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I don't know anyone that would buy a house with an elevator. If they are so bad off they need an elevator, they'll buy a one-story home.
Huh? There are two houses in my parents' neighborhood with elevators in them that I'm aware of. They live in Dallas in a neighborhood with mostly 1 or 1.5 story houses.
The builder of the house we bought about eight years ago installed a 3-stop elevator by Residential Elevator. It has a battery back-up, which I just replaced last year. I also had the tech add a new light controller that turns on the lights when the cab is called and then turns them off a short while after the elevator stops. There's a built-in telephone for which we maintain a landline (that's also the back-up phone line for our security system) and it has an alarm. If the power goes out while the elevator is in use, the cab will slowly descend to the next floor and the gate/door will operate.
We recently had to add baffles to the inside of the doors at each level to meet tighter safety requirements for the size of the gap permitted. Rather than have the tech install their utilitarian looking baffles, my husband built some that meet code and look much nicer. I mention that only because the OP's current elevator shaft may need to be tweaked, but that's something any installer could do.
We love our elevator and don't care whether or not it may increase the eventual market value of our home. Not only has it been helpful for members of our family, but friends who had recent surgery appreciated it when they visited and it's also been useful for moving furniture and other heavy items from floor to floor. For example, our large artificial Christmas tree has a wheeled stand, so after the holidays I just drape it in a light sheet to protect from dust, wheel it into the elevator and down to a large storage room in the finished basement. All other decorations go in large Rubbermaid totes that are stacked on a furniture dolly and wheeled to/from the elevator.
If you like everything else about your current home, then consider the cost of moving (RE commission, closing costs, movers, plus the many expenses of setting up a new home) and compare that to the cost of an elevator. You may be pleasantly surprised.
One advantage of an elevator over a chair lift is it can also be used as a dumbwaiter. In my house the dumbwaiter goes from the garage to the main floor, so groceries aren't hauled up and down the stairs. I wish it went to the second floor too, so we could use it to bring the Christmas decorations down or bring luggage up to the second floor. Because of it's cargo capabilities, in a large house where the elevator is in a thought out position I don't see it as being a detriment.
That said, my parent had an pnumantic elevator added to their home. There was no obvious place to put the elevator, so it goes from the small family room (or keeping room) to the Master bedroom. They said it cost about $30K including installation. It does look cool, and presently it means they can stay in their home for as long as they want. Resale might be tough, but they were told you can just take the elevator out and restore the hole in the ceiling/floor and you are good to go.
I was just thinking the same thing about the dumbwaiter idea. In homes we owned and those of family and friends we visited over the years we have seen elevators in single family homes with almost 6,ooo sf on two floors and an additional nearly 3,000 sf basement if it was finished, which many did do actually; another a townhouse with 5,000 sf over 4 floors; a single family over 3,000 sf on three floors; same with one on 2 floors; and a few single fam and th with 2,000sf+/-.
And, of course many beach houses where the main living, congregating, view area is the second floor above ground level.
Residents always liked the possibilities....carrying heavy items, getting all the items in one load; carrying construction items; helping ill large pets; helping out with the adult or child who had an injury, etc.
Do watch the rascally things cats can get into,though. And I always like to keep a phone with me just in case something goes wrong and no one else is home.
The builder of the house we bought about eight years ago installed a 3-stop elevator by Residential Elevator. It has a battery back-up, which I just replaced last year. I also had the tech add a new light controller that turns on the lights when the cab is called and then turns them off a short while after the elevator stops. There's a built-in telephone for which we maintain a landline (that's also the back-up phone line for our security system) and it has an alarm. If the power goes out while the elevator is in use, the cab will slowly descend to the next floor and the gate/door will operate.
We recently had to add baffles to the inside of the doors at each level to meet tighter safety requirements for the size of the gap permitted. Rather than have the tech install their utilitarian looking baffles, my husband built some that meet code and look much nicer. I mention that only because the OP's current elevator shaft may need to be tweaked, but that's something any installer could do.
We love our elevator and don't care whether or not it may increase the eventual market value of our home. Not only has it been helpful for members of our family, but friends who had recent surgery appreciated it when they visited and it's also been useful for moving furniture and other heavy items from floor to floor. For example, our large artificial Christmas tree has a wheeled stand, so after the holidays I just drape it in a light sheet to protect from dust, wheel it into the elevator and down to a large storage room in the finished basement. All other decorations go in large Rubbermaid totes that are stacked on a furniture dolly and wheeled to/from the elevator.
If you like everything else about your current home, then consider the cost of moving (RE commission, closing costs, movers, plus the many expenses of setting up a new home) and compare that to the cost of an elevator. You may be pleasantly surprised.
Hope this helps the OP.
Yes VERY much so. So much to consider here. Thank you.
Again..... the house price will be based on comps. If comps in the area have no elevators..... it will add no value. Typically..... if you price the house well above all the recent comps it will sit on the market for a long time because people will think its over priced, or people will simply low ball offers. Typically....
Wrong. When doing comps and setting value for a property, just because there are no houses with a certain feature, each major feature has a value and is added to the properties. It won't increase by the possible cost to add, but it still has a value. Popular example. If a comp is properly prepared, and the house has a fireplace, and the other houses do not. A value is added for the fireplace over the one's without. Same for an elevator. It will be a used value, not the cost to install such a feature. But the added value, plus tax savings for use by handicapped, can recoup all or most of the cost.
Buyers do consider homes with added features with a higher cost, if they like the feature. A swimming pool is a good example. Some people will want one real bad, and are willing to pay a premium for the home with one. On the other hand, there are people that will not even buy a home with a swimming pool, even if no value was added for the pool to the home price.
Elevators are becoming popular in homes, and more in demand.
Kudzu, Oldtrader reminds me...can you get some sort of insurance to pay for the elevator/part of the elvator or a group you fall under/are a member of?
cully---I don't know. In fact, I wish I had thought of it when we put in our 3 chair lifts, as it would have been nice for insurance to pay for them. I would have at least tried to see if they would. This is a large 4 level home, and there is no place we could possibly have put in an elevator that would go to all levels, and that is why we have 3 chair lifts. I would have preferred the elevator, but the chair lifts do what we need to do as my wife and I can neither one climb chairs any more. It allows us to stay in our home that we love. We also occasionally have company that cannot climb stairs, so ours get a lot of use.
Stair lifts are not pretty, but they sure make living easier for a lot of people. When the seat and footrest are folded up, there is still room for people to easily get by them, and to move things up and down stairs. We use them when taking a box, etc., upstairs. Sit down, hold it in your arms, and ride up instead of carrying it. They are not pretty, but they really do not distract that much from the looks of the home. Kind of like we put running boards on the F-150 pickup and the Explorer to make it easier and safer to get in and out. The boards on the Explorer look very good in fact, and we get lots of comments.
cully---I don't know. In fact, I wish I had thought of it when we put in our 3 chair lifts, as it would have been nice for insurance to pay for them. I would have at least tried to see if they would. This is a large 4 level home, and there is no place we could possibly have put in an elevator that would go to all levels, and that is why we have 3 chair lifts. I would have preferred the elevator, but the chair lifts do what we need to do as my wife and I can neither one climb chairs any more. It allows us to stay in our home that we love. We also occasionally have company that cannot climb stairs, so ours get a lot of use.
Stair lifts are not pretty, but they sure make living easier for a lot of people. When the seat and footrest are folded up, there is still room for people to easily get by them, and to move things up and down stairs. We use them when taking a box, etc., upstairs. Sit down, hold it in your arms, and ride up instead of carrying it. They are not pretty, but they really do not distract that much from the looks of the home. Kind of like we put running boards on the F-150 pickup and the Explorer to make it easier and safer to get in and out. The boards on the Explorer look very good in fact, and we get lots of comments.
The question is the necessity. There is less of a market for a home with an elevator but if you get an elderly couple in their 80s who are well off then they might be a lot more desperate for an elevator than a couple in their 30s.
So the thing would be to market the home at senior centers, senior clubs, hospitals or somewhere that an elevator would be a great attribute.
You would be offering something that would be of great necessity and could really help them and so they might pay more.
You don't have to be in your 80s to need an elevator or become disabled.
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