# Does a Home Elevator Add Resale Value? Ageing in Place, Tax and Grants

What the evidence says about home elevators and resale value, why they matter for ageing in place, and the tax rules and grants in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.

Updated 2026-10-29. Also on the [web page](https://privateelevators.fyi/guides/home-elevator-resale-value).

Buyers often ask if a home elevator pays for itself when they sell. The honest answer is that nobody knows for sure. The data is thin, and most claims online come from lift sellers. This guide uses only sources that show their data or come from a government.

## What the sales data shows

| Finding | Source |
|---|---|
| Dallas-Fort Worth homes with in-home elevators sold for $67,000 or more above homes with no accessible features | Orchard, via Disability Insider (2023) |
| Average sale price with accessible features: $378,000; without: $344,000 | Orchard, via Disability Insider |
| The study used over 640,000 home sales from 2012 to 2021 | Orchard, via Disability Insider |

This study compares averages. Homes with elevators may also be larger or newer. So the gap does not prove that a lift adds $67,000 to your home. It shows that, in that market, homes with lifts did not sell at a discount.

Some lift sellers say a lift adds a fixed amount or a fixed percentage. We did not find a published study behind those numbers, so we do not repeat them.

## Why demand may grow

- **People want to stay put.** AARP's 2024 survey found that 75% of US adults aged 50 and over want to stay in their current home for as long as possible.
- **They plan changes.** Of the older adults in that survey who plan home changes, 71% expect changes that make it easier to get into or around the home, such as ramps or chairlifts.
- **Few homes are ready.** HUD's study of the 2011 American Housing Survey found that only 3.8% of US homes were livable for a person with moderate mobility difficulty. Just 0.15% were wheelchair accessible.
- **More families share a home.** HousingWire reports that, by NAR data, 14% of US buyers bought a multigenerational home in 2025.

A lift does not suit every buyer. But in a multi-storey home, it can widen the group of buyers who can live there.

## US tax rules (IRS Publication 502)

If the main purpose of a lift is medical care for you, your spouse or a dependant, part of the cost may count as a medical expense:

1. Take the cost of the lift.
2. Subtract the rise in your home's value that the lift causes.
3. The rest is a medical expense.

The IRS lists porch lifts and other lifts as changes that do not usually add value. It adds that "elevators generally add value to the house". So for an elevator, expect a smaller deduction and get an appraisal. You can deduct only the part of total medical costs above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. The costs to run and maintain the lift can also count when the main reason is medical care.

## US grants for veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs offers housing grants for some veterans with service-connected disabilities. For fiscal year 2026:

| Grant | Maximum |
|---|---|
| Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) | $126,526 |
| Special Housing Adaptation (SHA) | $25,350 |

## Canada: Home Accessibility Tax Credit

The Canada Revenue Agency's Home Accessibility Tax Credit is non-refundable. You can claim up to $20,000 of eligible expenses a year for one home. The person must be 65 or over at the end of the year, or eligible for the disability tax credit. The work must be lasting and must help the person get into or move around the home, or lower the risk of harm.

## UK: Disabled Facilities Grant

| Nation | Maximum grant |
|---|---|
| England | £30,000 |
| Wales | £36,000 |
| Northern Ireland | £25,000 |
| Scotland | Not available; other support exists |

The grant depends on household income and on savings over £6,000. GOV.UK warns that you may get no grant if work starts before the council approves it.

## Australia: aged care and NDIS

- **Support at Home (AT-HM scheme).** Home modification funding comes in three tiers: $500, $2,000 and $15,000. You must use the funds within 12 months, according to provider VMCH.
- **NDIS.** The NDIS calls a modification "complex" when it generally costs more than $25,000. It lists installing elevators or lifts as an example. Complex work needs a home modification assessor and building approvals.

## How to protect the value

1. Keep the service and inspection records. A buyer will ask for them.
2. Choose a lift that a local company can service.
3. In a listing, name the lift type, make, stops and last inspection date.

You can find dealers and service companies in this directory to quote, install or maintain a lift.

## Sources

- [New Orchard research finds accessible features can improve residential property values](https://disabilityinsider.com/2023/01/25/accessibility/new-orchard-research-finds-accessible-features-can-improve-residential-property-values/), Disability Insider, 2023-01-25.
- [Home and Community Preferences and Future Possibilities](https://www.aarp.org/pri/topics/livable-communities/housing/2024-home-community-preferences/), AARP, 2024-12-10.
- [Accessibility of America's Housing Stock: Analysis of the 2011 American Housing Survey](https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/accessibility-america-housingStock.pdf), US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2015-03-19.
- [Multigenerational homebuying rises as affordability pressures grow](https://www.housingwire.com/articles/multigenerational-homebuying-affordability/), HousingWire, 2026-04-22.
- [Publication 502 (2025), Medical and Dental Expenses](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p502), Internal Revenue Service, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Disability housing grants for Veterans](https://www.va.gov/housing-assistance/disability-housing-grants/), US Department of Veterans Affairs, updated 2025-11-18.
- [Line 31285 – Home accessibility expenses](https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/individuals/topics/about-your-tax-return/tax-return/completing-a-tax-return/deductions-credits-expenses/line-31285-home-accessibility-expenses.html), Canada Revenue Agency, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Disabled Facilities Grants: What you'll get](https://www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants/what-youll-get), GOV.UK, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Support at Home Assistive Technology and Home Modifications funding tier](https://vmch.com.au/news/assistive-technology-and-home-modifications-scheme), VMCH, accessed 2026-10-29.
- [Home modifications explained](https://www.ndis.gov.au/participants/home-and-living/home-modifications-explained), National Disability Insurance Scheme, accessed 2026-10-29.

## Questions

### How much value does a home elevator add?

There is little hard data. One Orchard study of Dallas-Fort Worth sales found homes with in-home elevators sold for $67,000 or more above homes without accessible features. That is an average, not proof that the lift caused the higher price.

### Can I deduct a home elevator as a medical expense in the US?

Partly, if its main purpose is medical care. IRS Publication 502 says you subtract the rise in home value from the cost. It notes that elevators generally add value. Only medical costs above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are deductible.

### Will a UK grant pay for a home lift?

A Disabled Facilities Grant can pay up to £30,000 in England, £36,000 in Wales and £25,000 in Northern Ireland. It is means-tested, and the council must approve it before work starts.