In our role as expert lift consultants, we were approached earlier this year by Flat Living Magazine to write a “How to” article on replacing/refurbishing a lift. Flat Living Magazine is a publication for flat owners, residents and management companies, offering information, advice and services to those involved within this sector. However; the information contained could be utilised for the commercial market too.
You can read our article here or here.
A brief synopsis of the article is as follows:
| Step 1: | Know your lift | With some lifts dating back to the 19th century, age, design and condition vary massively from lift to lift, make sure you have a background knowledge of the lift(s) you own/use/manage |
| Step 2: | Commission a survey | A full condition survey will highlight performance, health & safety, legislative and obsolescence issues. A good condition survey will report on budget costs, predictive lifespan and offer various options on how to balance performance versus price |
| Step 3: | Consulting with residents | With lifts in homes (and to a lesser degree places of work), capital expenditure is always an emotive subject. Clear consultation from the offset will ensure all parties are aware of the requirements, which should reduce opposition at a later stage |
| Step 4: | Getting the specification right | Correctly specifying a project will ensure only the elements requiring replacement/refurbishment are addressed. This will ensure a reliable lift service is returned, while preventing the lift contractors from pricing for unnecessary component replacement |
| Step 5: | Find the right contractor | The UK lift industry has a full range of contractors, from the one-man band to the blue chip multinational companies. While both may be capable of doing a good job, the right contractor will produce the correct level of work at the right budget |
| Step 6: | Replacement/refurbishment | The main body of the works, after the survey, specification and tender stage. This is the point where lift service will be unavailable as the lift is removed or remodelled. A typical replacement/refurbishment will take 8-10 weeks to complete, so plan well |
| Step 7: | Check your warranty | With average lift replacement/refurbishment costs running upwards of £50,000, it is prudent to negotiate on the warranty period offered by the contractor. The starting period is for 12 months, but good negotiation can see this increase by 1-2 years |
As always, ARDENT Lift Consultancy are happy to field any queries you may have, please feel free to call or email us anytime.
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