Things to consider when choosing a stairlift
The thought of having a stairlift installed can sometimes be overwhelming for some.
When comparing the alternative of protentially moving home - many people have found a stairlift to be their Desired option.
If you are considering having a stairlift installed in your home there are many things to consider - Think stairlifts website highlights a few key points to help you select the right stairlift for you.
Your Staircase Type
Staircases come in different shapes and sizes but engineers in the stairlift industry catagorise staircases into two categories: Straight Staircases and Curved Staircases
How to comfirm which type of staircase you have? If your stairs go in one straight run then you have a straight staircase.
If your stairs goes in a line but goes towards the left or right then this is considered as a curved staircase.
Curved staircases come in many different sytles therefore a survey would be needed to establish the type of curved staircase you have.
Straight Staircases
Curved Staircases
The Straight Staircases
If you have a straight staircase then you'll require a Straight Stairlift.
We currently offer 3 models of straight stairlifts as shown below:
- Brooks/ Acorn130 Stairlift
- Acorn/ Brooks 120 Stairlift
- Synergy Stairlift
These stairlifts will only operate on straight rails only.
They may be installed on various straight staircases including the following: narrow, steep, long and short runs.
Straight stairlifts are only suitable if the staircase looks like the image to the right.
The Curved Staircase
Curved stairlifts operate on a custom designed rail that is tailored to fit the exact shape of your staircase.
The stairlift we offer can be anticipated to fit on a number of staircases from the standard 90° curved staircase to staircases with various number of turns and bends.
Our Curved stairlifts prices are not fixed due to the configuration of your staircase. However, we offer a clear starting point for our prices which is £2,000.
Our Prices are calculated based on how many bends the staircase has plus the length of track required. - for a simple 90 degree staircase prices would likely to he 2,000 providing no extras are needed.
If your staircase has more then 1 bend then the price will more likely to be greater than 2,000.
For any of our stairlifts for a fixed price you would need to have a survey so we can measure and advise.
We currently only offer one curved stairlift which is the acorn 180. This particular lift accommodates the majority of curved staircases and many of the users requirements.
Additional factors to consider prior to installation of the stairlift
Consider the potential obstructions in your home such as internal doors,radiators, pipes or any other object that may protrude the staircase.
If you have an obstruction then we can offer a simple and efficient solution.
For example, if you find that having a stairlift would block access to a door at the bottom of the stairs we could install a folding hinge this can come as a manual hinge or a powered hinge - This would be at an additional cost.
Our aim is that the stairlift causes minimal or no disruption in the day to day running of your household.
The Users Needs
Prior to purchasing a stairlift it’s imperative to take into account of your personal needs.
All of our stairlifts come with a generous selection of features as standard which perfectly suit the majority of users.
However, If you're worried that your mobility could restrict you from using a stairlift, then we can usually make adjustments to cater for your mobility needs.
Rest assured, any concerns you may have can be discussed on the survey and we can offer effective solutions to ensure you may have a stairlift safely installed.
The stairlift swivel feature enables the user to turn the seat section of the stairlift to a 45 degree or a full 90 degrees.
The idea behind the design is to prevent the user stepping off the lift sideways ensuring both of the users feet are firm on the landing when standing up.
To activate the seat swivel the user is required to push down a lever that releases the swivel lock this is only applicable at the top of the stairs
The engineer will give full demonstration how to do this at the end of the install. - you may also find this information in the user manual.
Powered swivel upgrade can be offered where the user doesn’t need to push down a lever, the lift will turn automatically when at the top or bottom of the staircase
If the user has back problems or similar health conditions then the height of the stairlift seat is imperative.
The seating height on majority of stairlifts is typically set around 19" - 20" from floor to the seat level. We can adjust the height of the seat to suit the users needs - this is known as a lowered or heightened seat post.
On the curved stairlift we can only offer heightened seat posts
Our Standard stairlifts have a strict user weight limit of between 114kg - 120kg.
This would vary depending on the angle of the users staircase - greater the angle the less weight the stairlift can carry, A typical staircase that measures between 40° - 44°. For users over the standard 114kg - 120kg limit, we can offer heavy duty upgraded stairlifts which will take up to 158kg stone. - This Upgrade will incur an extra cost.
What's the Cost to buy from Think?
The cost of a stairlift varies due to the type of staircase you have, any additional features you may need/ want and if you was to rent a stairlift we’d need to consider how long the stairlift is required for.
We offer new, reconditioned and rental stairlifts for both straight and curved stairlifts which we feel offers both Value for money and Flexibility for the consumer.
Rental stairlift for Both straight and curved stairlifts are available to rent. This can be a good option if the stairlift is only required temporary, for example if you have a operation which makes you struggle with your mobility temporarily or if you are having around to stay and they may need a stairlift - we only require an installation fee (which includes removal) and then a small monthly rental charge follows paid in 6 monthly payments.
Renting a stairlift may save you a lot of money if needed for short period of time.
Especially when compared to purchasing a lift outright.
We would only recommended the rental option if the stairlift is only needed for 6 months, Definitely with our curved rental stairlifts which would save you thousands.
If the stairlift is required for longer than 12 months it would become more expensive than purchasing the lift outright initially.
If you find that the rental stairlift is needed long term, we do offer a buy-out scheme where you can purchase the lift you are currently renting.
If you would like to buy a rental stairlift from us please give us a call - each rental agreement is different due to the length of time required.
An installation fee is required when renting a stairlift:
Think Straight stairlift rentals:
£150 installation fee and then £40.00 per month (to be paid 6 months upfront 6 Minimum term contract also applicable)
So your first 6 months would be £390
After your first 6 months it would be £240 every 6 months until you terminate the rental agreement.
Think Curved stairlift rentals:
£300 installation fee and then £60.00 per month (to be paid 6 months upfront) 6 Minimum term contract also applicable).
So your first 6 months would be £660.
After your initial 6 months payment would be £360 to be paid every 6 months until you terminate rental agreement.
Our Rental stairlifts come with a standard continuous warranty, 24 hour response service and free removal when the stairlift is no longer required.
Battery replacement and cover of misuse is not included in the warranty. The user would be liable for these costs.
Think Reconditioned Stairlifts
Our Reconditioned stairlifts can offer substantial savings, 1/2 cheaper than buying new directly from the manufacturer.
Reconditioned stairlifts means that the lift may have been used on a regular basis, the lift varies on usage from the previous owner.
Think Stairlifts will only purchase Quality machines that are in good condition before undergoing the extensive Think stairlifts Reconditioning process.
Think Stairlifts extensive reconditioning process includes a thorough multi-point check by our highly skilled in house engineers.
This is all complete in our well equipped HQ. where parts such as wiring looms, interlock switches, Motor Brushes, Battery and many more parts are replaced with new ensuring the stairlift is running like new.
Once the process has completed the stairlift will perform and look as you would expect when buying new.
Think Stairlifts offers the exact same Warranty/ guarantee as you would get when purchasing new. Reconditioned stairlifts come with 12 months warranty as standard (unless otherwise stated or on special offer which will be on your quotation and invoice sheet) Followed by 18 months warranty on our batteries installed in our stairlifts
Thinks most popular reconditioned stairlifts:
For straight staircases:
Reconditioned Acorn stairlift from only £500
For curved staircases:
Reconditioned Acorn 180 from only £2,000
We hope this infomation has helped you decide which stairlift is right for you.
If you would like to read more about us and what we offer - check out the Think Stairlifts blog.
Click the "Blog" button below.