As our society becomes more and more advanced, anything seems possible. This includes what we look to incorporate into our current homes. One of the newest trends is in-home elevators. For the elderly or handicapped, this is a practical need and for others, this is a luxury or status symbol. Either way, there is a growing demand.

For the elderly and handicapped, it is the desire to be able to travel from one floor of their home to another without pain. While young folks can bound upstairs with little or no effort, many older people glance up at a flight of stairs like it is Mt. Everest. They know how long it will take to climb these stairs and often will feel self-conscious if in the presence of others. Many will avoid climbing stairs at all costs, whether they are in fear of needing assistance or dreading the pain that will incur. In-home elevators are the perfect solution to this problem.

Now when people design their dream homes, they plan for the future. They want to have everything needed to retire in a home built exactly to their specifications. If there is an art studio built on the second floor, homeowners want to know they'll have no problems getting up there when they are older, especially if they are retired and want to take advantage of such a recreational room. The simple solution is to incorporate an elevator so that once you are well into retirement, you won't feel restricted to the first floor and you will still have easy access to each part of your home.

Of course, as always, there are people who want an elevator just for the sake of status. Many people want their homes to have all the newest amenities, but who can blame them when it also helps raise their home's value? Not only will you get more money, but also, more people would be inclined to look at your home knowing they can retire with the convenience of their own elevator. And truly convenient would it be. Also, if you are too lazy to climb the stairs, it would benefit you to have an elevator to move heavy or many items from downstairs to upstairs and vice-versa.

It is also a good idea to have more than one way to get downstairs in case of an emergency. If a fire blocked your staircase, you would have the possibility of getting down in your elevator, and as far as safety goes, look for the following features when customizing your elevator; a phone box, a back-up battery system, safety locks and an emergency stop button. The elevator is for convenience, so you want to have everything to keep it that way.

Elevators are currently a trend for the wealthy, but many predict that in years to come they will be as common as swimming pools. If you are looking to build one in your home, plan on spending between $10,000-$30,000, depending on the scale of your elevator. It tends to be less expensive to have one installed in a home at the time of construction as opposed to having one built into an existing home. People are also able to customize elevators to their particular tastes, but as always, the cost will rise with the more over-the-top materials used such as premium woods or fine glass. There are many reasons to build an elevator in your house and they range from the basic and practical to the extravagant. Either way, more and more people are looking for this amenity and I know that when I look for a home an elevator will be a serious consideration, because from my experience living in a second story apartment, I know the everyday trials and tribulations of having to climb a flight a stairs. An elevator would be a great convenience and ease of mind that, even forty years from now, I can effortlessly get up to the second floor of my home. Elevators seem to be one of the newest, refreshing trends that is well worth the cost.

- Jennifer Merritt