Stair lift installation is generally not too complicated. Many stair lifts are especially designed for a fast and easy installation by the customer, allowing you to easily install these units on your own. Thus, it’s advisable to choose a unit that features an easy customer-friendly installation.

In general, stair lifts for straight staircases can be easily installed by one person in just a couple of hours, and stair lifts for curved staircases require more time and at least two people to install them.

Many dealers will either help you install the unit, or help you to locate an installation service provider that will charge you a few hundred dollars for installation.

It’s easier to install a unit that has a pre-cut and prepared track, with the parts pre-installed on the track. In this case, you just need to connect the parts of the track, attach it to your staircase, bolt down the seat and plug in the unit to start using it.
The weight of any single part of the unit is also important to note. If the heaviest single part is between 50-70lbs, then such a unit can be easily installed by one person.

Most of the units do not require individual connecting of the wires, since the wires can be generally connected with special modular plugs.

Battery powered stair lifts eliminates the need to hire a professional electrician. The majority of states (except for OR and WA) do not require an electrical inspection for a battery-powered stair lift.

If you have a staircase made of wood in your home, it’s generally easier to install a stair lift than if you have a staircase made of concrete.

Furthermore, when looking for a stair lift to install on your own, you should also seek the units with clear detailed installation guidelines.

In general, a stair lift for the use on a straight staircase is fixed right on the staircase. Curved stair lifts, on the contrary, often require to be attached to the walls. Curved stair lifts are generally much harder to install, and you might have to consult with your supplier and/or installer for help or specific instructions.

Thus, if you are looking into installing a stair lift yourself, you should consider the complexity of your particular staircase, and look for a customer-friendly stair lift unit for the easiest and the cheapest stair lift installation.

Can a stair lift be of help to a person with a Parkinson’s disease? In fact, a stairlift may be one of the best ways to improve the quality of life for a person with this type of disorder.

Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative condition, and its main symptoms comprise of the following:
- Difficulty initiating and completing voluntary movement.
- Tremors in the hands and feet.
- Rigid stiff muscles that often get worse during motion.
- Poor balance, often resulting in falls in persons with Parkinson’s disease.
- Unsteady walk with a tendency for leaning either forward or backward.
- Small shuffling steps.
- Trouble initiating walking, and freezing in mid-stride.
- Difficulty trying to make a turn.

Stair lifts are special mobility devices that can be installed on straight or curved staircases, attached to the stairs or to a wall. The chairs are equipped with safety belts, which would securely lift a person up the stairs or provide a safe ride down the stairs. Stair lifts can aid people with Parkinson’s disorder that is unable to walk up or down stairs, as well as they can aid caregivers in their supervision of the person with Parkinson’s disease.

When looking for a stair lift for a person with a Parkinson’s disease, make sure that the stair lift of your choice features the following:
- A safety belt that would protect the passenger from falling down.
- Safety sensors that would stop the chair if there was any obstacle in the way of the unit.
- A joystick and a remote control to allow more flexibility with the lift control.
- Padded armrests and a comfortable footrest.
- Battery backup that would allow the unit to operate even with a temporary power outage.

There are several popular stairlift manufacturers that can provide you with a smooth and safe stair lift that would well suit the needs of a person with Parkinson’s disease. The most popular quality stair lifts’ manufacturers include: Bruno, ThyssenKrupp Access, and Savaria Concord.

Parkinson’s disease and stairlifts – these units are a good option for providing a person with this neurodegenerative disorder with a better quality of life.

Yes, such grant does exist, but getting your grant approved may take years. Older and disabled people are in a desperate and immediate need of a stair lift; however, it may take as long as 1-3 years to get your grant approved by the Government. This process is way too slow for many people, often forcing them to purchase a unit as they are unable to wait for so long.
If you cannot receive a grant for years, what else can you do? First of all, you may try contacting your Local Representative in congress, and asking him/her to help you.

Other alternatives include: stair lift rental and reconditioned units. So, which of these two alternatives bests fits your circumstances?

Renting is best suited for someone who may require a stair lift for only a short period of time. These units can be rented for a period of time, so that you can continue with your life, until your grant is approved. The process can take between 2 to 3 days from beginning to end, executing all the necessary work, from an inspection to installation. Installation services usually cost around $1,000, and it’s around $100 per month to rent the unit. Generally, the rental companies do not require you to sign any minimum contract with them.

Reconditioned stair lifts also offer you good value for the money. The whole process – from an inspection to installation, may take between 2 to 7 days depending on your staircase design and your location. However, note that reconditioned units may have fewer features than new ones, as well as they may look somewhat outdated.

So, is there a Goverment grant for stair lifts? Yes. Is it fast to get? No. It’s important to remember that the Government does offer grants for stair lifts, and thus it’s definitely worth asking the Government for help; even so, the waiting period may take years depending on where you live. Stair lifts are units of an immediate need, and waiting for years for a stair lift isn’t an option. Thus, you may want to look into renting a stair lift or purchasing a refurbished unit, if you are in an immediate need of one.

How to make money from a old stairlift? This is a common question for someone who has purchased an expensive brand new unit, and does not need it anymore. Another scenario is if you have purchased a home with a stair lift, and you do not require one. Whatever is your case, you can make money from an old stairlift by selling it.

So, where can you sell an old stairlift?

Two of the best places to try are eBay and Craigslist classifieds.

Any time you visit eBay, you may see people selling stair lifts. People from the US and from all over the world sell their units on the eBay. How much can you get for your stairlift on eBay? In general, you can make from 25% to 50% of the original unit’s price.
The value of the unit will largely depend on its age, condition, and warranty status. Thus, if your stair lift is still under warranty, you can make more than if it’s not.

Various stair lifts come with varying warranty terms, for instance:
- AmeriGlide stairlift warranty: 10-year warranty on drive train and 5-year warranty on components.
- Citia stairlift: 5-year warranty on drive train and 2-year warranty on parts.
- Bruno stairlift: 5-year warranty on the gear box and 2-year warranty on components.
- ThyssenKrupp stairlift: 5-year warranty on the gear box and 2-year warranty on parts.
- Acorn stairlift: lifetime gearbox/motor warranty and 1-year warranty on components.

However, note that a warranty may not cover damage to components caused by misuse, the stairlift batteries, and normal wear and tear.

When you browse through Craigslist classifieds, you will also see a wide range of the units sold all over the US. However, the costs of the units here are generally lower than on eBay. Here you can expect to receive from 10% to 40% of the original price of the unit.

No matter where you want to sell your stairlift, you should try to supply your ad with lots of pictures and a detailed description of the unit.

So, how to make money from a old stairlift? All you need to do is check the age, condition, and the warranty status of your unit, take lots of pictures and create a detailed description, and list the unit for sale on eBay and/or Craigslist.

Excel stair lift is an affordable unit (the price of this unit is about $3,000) manufactured by Citia. Excel stair lifts have some important valuable features in comparison to some other units. These stair lifts by Citia are considered to be one of the most trusted units, providing you with comfort and safety.

The main features of this unit include:

1. These units feature special design that makes them suitable for stairs in a basement with a door on the top, or any stairs with an obstruction on the top.

2. The units are powered by regular home current. Furthermore, the battery of the unit allows it to operate even during power outages.

3. These units are designed to provide you with a quiet smooth ride without shaking, and a mild start and stop.

4. The unit features ergonomic compact design, folding tight at about 14″ from the wall.

5. These units can carry a load of up to 300 pounds.

6. The speed of the chair is around 1 meter per second.

7. The units feature a swivel seat that locks at 60 / 90 degrees for comfortable sitting /standing.

8. The safety of these stair lifts is provided by a seat belt on the chair, and special obstruction sensors located around the footrest.

9. These stair lifts feature a concealed power cable and gear rack.

This stair lift ships in three main parts: the unit (80 lbs), the seat (88 lbs) and a 16-inch long track (93 lbs). Total shipping weight of this stair lift is about 261 lbs.

The unit comes with a 5-year warranty on drive train and 2-year warranty on component parts.

There also are additional options, which may be purchase with the original order (not sold separately). The main options include:
- One day installation at any location (add travel charges if outside of Seattle, WA) – $1,000.00
- Shipping charges for USA (except for Alaska, Hawaii and international shipping) – $250.00
- Over-speed brake – $395.00
- Key switch (AC version only) – $195.00
- Joystick control on the end of the chair arm – $195.00
- Extra track (per foot) – $80.00
- Arm-mounted controls on the chair (standard control is located under the seat) – $25.00

Overall, Citia Excel stair lift is a good and affordable option for anyone with special requirements.

eBay used stair lift selection will help you save a sufficient amount of money on your purchase. Stair lifts are rather expensive items. Even though the prices of stair lifts are constantly dropping, a current mid-range price of a brand new unit is $2,500-$3,000. At the same time, you can find a stair lift in very good condition on eBay for merely $1,000-$1,500.

What stair lifts can you find on eBay? The choice is generally quite wide, including Acorn, Bruno, Summit AC, Concord, and many other manufacturers. Generally, at any given time you will be able to locate at least 30-50 sellers offering stair lifts on eBay and eBay stores. Additionally, there is a large selection of units offered by international eBay sellers.

So what exactly can you find on eBay?

The most common units sold on eBay are Acorn stair lifts, such as Acorn SuperGlide 120. Acorn SuperGlide is a solid choice for anyone looking for a good stair lift with many helpful features.

Special features of Acorn units include:
- Start and stop with no jarring and jolting.
- Two remote controls.
- A DC-powered battery that allows you to use your unit even during an electric outage.
- Special protective surfaces around the footrest to protect you in the event of an accidental collision with any obstacle.
- Two types of brakes – mechanical and electric.
- Locking swivel seat.
- Easy installation.

You can also find used Summit AC stair lifts on eBay. Summit AC chairlifts have the following main features:
- Adjustable footrest and back.
- Rotating seat.
- Designed to be installed on either side of a staircase.
- In folded position the unit takes up about 14″ of space.
- A 300 pound weight capacity.
- AC-powered for reliability.
- Safety sensors around the footrest.
- Easy installation.

You can also find Excel A/C stair lifts, which are another good possibility. The features of this unit include:
- Comfortable contour swivel seat.
- Padded armrests.
- Folding of the unit for extra space.
- Control that can be mounted on either side of the seat.
- Wireless remote control.
- Safety sensors to protect from collisions.
- Operates on household current.

A vast eBay used stair lift selection is one of the best places for finding a quality stair lift for a reasonable price.

Craigslist stair lift selection will allow you to purchase an inexpensive stair lift at a price several times below the original price. You can find inexpensive stair lifts by Acorn, Bruno, Citia, and many other manufacturers.

A brand new stair lift bought from a manufacturer can cost you around $3,000, while on Craigslist you can get one for anywhere between $300-$2,500. The price of the unit will generally depend on how long it was in use. Moreover, some of the units sold here are still under warranty. Furthermore, some of the sellers will even help you to install your new stair lift for a small fee.
Another advantage of buying a stair lift through Craigslist is that you can often see the stair lift in operation, as many units are still installed in the owners’ homes.

What stairlifts can you find on Craigslist?

You can buy a sound stair lift, such as Acorn Stair Lift, for as little as $500. These units accommodate up to 300 pounds, and they are powered by a rechargeable DC battery. These units have a simple to use joystick, soft start and stop feature, locking key, swivel seat that locks into any of the three positions, surfaces around the footrest that stop the unit if there’s a collision with an obstruction, almost silent operation, and two types of brakes – electronic and mechanical.

Ameriglide stair lifts that fit standard staircases can be found here for around $1,000. These items are sold commercially for around $1,800. Usually these units fit a 16 ft. staircase, but you can also purchase an 8 ft. extension from the official Ameriglide website.
On Craigslist you can also buy a Concord Liberty stair lift for a split level home for around $1,500. The chair of this unit can be easily folded to keep it out of your way. The unit has controls located on the handle of the chair, as well as it’s equipped with wall mount controls for your convenience.

You can purchase an electric Bruno stair lift for as little as $1,000. The unit is about 15 feet in length; it has a remote control, and holds up to 350 pounds of load.

Craigslist stair lift selection offers many other models and manufacturers that you can buy in great condition and at amazingly low prices.

Curved stair lift prices are generally much higher in comparison to the straight stair lift prices. The price of a straight stair lift is $2,000-$3,000, and the price of a curved stair lift may be as high as $7,000-$15,000. Furthermore, the installation of such a unit is generally much more complex and costly than the installation of a regular straight stair lift. Last but not least, the price of a repair on a curved stair lift is also generally higher.

Unfortunately, Medicaid and insurance often do not cover stair lifts. Furthermore, a used unit (e.g., bought from Craigslist or eBay) is generally also not an option, because curved stair lifts are custom-made to fit the requirements of a particular staircase.

So what can you do to save on the price of a curved stair lift?

Here is a list of available options to aid you:

1. Consider renting a unit instead of buying it. If it’s a temporary disability, you may consider renting a unit rather than purchasing it. Generally, you will need to pay a deposit and 1 month rent, in order to have the unit installed by the rental company. The price of the rental is around $100 per month; however, the prices largely vary depending on the design of your staircase and on a particular rental company. Note that you might also be liable for the damages that may incur to the rented unit.

2. Try to locate a vendor that would allow you to pay in installments over a period of time. Most often you will be able to locate a vendor that offers various financing options. In fact, you can even take a small loan for purchasing such a unit, similar to a regular auto loan.

3. Look closely into various models and brands. Some of the well-known manufacturers have higher prices due to wide recognition of their brand; however, there are many less-known companies that offer quality units at affordable prices.

Thus, even though curved stair lift prices are generally high, there are some available options that may help you locating an affordable curved stair lift.

Bruno stair lift is one of the most popular units of this kind in the world. Bruno is one of the leading stair lift manufacturers in North America, founded in1984.

The company has received numerous awards year after year, starting in 1988 until today. The Awards that this company received include: new product awards, outstanding business awards, new ability awards, “Caregiver Friendly” awards, manufacturer of the year awards, awards for innovations, and awards for outstanding achievements and community involvement.

Bruno stair lifts are sound units that will allow anyone to become more independent, allowing for comfortable and safe transportation up and down the stairs. Bruno’s stair lifts offer you a smooth glide up and down the stairs, perfect for handicapped people, older people and others in need of assistance.

One of the most popular models by Bruno is Electra-Ride III Curved Rail, which is a durable and safe stair lift that can be custom made to fit virtually any curved stairway. This stair lift can be installed in a residential or commercial area. The model features:

- A DC-powered battery, which means that you can use the unit even during electric outages.

- Large load capacity: this unit can accommodate a passenger up to 350 pounds.

- Flexible mounting: the design of the mounting allows you to mount the unit from either side of your staircase.

How long does it take to install this unit? In general, the unit can be mounted merely within a couple of hours.

Bruno is an ISO-9001 certified stair lift manufacturer. Units produced by this company are durable, safe and user-friendly.
Bruno doesn’t just offer stairlifts (including custom-curved units) for homes; it offers a number of other accessibility units, including: vertical platform lifts, power chairs, electric scooters, and vehicle lifts designed especially for wheelchairs. This selection allows Bruno to help you equip not only your home, but also your car, van, minivan, or pickup, with vital and perfectly compatible vehicle accessibility units.

Bruno stair lift represents a good and well-designed unit by a skilled ISO-9001 certified company, and is a solid choice for anyone with special accessibility needs.

Ameriglide dealers will help you with finding and installing a quality Ameriglide stair lift. It’s very important to find a trusted and/or certified dealer for the best possible service.

Ameriglide is a popular stair lift brand, offering a broad assortment of varied accessibility items. Being one of the top stair lifts’ manufacturers, Ameriglide can provide top-quality units at competitive prices.

Many independent dealers offer you their services. Going through a trusted and/or certified dealer will provide you with an added security, professional installation and support.

How to find a reputable Ameriglide dealer and/or installer?

There are 3 main ways to locate a trusted and/or authorized Ameriglide stair lifts’ installer.

1) Ameriglide dealer network. To use this method you will have to call the company or email them asking for a list of dealers that they recommend. Furthermore, Ameriglide may also provide you with information about any dealers that have drawbacks.
Any manufacturer is looking for you to buy their stair lifts, but solid companies like Ameriglide are also interested in maintaining their good reputation. That’s why you can be pretty sure that this company will provide you with a credible list of screened dealers.

2) Referral from someone you know who has experience with a particular dealer and would be able to give you the most valuable advice.

3) Searching under stairlifts in the Phone book. This is probably one of the most common methods used for locating dealers. However, this method might not provide you with enough of the necessary information about the quality of services, costs, or consumer satisfaction.

What would be the wrong way to research the dealers for this brand? Even though it sounds ironic, the worst way to try to locate the best dealer is by reading the dealer’s website. Any dealer wants you to buy the unit particularly from them, and that’s why they will be promoting themselves, and no-one else.

Try to conduct thorough research, compare the real feedbacks, and ask Ameriglide for a list of their trusted dealers – and you’ll be well on your way to finding one of the best Ameriglide dealers.