Benefits of an Inclined Elevation Lift
With aging demographics and a scarcity of shore-level cottages, inclined lifts are becoming increasingly popular. Here are some great reasons to consider one for your hillside property.
More Enjoyable Cottage Life
Your property is valuable, and every part of it should be enjoyable. Too often, a steep hillside means the waterfront gets all the attention while the upper property is overlooked. A custom-designed lift connects every level, giving your family and friends effortless access to the full experience of hillside waterfront living, from the dock to the cottage and everywhere in between.
“With the lift, all the disadvantages of living high off the water become the advantages of living high off the water.”— Owner, Lift 48
Effortless Entertaining
Dockside living and entertaining is easier and more relaxing when hauling food, drinks, and gear up a steep hill is no longer part of the equation. Your lift carries your family, your guests, and everything you need smoothly between elevations. Arrive at the dock refreshed, not winded. Head back up at the end of the day without a second thought.
“With the lift, the dock's another room at the cottage.”— Owner, Lift 34
More Than a People Mover
Your lift is a workhorse. Beyond carrying people, it can move serious amounts of material up and down your hillside, making major projects far more practical. One of our lifts was used to carry 56 metric tons of sand and gravel up the hill for a new septic bed. Lift 27 was built to bring an old cottage up the hill and a new one down. Whether you're landscaping, building, or renovating, a lift can change what's possible on a steep property.
A Reason to Buy High
Steep properties offer unique advantages that flat waterfront lots simply can't match: panoramic views, greater privacy, less noise, a fresh breeze to keep bugs away, and often a significantly lower purchase price. The catch, of course, is access. A lift solves that problem cleanly and permanently, letting you enjoy everything an elevated waterfront property has to offer without the daily effort of navigating a steep hillside. You get the best of both worlds.
“The best cottage decision we could have made.”— Owner, Lift 38
More Great Years At the Cottage
For family members or guests with health or mobility challenges, a steep hillside can quietly become a barrier to full enjoyment of the property. A lift removes that barrier. Everyone arrives at the dock, the water, or the cottage on their own terms, without effort or assistance. As your family ages, that freedom becomes more valuable. A lift doesn't just improve access today; it ensures your property remains welcoming and fully usable for years to come.
“Before the lift went in we'd see them two or three weekends a year. Now the cottage is never empty.”— Neighbours of Lift 23
Higher Property Value
A lift adds real value and saleability to a hillside waterfront property. Buyers who might have passed on a steep lot become serious prospects when convenient access is already in place. A marginal property can become not merely viable but exceptional, and a good property can become outstanding. In a competitive cottage market, an Inclined Elevation lift is a meaningful differentiator that pays for itself in appeal, usability, and resale value.
Smaller Footprint
The track support structures have a footprint of only 1 to 8 square feet for each 20' section, far less than the footprint required by flights of stairs with landing platforms. The open track structure also allows plenty of light through, so vegetation continues to grow underneath. This is especially important on sandy or unstable hillsides where vegetation plays an active role in slope stabilization.
Visually Discreet
Even when high off the ground, traversing a hillside, following a rock face, or threading through the foliage, our lifts are relatively unobtrusive from the water or air. The slender track profile and open support structure simply don't demand attention. For property owners who value the natural look of their shoreline, that matters. A lift should enhance your experience of the land, not advertise itself.