How much for a lift replacement?...163k?!

[danp]

...for a block of flats. (lift goes up to the 2nd floor)

I'd imagine they are pretty bespoke, but shocked by the figure, or is this the norm?

The block is circa 30 years old and the lift needs replacing due to age and reliability apparently...

[toohangry]

I've always wondered, and perhaps you'll know, if ground floor flats have to contribute for new lifts or lift maintenance?? Seems harsh if they do but have a sneaky suspicion it's probably the case.

[mk1fan]

There could be a fair bit of builders work in connection with brining it up to meet current standards. That said a second quote should be easily obtainable.

[dvs_dave]

toohangry said:

I've always wondered, and perhaps you'll know, if ground floor flats have to contribute for new lifts or lift maintenance?? Seems harsh if they do but have a sneaky suspicion it's probably the case.

Yes, in tbe same way the roof is, for example

[Rosscow]

£163k?!

I know the owner/developer of a new build 5 floor block of apartments and he spent £56k per lift (he had 2 lifts).

I imagine the cost of installing into an existing building (and removal of the old lift) makes it a lot more expensive.

[p1stonhead]

A 3 stop lift (ground, 1st, 2nd) should be about £25k-35k for a 8-10 person. Add £10-15k for messing around with an existing building and taking out the old lift and it should be £50k max.

[CO2000]

I deal with Crane Engineers & Lift Engineers at work, Crane ones are circa £50 ph & lift ones £175 ph! Thats one reason why lifts are expensive!

[Nuisance_Value]

p1stonhead said:

A 3 stop lift (ground, 1st, 2nd) should be about £25k-35k for a 8-10 person. Add £10-15k for messing around with an existing building and taking out the old lift and it should be £50k max.

I agree with this. Did one last year and I'd have to dig out the costs but £25k rings a bell though it was only one stop (it was a fresh install though, i.e. we built the lift shaft as well)

At £163k they either don't want the job or are hoping you know nothing about lift install costs.

[justanother5tar]

dvs_dave said:

Yes, in the same way the roof is, for example

Im not sure thats the same, everyone needs it watertight. People on ground floor don't need a lift, unless of course, theres a helipad on the roof.

[GuinnessMK]

The legislation around access to lift pits and motor rooms has changed so there may be a chunk of cost there, but that seems very high. Are you sure there isn't other works associated such as asbestos removal in the shaft, new power supplies etc?

Try to ensure you are buying a component lift, where parts can be replaced when they wear out, rather than a package lift, which could be scrap sooner than you think.

[voicey]

Is this a local authority block by any chance?

[danp]

Thanks for the replies, I only got the letter today but it doesn't go into any detail (apart from that it's due to age and reliability and to comply with current H+S). I'll be trying to find out more.

The "works will be done under an existing long-term agreement" apparently (i.e. doesn't sound like they've had any other quotes...again will ask about this).

Voicey - you are correct, it's a local authority block (a few flats are privately owned). How did you guess this out of interest? You'd have thought that it would be in the council's interest to obtain a competitive quote as they/council tax payers will be footing most of the bill.

Ironically you'd rarely use the lift for my flat as it only goes up two floors (mine is 3rd) and it's also at the other end of the block!

[R1 Indy]

Would a set of stairs not be cheaper and more reliable

[RammyMP]

Nuisance_Value said:

p1stonhead said:

A 3 stop lift (ground, 1st, 2nd) should be about £25k-35k for a 8-10 person. Add £10-15k for messing around with an existing building and taking out the old lift and it should be £50k max.

I agree with this. Did one last year and I'd have to dig out the costs but £25k rings a bell though it was only one stop (it was a fresh install though, i.e. we built the lift shaft as well)

At £163k they either don't want the job or are hoping you know nothing about lift install costs.

I would agree also, £10k to decommission the old one and scrap if then £35k for a new one. Problems may rise if the shaft fixings and lifting beam requirements are different but not the end of the world.

[TwigtheWonderkid]

OP, see you are in Hampshire. Give P H Jackson & Sons near Heathrow a call.

[Dr Jekyll]

toohangry said:

I've always wondered, and perhaps you'll know, if ground floor flats have to contribute for new lifts or lift maintenance?? Seems harsh if they do but have a sneaky suspicion it's probably the case.

It all depends on the way the leases are drawn up. In the block I lived in the management company set a yearly maintenance charge for the whole block which covered maintenance insurance etc, and each flat had to pay a specified percentage. This percentage was higher for the bigger flats, all of which were ground floor without access to the lifts or communal areas. Very unfair but nothing we could do about it.

[dvs_dave]

That's pretty much the norm for multi tenant buildings. Each owner pays a monthly assessment fee, usually based on their sqft. If there is a big repair needed that the regular fees won't cover then a special assessment can be levvied to cover it.

Picking and choosing what you do and don't want to pay in relation to the building upkeep and your claimed usage is generally not optional. What if the folks upstairs said they only use the stairs and not the lift? See how it could quickly escalate into a ridiculous situation?

If the cost in your instance can't be reduced to a level that's acceptable, then you always have the option of decommissioning the lift. Not going to do much for your future values though as it's then clear the building has issues that the owners are not willing to fix.

[Justayellowbadge]

dvs_dave said:

That's pretty much the norm for multi tenant buildings. Each owner pays a monthly assessment fee, usually based on their sqft. If there is a big repair needed that the regular fees won't cover then a special assessment can be levvied to cover it.

Picking and choosing what you do and don't want to pay in relation to the building upkeep and your claimed usage is generally not optional. What if the folks upstairs said they only use the stairs and not the lift? See how it could quickly escalate into a ridiculous situation?

If the cost in your instance can't be reduced to a level that's acceptable, then you always have the option of decommissioning the lift. Not going to do much for your future values though as it's then clear the building has issues that the owners are not willing to fix.

It's LA, so they've essentially got his boybits in a vice.

[elanfan]

dvs_dave said:

See how it could quickly escalate into a ridiculous situation?

snigger!

[barryrs]

My guess when I read the OP was that it was going to be an ex LA block.

I'm no expert but this seems useful - http://www.lease-advice.org/information/faqs/faq.a...