Stair Lifts

A stair lift (sometimes written as one word, "stairlift") is a motorised chair on a rail that carries a user up and down a flight of stairs. It bolts to the stair treads — not the walls — runs on rechargeable batteries that keep working through a power cut, and folds away when not in use so the stairs stay walkable.

For most UK homes the right stair lift can be surveyed, fitted and handed over within 24–48 hours. Below is a plain-English overview of the main types, what they cost, and what to expect from the install.

The five main types

All our fitted prices include the free home survey, installation, full handover and a 12-month warranty.

Straight vs curved — the key difference

A straight stair lift uses a stock rail cut to length on the day. It's why these lifts can be fitted within 48 hours and why the price stays low. The Acorn 130 is the UK's best-selling straight lift.

A curved stair lift uses a rail manufactured to the exact shape of your staircase — every turn, half-landing and angle. That's why the lead time is longer (1–3 weeks) and the price higher. The Acorn 180 is our standard curved model. For urgent cases, our Emergency option compresses curved manufacturing to 48 hours.

If you're not sure which your stairs need, see is my staircase straight or curved.

Standard features on every modern stair lift

• Folding seat, arms and footrest — the stairs stay usable on foot
• Battery-powered — keeps working in a power cut, charges at the top and bottom
• Swivel seat that locks at the landing for a safe stand-up
• Seatbelt with secure latch
• Obstruction sensors on the footrest and underside
• Soft-start and soft-stop drive
• Joystick or paddle control on the arm, plus remote calls at top and bottom
• 12-month parts-and-labour warranty

Curved lifts usually add a powered swivel at the top (rotates the seat for safer transfer) and a powered folding footrest.

What stair lift installation looks like

A typical install runs in four stages: free home survey (20–60 minutes), manufacturing (none for straight, 1–3 weeks for curved), fitting (2–3 hours straight, 3–4 hours curved), then handover with full demonstration and written documentation. No structural work, electrical rewiring or building permits are needed — the lift plugs into a standard 13-amp socket.

For the full picture see how stair lifts are installed and how stair lifts attach to stairs.

What's NOT included in some "from £X" stair lift prices

The UK stair lift market is full of headline "from £X" prices that exclude installation, delivery, survey, handover or the first service. Our fitted prices are all-in — what we quote is what you pay. If you're comparing quotes, check that the other company's price includes:

1. The home survey
2. Delivery
3. Installation
4. Full handover and demonstration
5. 12-month warranty
6. Removal of packaging

If any of those are extra, the headline price isn't the real price.

VAT relief — a 20% saving

If the user has a long-term illness or disability, the stair lift and installation are zero-rated for VAT. That's a 20% saving — roughly £400 off a straight lift, £600 off a curved. The customer signs a simple declaration on the day; we handle the paperwork.

Rent vs buy

For short-term needs (under 12 months — recovery, end-of-life care) renting often makes sense. For permanent use buying nearly always works out cheaper within a year. See is it better to rent or buy a stair lift for the full numbers.

Reconditioned and second-hand stair lifts

A reconditioned stair lift is a workshop-refurbished unit — stripped down, cleaned, fitted with new batteries and consumables, retested and supplied with a full 12-month warranty. Ours start at £995 fitted for straight Acorn 130s, sometimes including Stannah models when stock allows. The install standard is identical to a new lift; only the carriage and (for straight rails) the rail itself are previously used.

"Second-hand" usually means a private-sale ex-customer unit with no warranty and no install — risky for stairlifts because the rail length, mounting holes and electronics rarely match a new home. We don't recommend buying second-hand without an engineer's pre-purchase check. For most budgets, our reconditioned range is the safer half-price route — see reconditioned stairlifts from £995.

Stair lifts for narrow staircases

The narrowest UK domestic stairs run down to around 680–720 mm between the wall and the open string — typical in Victorian and Edwardian terraces across Greater Manchester. A slimline straight lift like the Acorn 130 folds to roughly 340 mm when not in use, leaving the stairs walkable on foot for other household members. For a turn at the top of a narrow flight, the Acorn 180 curved rail can be specified with a tighter inside radius and a powered swivel that rotates the seat clear of the wall at the landing. We measure on the survey and tell you straight whether the stairs are too narrow for a standard lift — see stairlifts for narrow stairs for the full guide.

Stair lift aftercare

Every install includes a 12-month parts-and-labour warranty. Annual servicing from £80 keeps the lift running smoothly and catches most faults before they become callouts. We also offer 24-hour emergency repairs across Greater Manchester for safety-critical faults. See servicing & repairs and stair lift repair Manchester.

How to book

Call 0161 330 5544 or request a callback. A local engineer will measure the stairs, walk through the realistic options, and quote a fixed all-in price on the day. No pressure, no obligation.

Our fixed prices

All prices include the free home survey, installation, handover and a 12-month warranty.

Our stairlifts

• Reconditioned stairlifts — £995 fitted
• Outdoor stairlifts
• Servicing & repairs

Book a free home survey

Call 0161 330 5544 or request a callback. A local engineer will measure your stairs and give you a fixed price on the day — no pressure, no obligation.