Firstly, take a general overview of your stairway layout and decide which side of the staircase the stairlift will be mounted on, when viewed from the bottom. Be aware that the stairlift rail will overhang the top landing by 8" (20cm) , which we will calculate for you, and it will also meet the floor at the foot of the stairs 14" (36cm) beyond the nose of the first step.

Take note of any fixtures, such as window sills, hand rails, central heating radiators, doorways etc., that intrude into the stairway area - or could be blocked by the presence of the stairlift.

It is possible and quite common to cut back protruding wooden window sills and to remove wall mounted hand rails - and even reposition central heating radiators (naturally, we would recommend that you commission a qualified heating engineer to carry out work of this nature). However, you should decide, which side of the stairway will be most appropriate for the stairlift, requiring the least amount of disruption - or obstruction. In most cases, it's a fairly obvious choice.