Stairlifts for Chalet Bungalows, Bungalows with Loft Rooms and Dormer Homes

Yes, most chalet bungalows can have a stairlift. The stairs are usually short, which helps, but they are also steep, narrow and often boxed in, which narrows your choices. The right lift depends on the pitch of the stairs, the head height under the roof slope and whether the flight turns. A survey at home settles it quickly.

Why chalet bungalow stairs are different

A chalet bungalow has its main living space on the ground floor and one or two bedrooms in the roof. A dormer bungalow is much the same, with dormer windows to give the upstairs some height. Many homes like this were built or converted in the mid twentieth century, and many more have had a loft room added later.

The stairs tend to share a few traits:

• They are steeper than in a standard house, because the builder had little floor space to give up.
• They are often narrow, with a wall or a panelled cupboard on both sides.
• They may start in a hallway or a lounge, with a door at the bottom or top.
• They are short, sometimes only eight to twelve steps.
• The ceiling above the upper treads can slope down with the roof.

Short is good news. A shorter rail costs less and takes less time to fit. Steep and narrow are the parts that need a closer look.

Steep stairs and the pitch of the rail

A stairlift rail follows the angle of your stairs, and every model has a limit on how steep that angle can be. Most standard seated lifts cope with ordinary domestic pitches. Very steep loft stairs can be at or beyond that limit for some models, which is one reason an independent survey across several brands is useful. We are not tied to one manufacturer, so we can look at what suits your stairs rather than what one catalogue offers.

The seat on any lift swivels to level itself as it climbs, so a steep flight should not mean you feel tipped forward. You will want to try the seat on the day if you can, and tell the surveyor honestly how you feel about steep stairs now.

Head height under the roof slope

This is the point that catches people out. When you sit on a stairlift your head is lower than when you stand, but the seat, your body and the rail all take up space, and the lift has to travel right to the top of the flight. If the ceiling slopes down over the upper stairs, the engineer will check the clearance at the highest point you would be sitting, and also at the point where you stand up and step off.

Sometimes a rail can be set to park the seat slightly earlier, or on the opposite side of the stairs, so you step off clear of the low ceiling. Sometimes a hinged rail section is needed. In rare cases, there is simply not enough room, and we would tell you so rather than sell you a lift that does not suit your home.

Standing or perching lifts

Where stairs are very narrow, a perching or standing lift can be worth a look. These have a small saddle or a platform rather than a full seat and take up less width. They also sit differently on a low sloping ceiling. They are not right for everyone: you need good balance and the ability to get on and off safely, and a GP or occupational therapist can advise on that. Our guide to standing and perching stairlifts covers who they suit. Prices are broadly £2,000 to £3,000 for a straight standing or perching lift.

If the width is the main worry, read stairlifts for narrow stairs too, as the same measuring points apply.

Straight or curved?

Many bungalow loft stairs are a single straight flight, which is the simplest and cheapest case. A new straight stairlift starts from about £2,475 installed, and a typical figure is £2,500 to £3,200. Straight lifts are usually fitted in a few hours, and next-day installation is often possible depending on availability.

Not every loft stair is straight. Some turn at the top or bottom, some have a winder (the triangular steps), and some have a small half landing. Those need a curved stairlift, with a rail made to order for your staircase. New curved lifts start from about £4,500, with £5,500 to £7,000 being typical, and there is a wait of a few weeks between survey and fitting. Our post on straight or curved stairlifts shows how to tell which you have.

Loft conversions with a second flight

Some bungalows have been extended upwards, so there may be a first flight from the ground floor to a landing and a second flight to a loft room. Each flight is a separate decision. A single lift does not usually cover two flights with a landing in between unless the geometry allows a curved rail around it. Often the more practical plan is to ask which rooms you truly need to reach. If it is a bedroom and a bathroom on the first flight, that may be all the lift has to do.

If you are really weighing up whether stairs make sense at all, a through-floor home lift is the alternative, though at from about £14,000 plus any building work it is a much bigger project.

What to do before the survey

• Measure the width of the stairs at the narrowest point and note any doors that open onto them.
• Note where the ceiling slopes, and take a photo from the bottom and top of the flight.
• Think about who will use the lift, and whether anyone else needs to walk past it.
• Check where the nearest plug socket is.

Homes like this are common around Tiptree, Birch, Layer de la Haye and Abberton, and our Tiptree stairlift page shows how we cover that side of Colchester. The overall range is on our stairlift types page.

When you are ready, book a free home survey. We measure the stairs, check the head height and give you a fixed quote with no obligation.

Frequently asked questions

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