Stay in your own home, for a lot less than moving
Real UK prices for stairlifts, scooters, wheelchairs, home lifts and the small aids that quietly make the biggest difference. Plus the grants and VAT relief most people never claim.
Get free quotes
Compare up to 4 quotes from trusted installers near you, free & no obligation.
Your details are only used to connect you with installers for your quotes. We never sell your data. See our Privacy Policy.
What each one costs, and who it actually suits
Guidance on mobility equipment for you or someone you care for, with the drawback stated up front.
Mobility scooters
£500 for a folding boot scooter up to £5,000 for a road-legal 8mph machine. Shopping, visiting, getting outside again.
The catch: boot scooters weigh 25kg in pieces. Lift the heaviest part before you buy.
Wheelchairs
£100 transit chairs to £5,000 powered models. Self-propelled, attendant-pushed or powered, depending on upper body strength.
The catch: the NHS will supply one free, but the wait runs 4 to 18 weeks by area.
Stairlifts
£2,000 straight, £4,000 to £8,000 curved. Keeps the whole house usable and costs a fraction of moving to a bungalow.
The catch: a bend or a landing turns a £2,500 job into a custom rail at three times the price.
Daily living aids
Grab rails, raised toilet seats, perching stools, reachers. Most cost under £40 and several are free through the NHS.
The catch: a badly placed grab rail is worse than none. Get an OT to mark the spot.
Home lifts
From £8,000 for a through-floor platform lift. Full wheelchair access between floors when a stairlift seat will not work.
The catch: you lose the floor area it lands on, upstairs and down.
Three classes, three very different machines
A scooter gives back the shopping trip, the visit to a friend, the walk that stopped being possible. Owner reviews of brands and local dealers are worth reading at Review Mobility before you shortlist.
| Type | Speed | Range | Best for | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boot or travel | 4 mph | 8–12 miles | Shopping, holidays, folds into a car boot | £500–£1,200 |
| Mid-range | 4–6 mph | 15–25 miles | Daily errands, pavements and light terrain | £1,200–£2,500 |
| Heavy-duty or road | 8 mph | 25–35 miles | Longer distances, road use, rural areas | £2,500–£5,000+ |
Do you need insurance? Class 2 scooters (4mph, pavement only) need no insurance, tax or registration. Class 3 scooters (up to 8mph, road legal) must be registered with the DVLA and need at least third-party cover for road use. Plenty of Class 2 owners insure anyway for theft and damage. Expect £50 to £150 a year. Full scooter buying guide →
Weight is the decision most people get wrong
Whether you need self-propelled, attendant-pushed or powered comes first. After that it is weight, portability and comfort. Side-by-side brand comparisons are at Review Mobility.
| Type | Weight | Best for | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Self-propelled | 12–16 kg | Independent users with upper body strength | £150–£500 |
| Lightweight folding | 8–12 kg | Travel, car boot, public transport | £200–£800 |
| Powered or electric | 25–50 kg | Users with limited upper body mobility | £1,000–£5,000+ |
| Attendant or transit | 9–14 kg | Pushed by a carer, hospital visits | £100–£400 |
NHS wheelchair services The NHS provides wheelchairs free to anyone assessed as needing one long term. Ask your GP for a referral to the local wheelchair service. Waits run 4 to 18 weeks depending on area. If you need one sooner, or want a particular model, the NHS voucher scheme puts the NHS contribution towards a private purchase. Full wheelchair buying guide →
The adaptation that saves people moving house
Installed prices are checked against real installer quotes each quarter at Stairlift Costs UK, and Stairlift Guru’s company reviews compare the leading installers before you request quotes.
| Type | Typical cost | Fitting time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Straight stairlift | £2,000–£3,500 | 2–4 hours | The common one. Fits standard straight stairs. |
| Curved stairlift | £4,000–£8,000 | Half a day | Custom rail for stairs with bends or a landing. |
| Outdoor stairlift | £3,000–£5,000 | 3–5 hours | Weather-resistant. Front steps or garden access. |
| Reconditioned | £1,200–£2,500 | 2–4 hours | Refurbished straight lifts. The sensible budget route. |
Grants and funding The Disabled Facilities Grant from your council can cover a stairlift in full. It is means-tested and covers adaptations up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. The region-by-region grant guides at Stairlift Costs UK cover each nation’s rules. Ask your council occupational therapy team for an assessment. Some councils add smaller grants or interest-free loans, and Age UK and Turn2Us can point to further funding.
The cheapest things on this page do the most work
Small aids that make daily tasks safer and keep independence going for longer.
| Aid | What it does | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Grab rails | Support in bathrooms, hallways and by the stairs. Cuts fall risk sharply. | £10–£40 each |
| Raised toilet seat | Adds 5 to 10cm, making sitting and standing easier with hip or knee trouble. | £20–£60 |
| Shower seat or bath board | Lets you sit while washing. Wall-mounted or freestanding. | £20–£80 |
| Bed rail | Support getting in and out of bed, and a guard against night-time falls. | £25–£70 |
| Jar and bottle opener | Grip-assisted openers for arthritis or reduced hand strength. | £5–£15 |
| Key turner | Enlarged handle for turning keys with limited dexterity. | £3–£10 |
| Perching stool | Angled seat for the kitchen or bathroom. Takes the fatigue out of standing tasks. | £30–£80 |
| Reacher or grabber | Picks things off the floor or a high shelf without bending or stretching. | £5–£15 |
When a stairlift seat will not work
For wheelchair users, or anyone who cannot transfer safely to a stairlift seat, a home lift gives full access between floors. Through-floor platform lifts start around £8,000 installed. Self-supporting cabin lifts from Stiltz and Lifton run £15,000 to £25,000, and full cabin elevators reach £40,000. The Disabled Facilities Grant covers home lifts as well as stairlifts, and VAT relief applies the same way. Installed prices by brand and lift type are tracked in the UK Home Lifts price guide.
Seven ways to avoid paying the full price
Most people pay for equipment they could have had funded. These are the routes worth checking first.
Not sure where to start? Ring your GP. They can refer you to an occupational therapist, who will assess the home and recommend what actually helps. Many simple aids come free through the NHS, and for larger items like stairlifts or powered wheelchairs the OT assessment is often what unlocks council grant money. You can also ask your council directly for a care needs assessment. That is free, and open to anyone who appears to need support, whatever their finances.
Mobility questions people ask us most
Do I need a prescription to buy mobility equipment?
Is mobility equipment VAT exempt?
Can I try before I buy?
How long do mobility scooter batteries last?
Can I take a mobility scooter on public transport?
Are stairlifts covered by home insurance?
Our mobility data, free to cite
Writing about mobility, or sense-checking a quote against the market? Both of these are free to use with attribution.
UK Mobility Equipment Price Index
Typical installed prices for stairlifts, home lifts, scooters, wheelchairs and daily living aids. Reviewed quarterly.
StatsUK Mobility Statistics
The key sourced figures on disability, falls and funding, gathered in one place.
GuideHelping a parent stay at home
Where to start when someone you love is finding daily tasks harder, and what to do in what order.
Helpful guides
Independent. Reader-funded. Never paid to recommend. We earn a fee when a reader requests a quote through us, at no extra cost to you. It never changes which installers we list or what we tell you about them. How we make money →