“What have I done?!” New homeowner’s instant regret
After moving to their new two-storey home by the bay in Victoria, Ros Morton was in tears. Despite the amazing views of Port Phillip Bay, stunning sunsets and finally living close to her grandchildren, there was one major problem…
“I’d had a full hip replacement and was having difficulty rehabilitating,” says Ros. “I was in this fabulous house and thinking: What have we done!? How am I ever going to navigate the stairs?
“I could barely drag myself up from ground level, let alone carry shopping or washing from one floor to the other. We were seriously considering another move.”
The Morton’s main living area is on the top floor of their peninsula home – ideal for drinks on the deck and sighting ships in the distance, but not so great if you are physically challenged. “I had to rely on my husband Stuart to do all the lifting, which was difficult because he was going through his own medical treatment at the time,” explains Ros.
“We were in trouble and I felt trapped.”
Ros had always been active and involved in community life, but now she says she “had no chance of connecting with anyone because I couldn’t get in and out of the house easily. And the thought of moving again was more than either of us could bear!”
The solution?
“RESiLIFT!” answers Ros. “A friend found a brochure at The Home Show. I was considering installing a stairlift, but it was unsightly and too big for our stairwell.
“We viewed a RESiLIFT at someone’s home, and as soon as I saw it, I realised my life was about to change. Thankfully, another expensive re-location was off the agenda and our lift was installed extremely quickly.
As soon as Ros saw a RESiLIFT, she realised her life was about to change.
“As it’s a free-standing lift with no shaft, the building modifications were minimal, and it simply plugs into a standard domestic outlet! All of these factors combined to make it an easy choice,” says Ros.
Tax Agent George Dimitropoulos, who recently observed his parents install a RESiLIFT into their home, says that “installing a lift is an undoubtedly justified financial decision. The full cost of installing a RESiLIFT in my parents’ home, including building works, was $35,000 all up. If they were to have downsized, aside from the potential impact this can have on people’s pensions, the stamp duty alone is astronomical. For a $700,000 value home you are looking at $37,000, and for a million-dollar property the stamp duty is $55,000.
“The costs all stack up. As well as the stamp duty, you need to add selling cost (advertising and agent fees will be approximately $25,000), relocating costs, possible ongoing storage fees or disposal fees.”
Luckily for Ros, she discovered RESiLIFT before the stress and expense of moving again. As is often the case, “Visitors can’t even see the lift at first glance”, laughs Ros. “It looks as if it was built with the house. It has also enabled our friends with physical limitations to visit us easily.”
“The RESiLIFT has given me the freedom to come and go as I please,” she continues. In her retired life, Ros is active within the community and supporting her family with babysitting. “I feel useful again and can do all the domestic duties I used to,” she says proudly.
“My independence and confidence have been completely restored. Thanks to RESiLIFT.”
So if you’re in a quandary about whether you need to move home, before you decide, arrange a complimentary home consultation today.
This is a sponsored article produced in partnership with RESiLIFT.