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Domain | Words by Larissa Ham | 21 September 2026

The Block 2026: Why home lifts are becoming the new must-have property feature

Home lifts are moving beyond the traditional luxury market and becoming an increasingly practical inclusion in Australian homes.

As featured on The Block for the first time this year, internal lifts are reflecting broader changes in the way Australians design and use multi-storey homes. Smaller blocks are encouraging people to build upwards, while accessibility, multigenerational living and the desire to remain in a home for longer are also influencing demand.

Residential lifts have also become considerably more accessible in price. Compact through-floor models can start at around $30,000 to $40,000, while traditional shaft-based lifts typically begin around $50,000 to $70,000, depending on design and specifications.

Property consumer advocate Nat Gordon of PROPOHOLIC told Domain that the price of internal lifts has come down significantly over the past decade.

“You can get lifts for well under $100,000 … if you’re looking at overall construction cost for a multi-storey home, they’re really quite affordable in the general scheme of things,” she says.

Nat has also seen increasing interest in residential lifts, driven in part by Australia’s ageing population and the rise of multigenerational living.

For some homeowners, the decision comes down to whether it makes more financial and practical sense to modify their existing home rather than move to another property that better accommodates changing mobility needs.

“If it is conceivable to retrospectively add a lift, it makes a lot of sense,” Nat says, while noting that retrofitting will not be possible in every property.

The article also explores the impact lifts can have on the potential buyer pool. In markets with older buyers, steep terrain or multi-level homes, accessibility can become an important consideration when buyers are deciding whether a property will work for them both now and into the future.

Developers are increasingly considering lifts in new townhouse projects for the same reason, particularly as buyers begin planning much earlier for how they expect to use their homes in 10, 15 or 20 years.