Wheelchair and platform lifts for homes

• Stair lift with a chair. The user moves from the wheelchair to the seat, or is helped to. The wheelchair stays at the bottom or goes up separately. It suits people who can transfer. See stair lifts.
• Platform lift. The wheelchair rolls onto a platform that rises with the user in it. It suits a short rise, such as a few steps at the front door or between two levels.
• Home lift. A lift between floors, big enough for a wheelchair. One South African supplier says its three-person model can carry most wheelchair models and needs about 1.3 square metres. See home lifts.

A platform lift is often considered for a short rise, such as steps at an entrance. A home lift is often considered when the wheelchair user needs to move between floors inside the house. Some platform lifts also travel along a staircase. We haven't covered those here, so ask about them on the call. The rise, the route, the platform size, the load and the building work decide what suits, so the choice comes after a look at the home.

One manufacturer's enclosed platform lift is published for travel of 1.6 to 15 metres across 2 to 6 floors. A manufacturer's figures are for its own models only. If a wheelchair is involved, check the clear platform size, the rated load, the door widths, the turning space and whether someone has to travel with the user.

• How many steps or floors does the lift have to cover?
• How wide are the doors and passages the wheelchair uses?
• Is there room for the wheelchair to turn at the top and bottom?
• Is the lift needed inside the house, or at an entrance outside?

You don't have to tell us anything medical. A rough description of the home is enough.

We could not find a South African price for a platform lift from a source we could check. Home lift prices are only published by overseas exporters. The home lift cost guide and the stair lift cost guide show what we did find, with sources and what they leave out. A price for a wheelchair lift is confirmed after a look at the home.

South African lift regulations apply to lifts in private homes, and the department's guidelines say maintenance requirements apply to stair lifting platforms among others. Ask whoever quotes what applies to the lift and who will service it. See lift service and maintenance.

SARS has listed lifts that move people with a physical disability as qualifying disability expenditure. Whether it applies to you depends on your situation and the current rules, so check current SARS guidance.