If you’ve been struggling to navigate the stairs and are wondering whether you need to move house, have you considered getting a stairlift installed? At about £4,000 it will be considerably cheaper than calling in the estate agents.

Thought to have been first invented in the 1920s in Pennsylvania, when entrepreneur CC Crispen designed his “Inclin-ator” to help an ailing friend to move between floors, the modern stairlift has long been both the butt of jokes and a lifeline to those no longer able to climb their stairs. According to a survey by consumer group Which? the average price paid last year for a new stairlift was £3,867. The price typically paid for a straight stairlift was £3,371, or £4,728 for one that involved a curve.

Inflation means those costs are now likely to be about 10% higher. The final bill will depend on the brand, whether you go for new or used and, most significantly, on the type of staircase. The good news is that providers can accommodate almost every type of staircase, but the more complex the stair system, the higher the final bill. Which? says that as a general rule, every corner in your staircase will double the initial price. If you have a staircase formed of two straight flights of stairs with a landing area in between, it may be cheaper to buy two straight stairlifts instead of a single curved one.

One of the problems consumers have is comparing prices. While researching this article, it proved quite hard to obtain prices from the companies. Only by posing as a customer would the firms give ballpark sums, insisting that they would have to send round a salesperson for a free home survey and quote. As ever with big home purchases, it really pays to shop around, to get several quotes, and not be rushed into a decision, however pressing a matter it may appear.

The final price paid will depend on a host of factors, in particular the type of chair chosen. Going to the providers directly is recommended and, where possible, vulnerable buyers should try to have a trusted other present for the salesperson’s visit.

Suppliers are increasingly offering used stairlifts that will typically be 30% cheaper than new and many of the products offered will have barely been used. Market leader Stannah says its used models are all extensively tested, under five years old, and currently come with £1,000 off.

Another option that homeowners have is to rent a stairlift. This will appeal if you only need it for a short period – not least because you don’t have to worry about having it removed when it is no longer needed. A lot of the costs are in the installation, so it may not look as cheap as it should – typically £1,000-plus upfront, and then a set monthly fee of around £50-£100. According to our calculations, most buyers will be better off buying it outright if they intend to keep it for more than six months.

So which are the firms to look at? Just one brand impressed Which? enough to become a recommended provider, “wowing its customers with top-notch service”, and that was Stannah. TK Home Solutions also scored very well among its members and is worth considering. Other big names include Acorn and Handicare.

Don’t overlook independent stairlift providers in your area if they get rave reviews from friends. A local person can be worth a lot if there are problems, and they will often be cheaper, too.

Before signing up, take medical advice. If you still have good mobility and don’t experience pain when climbing the stairs, the guidance is to put it off as long as you can, as most people’s joints degenerate faster if they are not used.

If you are registered disabled or have a chronic health condition, be aware that you can claim VAT exemption when buying a stairlift. Also, if you need to buy a stairlift because of a chronic illness or other form of disability, and you intend to live in your current property for the next five years, you may be eligible for a means-tested disabled facilities grant to help with the cost.

When you no longer need it, you can try to sell it back to the company that supplied it or to a specialist firm that buys used lifts. Stannah says it will often buy back its lifts, provided they are in good condition, have been serviced by the firm regularly, and are less than two years old.

When selling a used stairlift get a series of quotes, as the original supplier may not give you the best price. If it’s very old or broken, you may just have to pay a handyman to remove it.