Don’t knock elevators.

First, there is very little maintenance needed. One of the least expensive things in my home to maintain.

We have one in order to transport my son upstairs for bed. He has to be transported by wheelchair. There isn’t any bedroom space on the first floor. The elevator runs to the basement as well. Actually, that is a given in any design.

But other than getting my son up and downstairs, it is amazing how much we use it in day to day life. Just hauling stuff up and downstairs it is a godsend.

And as we get older it is reassuring to know that we aren’t limited by steps. It also lessens the risk of falling on steps carrying stuff between floors or to the basement.

They don’t add all that much to the cost of a new home, likely in the $20,000 to $40,000 range depending on size and level of finish.

With the idea of aging in place, I wouldn’t own a home (other than a single level on a slab) without one. I see all these new 3 or 4 story homes in big cities being built without one. I think that is very short sighted.