People over-prepare for this. The honest answer is that very little is needed, and knowing which little makes the day go smoothly.

The one job to do first

Flooring. If you are replacing the stair carpet in the next year or two, do it before the lift goes in. The rail fixes to the treads, so replacing carpet afterward means removing and refitting the lift.

This catches people out more than anything else on the list. Ask yourself honestly whether that carpet is coming up, and if it is, do it now.

The day before

Clear the stairs completely. Including whatever lives on the bottom three steps.
Clear the landings at both ends. The technician needs room to work where the lift parks.
Clear a route from the front door. The rail comes in in sections and they are long.
Move anything breakable off that route.
Somewhere to park. The van carries the whole install.

That is genuinely it. No dust sheets needed, we bring those. No power to isolate. No furniture to move beyond the route.

Decide these before the day

Which side the rail runs on. Settled at survey, and it should be settled by the person’s transfer rather than convenience. If you have thought of something since, say so before install day rather than on it.

Where it parks. At the top and bottom. This decides whether it sits across a doorway for the next ten years.

Who is being trained. The person who will use the lift should be in the house at handover. Not only the family member arranging it.

What about pets

Worth thinking about. There is a door open at times, unfamiliar people, and a few minutes of drilling. Somewhere else in the house for a few hours is kinder to everybody.

Power

These run on batteries that charge at parking points, so they plug into an ordinary outlet. If there is no outlet within reach of a parking point, that comes up at survey rather than on the day. If an outlet has to be run, it goes in the written quote.

How long you are without the stairs

Not long. The stairs stay usable through most of a straight install, with short periods where the technician is working on a section. A straight lift is two to four hours start to finish and you use it the same day.

A curved install is a full day, once the rail has been manufactured over the preceding three to five weeks. Our curved stairlift page explains why that lead time is real.

Permits

Whether one is needed depends on your state, and where it is, it may be filed at state level rather than with your county. We check which applies and file the paperwork. Both Bruno and Harmar require installation by an authorized dealer for their own reasons as well.

What to have ready for afterward

Somewhere to keep the model number, serial number and warranty terms. The first thing any service department asks for is the serial number, and the day you need it is not the day to go looking.

While you wait

If somebody is struggling in the meantime, a rollator, a transport chair, bathroom safety or a threshold ramp can make the waiting period a great deal easier. Those ship free from our online shop,.

Doors at the foot of the stairs

If a door opens across the bottom of the flight, say so before install day. The solution is a hinged or folding rail section that lifts the last piece of track clear when the lift is parked, and it has to be ordered with the lift rather than added afterward.

It is the single most common thing that turns a straightforward install into a return visit.

Open risers and unusual stairs

Stairs with open backs, stone treads, or very shallow nosings all need a look rather than an assumption. All are workable; none should be discovered on the morning.

If your staircase is anything other than conventional timber treads, mention it when you book the survey and send a photograph.

What to do with the handrail

Usually nothing. The rail sits low on the treads and most handrails are unaffected. Occasionally a handrail has to be trimmed or repositioned where the lift parks, and that is a conversation at survey rather than a surprise.

Do not remove a handrail in advance. It is needed until the lift is working, and afterward by everybody else in the house.

The week after

Use it more than feels necessary. Confidence with the controls comes from repetition, and the first week is when somebody decides whether this is theirs or an intrusion. Park it at a charging point every time, which is the habit that prevents most future service calls. Our service page covers the rest.