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Does anyone in a city have experience with putting a chair lift on the outside (main entrance) of the house? We live in New York City, and are looking for a multi-family property for ourselves and our elderly moms. Barely any properties that we have seen/can afford/have won the bidding on have walk-in units or backyard entrances.
I feel like it might be an invitation for trouble: "Hey, look, a defenseless old lady lives here!".
Does anyone in a city have experience with putting a chair lift on the outside (main entrance) of the house? We live in New York City, and are looking for a multi-family property for ourselves and our elderly moms. Barely any properties that we have seen/can afford/have won the bidding on have walk-in units or backyard entrances.
I feel like it might be an invitation for trouble: "Hey, look, a defenseless old lady lives here!".
Appreciate your thoughts.
Haven't seen a chair lift outside.
I know someone who put an elevator outside on a two story single family home.
It was pretty pricy......I want to say around $12,000.
I know about outdoor chairlifts- I am asking about having them on the main entrance of a home that is on the street in a city- on a house that is NOT set back by a driveway or within a housing development. If anyone has ever had a problem in that way?
I think you need to contact the city in question. Call and find out which agency handles requests for this sort of thing, because I imagine local ordinances govern what can be done. We cannot possibly know whether your city would allow what you want to do.
You might also call a local installer of these and ask about costs and feasibility.
I think you need to contact the city in question. Call and find out which agency handles requests for this sort of thing, because I imagine local ordinances govern what can be done. We cannot possibly know whether your city would allow what you want to do.
You might also call a local installer of these and ask about costs and feasibility.
Good luck.
Thanks, but I'm only asking if anyone has any experience on whether it is SAFE. Like if you had a lift on the the outside of the home and you noticed harassment, or if you were robbed, etc.
Possibly my question doesn't have an answer. Overthinking 101 strikes again...
Thanks, but I'm only asking if anyone has any experience on whether it is SAFE. Like if you had a lift on the the outside of the home and you noticed harassment, or if you were robbed, etc.
Possibly my question doesn't have an answer. Overthinking 101 strikes again...
Maybe you would get more responses from people who have actual experience with this if you posted in the NYC forum.
Not sure it would really be any different than having a handicapped ramp at the front door.
Possibly you could get info from the local police or an insurance company.
I have had an outside stairlift that I bought years ago now used. Have never installed it but I still plan to as it is very hard for me to get down the outside steps. I live in a high crime/drug area, but I also have other family living in the house. I don't think having the lift would make us any more of a target, if it does I have guns too. LOL
I am more concerned about kids trying to play on it, though it needs a key to operate, but kids might still climb on it. My stairs are very near to the street.
Of course if Husband and I get bad enough we my pass right by the lift idea and go to a LONG ramp for wheelchairs, to be legal that would have to go 42 feet take up the whole side of the house and part of the yard.
We have an outdoor lift at my father's house. It is a wheelchair lift, which has the added convenience of accessing the home in a wheelchair.
We were also concerned about putting this out there, signalling to all that a disabled person lives here.
So we put it in the back of the house entrance, where it is hidden behind fences. The back of the house has a small yard, a garage with an alley that provides access to the garage. So when we drive him home we can wheel him from the garage to the lift.
I have no idea if the homes you are looking at have this type of option.
We also considered a staircase lift at the front of the house, which would have been a lot cheaper, but it would have also required a lot of reinforcement/rebuilding to safely attach. And it could easily be vandalized etc.. And it looked just awful. Not that the monstrosity he has in his backyard isn't ugly. But I don't even see it anymore, you know?
I would recommend a condo instead. One story. Elevators. Covered garage in the basement/adjacent etc... If you are moving anyway...
A house in my area has a wheel chair lift in front to a raised porch, I never considered the possible security implications but I guess it could be a problem in some areas. The world is not the same as it was even 20 years ago.
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