The first step should be to analyze you needs and requirements. If your stairs are curved or very narrow than you will need a special type of stair lift. If you live in an area that has frequent power outages than you will probably need to purchase a battery operated lift. Once you have a solid idea of what you need and want in your stair lift it is time to start shopping around.

While shopping around you should get an idea of the regular price of a stair lift. The main reason someone buys something used, whether it be cars, golf clubs, or stair lifts, is to save money. By having an idea of the regular price for a new stair lift, you can compare the price of the used stair lift and see if you are actually saving money.

Even though you can probably find used stair lifts in the newspaper, being sold by individuals, this is usually unadvisable. If you are buying it from a stranger you have no real way of knowing how they treated the stair lift, or whether it is just going to break in a few months. When dealing with battery powered lifts you also do not have a real idea of the condition of the battery. You can glean some of this information from observing the condition of the chair and the condition of the individual's house. If you do decide to purchase a used stair lift from an individual pay special attention to any signs of physical damage to the unit.

Your best bet is going to be to find a reputable dealer that sells both new and used stair lifts. These dealers carefully inspect any piece of equipment that leaves their warehouse and you can use the stair lift without any worry of mechanical or other failure.