BUILDERS: HOME ELEVATORS GROWING IN POPULARITY IN CALGARY

Homebuilders in Calgary, Canada, are seeing an increase in requests for elevators, or at least the option for them, in new homes, the Calgary Herald reports. Convenience, accessibility, enhanced resale value and “future-proofing” for age-related mobility issues are the reasons home elevators are gaining popularity, according to Rockwood Custom Homes Senior Project Manager Dave Furze. Customers either opt for discrete, hidden elevators or ones that are more dramatic, such as a glass elevator with a staircase wrapping around it. A model home being built by Calbridge Homes in an upscale subdivision in Calgary, set to open in the fall, is being outfitted with a discrete home elevator. Homebuilders report that even people in their 30s are opting for home elevators — which start at approximately CAD$27,000 (US$20,475) — for convenience.