If anyone is wondering about how to modify a two story home so you can get from the first floor to the second, I might have an idea worth considering.
When we looked into getting a home elevator, the prices started at 25 grand and up, and that wasn't including the cost of modifying the home. To say the least this was way out of any price range would could ever afford.
Then a very dear friend of mine came up with a different idea that might work for you just like it is for us.
My friend shopped on the Internet through Craig's List and EBay for one of those drivable lifts that are used in warehouses with very tall shelves. These lifts are battery operated, and are driven around the aisles and the workman uses the lift that raises and lowers so he can get whatever object he needed off the shelf.
After hunting high and low, we finally found one for $2,500. We then had it shipped from the state of WA, to TX. My friend then loaded it up in a horse trailer and brought it to MO.
We then cut out a hole between the first and second floors. Drove the lift in through the front door and parked it where the new hole was. We then closed the whole thing in with drywall and doors on each floor.
After I got done paying for all the additional labor costs of tearing apart and rebuilding my home, we spent $8,000, but that's a whole lot cheaper thann 25 grand plus remodeling.
The reason we really fell in love with the whole idea is that this lift while a bit unorthodox is totally safe since it's all running on hydraulics. Even if the power goes out, the fully charged batteries still raise and lower the unit. If the batteries die, the unit will still safely lower to the first floor without incident.
The unit is free standing within the tiny little room we built, so there is a bit of wobble, but it's unbelievably solid and safe.
If anyone is curious about how it looks and any more details, then please contact me and I'll be more than happy to share our unique solution for getting me from the first floor to the second.
Oh, the one problem with our unit was that it is just a little to small for me to drive my wheelchair on and off (though we might be able to modify it so we could), so instead we have a wheelchair on each floor. When I need to go up, I make a transfer from my first floor wheelchair onto a padded bench. Then I go upstairs where I have another wheelchair waiting for me. You'll notice the lift when on the first floor is not even because of it sitting on wheels.
Currently I pull myself up and in the lift using forearm crutches and a step. We do plan on cutting a hole in the floor on the 1st floor and then dropping the entire unit down level so it matches up with the flooring on the first floor.
It works great for me, maybe it might work for you?
