The last thing you want after purchasing a home with a lift is to find that it was poorly maintained requiring major repairs, or nearing the end of its useful lifespan.
Taking the time to have the lift inspected by a trained technician can save you time and money down the road as you will know exactly what condition the lift is in when you purchase the home, as well as whether or not to expect to pay for repairs or upgrades in the near future. More importantly, this will give you peace of mind that the lift is safe for you and your loved ones to use.
3) Ongoing Maintenance
Just like you would when purchasing a home with a pool, you will also need to take into account the ongoing maintenance costs of owning a home elevator. Like any machine with moving parts, home lifts require regular professional maintenance to keep the running safely and smoothly. Depending on the type of lift you have there will be different maintenance requirements.
When having your lift professionally inspected, ask how often it will need servicing. You may even want to get in contact with your local lift company to find out what lift maintenance plans they offer. Axis Lifts offers a range of lift maintenance packages to suit any home and budget. Additionally, our 24/7 response service will ensure that your lift runs smoothly all year round.
4) Expected Lifespan
It’s also important to take into account the expected lifespan of the elevator in a home that you wish to purchase. This will be determined by how old the lift is as well as how well it has been maintained since installation.
Consider whether or not the manufacturer is still operating and whether or not replacement parts are readily available. You will also need to consider whether there is any need for significant upgrades in the near future and whether or not you can find an affordable lift maintenance service in your area.
If the lift is in need of repairs, servicing, or upgrades, consider negotiating with the seller to cover these costs rather than having to pay for them out of pocket in addition to purchasing the house.
5) Appealing For Resale
Finally, consider how having a home lift will affect the property’s resale. Having an elevator in your multi-level home means that it will appeal to a wider range of buyers. This is because buyers who plan to buy a house to retire in, or those with existing mobility issues may not even consider a home with stairs. Fortunately, a home lift provides multi-storey homes with the functionality of a single level home. This means that if you decide to sell in the future you can look forward to a wider range of interested buyers and potentially a quicker sale.
Your Local Brisbane Lift Company
Axis Lifts are your local Brisbane lift company, offering affordable lift services Brisbane, Queensland, and NSW wide. Our lift technicians are highly trained and experienced with a wide range of residential and commercial lifts, with a 24/7 service response for all of your home lift needs. Call us today on 1300 002 947 to find out more about our lift maintenance packages.
