Starring role! Ambitious homeowner installs lift in self-build home with stables underneath and features on TV

When Barbara Neil purchased a 10-acre and cottage plot in Peebles, Tweeddale, Scotland for her ambitious self-build project she also needed to factor in a domestic lift for her mother so she did not have any difficulty managing the stairs when she came to visit.

Originally, Barbara sought planning permission for two new buildings – one a home and the other as stables for her horses. However, the planning department refused so she decided to build a contemporary barn style house with the entire ground floor as stables all under one roof instead.

The self-build project was so unique it featured on TV’s Building The Dream on Channel 4 last month. The episode saw architectural designer Charlie Luxton, who helps people build affordable dream homes, venture out to Barbara’s property, which is around 20 miles south of Edinburgh, to discover how she built her dream home.

Stiltz Lifts installed its home lift to, not only benefit Barbara’s mother, but provide access from the ground floor to the two-storey living space above. The house comprises of five bedrooms, three en-suite facilities and an open-planned kitchen and living area. The Stiltz Lifts team fitted the lift in a void between the stables and garage up to the first floor landing area.

The Stiltz Duo Classic Lift was ideal with its unique rail design and integrated drive system as it meant that it could be fitted without the need of a supporting wall and any unsightly hydraulic pumps or pipes. The drive system also removed the requirement for a machine room as the Duo simply plugs straight into the wall using a normal 13 amp power socket.

When Barbara finally moved into the property – after living in a caravan next to it for months while the building work was carried out – she found that the Stiltz Lift, as are all the domestic lifts range, was very useful for moving heavy boxes and objects between floors.

During the TV programme’s finale, the presenter is filmed walking into the barn and stables and travelling up in the Stiltz Duo Lift to greet Barbara, describing the lift as ‘very grand’. The house took 18 months to complete at a total cost of £445,000 and was valued at £550,000.

Barbara said: “I love the lift! It’s small, light and very quiet. It’s very user friendly and very efficient. My mother has found it very easy to use and I’ve also found it fantastic for carrying up heavy items such as heavy shopping, while it provides quick access to my horses. I would totally recommend the Stiltz Lift.”