When the stairs become a problem, most Australian families assume the answer is to move. But once you add up stamp duty, agent commission and moving costs, a home elevator is often cheaper than downsizing, and it lets you keep the home, street and community you already love. A lift is a one-off investment from around $25,000; selling and rebuying can quietly cost far more, before you have even counted the emotional price of leaving. This guide runs the real numbers and helps you decide.
The True Cost of Moving
The cost of moving is far more than the price difference between two homes, and it is easy to underestimate. A realistic tally includes agent commission, typically around 2 per cent of the sale price, which on a $1.5 million home is roughly $30,000. Stamp duty on the new purchase, often tens of thousands of dollars depending on the state and price. Legal and conveyancing fees on both the sale and the purchase. Removalists, and often new furnishings and window coverings to suit the new home. Add it up and a like-for-like move within the same area frequently costs well into the tens of thousands, sometimes six figures, with none of it recoverable.
The Cost of a Home Elevator
Against that, a home elevator is a one-off from $25,000, with most two-storey homes landing around $35,000 to $65,000 all in. Crucially, unlike moving costs, much of that spend comes back through added property value, often 10 to 25 per cent in the right market. Ongoing costs are modest, around $900 to $1,200 a year in servicing. So not only is the outlay often lower than moving, a good portion of it is recoverable rather than a sunk cost.
Side by Side
| Home elevator | Moving house | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical outlay | $25,000–$110,000, adds value | Stamp duty + agent fees + legal + removalists |
| Keeps your home and community | Yes | No |
| Recoverable | Partly, via resale value | Largely a sunk cost |
| Disruption | Days to weeks, one area | Weeks to months, your whole life |
| Emotional cost | Low | High, leaving a home you love |
Beyond the Numbers
Money aside, staying put preserves things a spreadsheet cannot capture. Your neighbours and friendships. Your routines and the shops, cafes and services you know. Your GP and specialists nearby. The memories held in a family home. And the independence and confidence that come from staying somewhere familiar. For many older Australians in particular, these are worth more than the financial comparison alone, and a lift buys the choice to keep them.
When Moving Still Makes Sense
To be fair, moving is sometimes the right call. If the home no longer suits for reasons beyond the stairs, if it is too large to maintain, or if you genuinely want a different location or lifestyle, then a move may be exactly right, and a lift will not change that. The point is not that everyone should stay. It is that if the only thing standing between you and the home you love is the staircase, a lift is usually the smaller cost, financially and emotionally, and it deserves to be on the table before you list the house.
How to Decide
Start by getting real numbers for both options. Ask an agent for a realistic figure on selling and rebuying in your area, including stamp duty and fees. Then get a quote for a lift for your home. Put the two side by side, and factor in the value a lift adds and the costs of moving that you never get back. For a great many families, the comparison is closer than they expected, and often lands in favour of staying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a home elevator cheaper than moving house? Often, yes. Once you count stamp duty, agent commission, legal fees and removalists, a lift from $25,000 can cost less than downsizing, and it adds property value.
How much does moving house cost in Australia? It varies, but agent fees, stamp duty, legal costs and removalists commonly total tens of thousands of dollars, and none of it is recoverable.
Does a lift really let me stay in my home? Yes. It removes the stairs as the barrier, keeping every floor accessible for the long term.
Will a lift add value like a move might? A lift adds value, often 10 to 25 per cent, while keeping your current home. Moving’s costs are largely unrecoverable.
When is moving the better option? When the home no longer suits for reasons beyond the stairs, or you genuinely want a different location or lifestyle.
Before you list the house, run the numbers on a lift. Talk to Easy Living, Australia’s number one home elevator company, with more than 12,500 installs nationwide. General information, not financial advice.
