Elevators and Lifts for Coastal Living in Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts, beachcombers, and families looking for a high quality of life and an affordable cost of living. Our Grand Strand area is also a popular retirement area for seniors looking for an affordable beach house near an international airport.
If your home site is near the ocean or waterway, it will likely be a raised construction on stilts. Storm surge and flooding are prevalent, and a raised home provides safety for you and your assets. However, a raised home can also mean a lot of stair climbing, with one flight of stairs to your front door, and perhaps another flight or two if you plan on a multi-floor home. Residential indoor elevators and outdoor lifts can remove the burden and dangers of stairs.
Elevators Improve Accessibility and Let You to “Age in Place”
For people that use wheelchairs or walkers, or those that are concerned about having stairs as they get older, an elevator is a feature for accessibility and convenience.
An elevator helps many avoid the dangers of falling. They also make carrying groceries to the kitchen of your beach house much easier and convenient.
If you wish to retire in Myrtle Beach and spend your days near the ocean or waterway, planning your home with an elevator or lift can maximize your time in your own home as well as add to your home’s market value. Elevators and lifts are popular features for both prospective home buyers and vacation renters.
Types of Elevators and Lifts for Beach Homes
There are a variety of residential elevators types. The easiest and most cost-effective way is to plan for an elevator with new construction. You will have more options available when you plan for the future during the design stage. Sometimes this means imagining what life may be like in 10-20 years.
Cable-driven elevators are the ones you are likely familiar with in hotels and other commercial buildings. They use a cable system with counter weights. They require and elevator shaft for traveling, so this type is best for new construction.
Chain-driven elevators work in a similar way to cables, but they require less space. The cabin is lifted by a chain that winds around a drum. Chains are sturdy and long-lasting.
Traction or track elevators move up and down along a mounted track using a counter weight. These types need some additional space for the counter weights and machinery.
Hydraulic elevators are space saving since the entire mechanical component is a small cylinder and piston that can fit in a cabinet-sized space near the elevator shaft.
Odom Design for Custom Homes at the Beach
Odom Design is Myrtle Beach’s premier builder of custom homes near the water. Our design-build firm has built oceanfront and waterway homes with residential elevators to help homeowners enjoy their homes and stay in them as long as possible.
If you are looking to design a home with an elevator, please give us a call and we’d be happy to share our experiences and past work with you.