Elevating Family Time: How a Residential Lift Changed Everything

The Challenge: Creating a Home That Grows with You

When your kids are making 55 trips from the kitchen to the barbecue area, it’s only a matter of time before you start looking for a better way. That was true for Udayan Chanda and his wife shortly after moving into their hillside home in Northern California.

“If you see the front of the house, it looks like a single-story home,” Chanda explained. “But the back of the house is a two-story home. My deck, backyard, and pool are on the lower level, and they can only be accessed from the upper level.”

The couple had recently extended their balcony and built a spacious new deck for cookouts and outdoor gatherings for friends and family to enjoy – an inviting setup, but one reachable only by a long flight of stairs. Transporting heavier items like food trays, coolers, or a drinks cart became increasingly cumbersome. And, thinking ahead, they wanted to have peace of mind that they could comfortably age in place without mobility becoming a barrier to enjoying their home.

With both practicality and long-term comfort in mind, they knew the time was right to incorporate a lift into their design – one that would streamline everyday life and allow them to enjoy their home for years to come.

The Solution

Reaching New Heights with Customized Options

The couple had thought about adding a lift soon after they closed on the property. Chanda began his search with a clear set of priorities: reliability, performance in outdoor heat and sunlight, safety, customization, expert guidance, and aesthetics – especially given the impact on his home’s value. After researching multiple options, the Galaxy Traveler met every criterion; no other solution came close. It was clear to Chandra that the Galaxy Lifts team was committed to creating lifts with lifestyle in mind.

“This is a nice home in a great neighborhood, surrounded by high-value properties, so it needed to look good and fit seamlessly with the backyard, house, and deck,” Chanda said. “Galaxy has standard sizes, but I specifically wanted a 40” x 40” basket, and they customized it for us. The lift’s placement was also critical to avoid obstructing the view from our windows and balcony, and I wanted a custom gate that matched the deck railings. Galaxy delivered on every detail.”

A Collaborative Process Coupled with Expert Guidance

Chanda was equally impressed with the sales team. He had extensive discussions via phone and video calls with their Texas headquarters, including a virtual tour of the warehouse to see control panels, switches, and fuse boxes long before any equipment arrived. Customer service is a core pillar of Galaxy Lifts, and this was clear to Chanda when the team made sure to include him in every step of the process.

“The installation team was fantastic,” he said. “When they discovered a brace wasn’t correct, they immediately coordinated with engineering, redesigned it, and sent the new brace with the installers. When holes were misaligned, they adapted on-site. The entire team was responsive, knowledgeable, and easy to reach. They definitely knew what they were doing.”

The Results: Endless Functions, Neverending Safety

The lift has already proven useful in ways Chanda didn’t expect. When he decided to add an awning over the balcony, the contractors used the lift to move ladders and equipment down to the lower level. And for everyday “honey-do” projects, he now sends tools from the upper-level garage directly down to where he needs them – no more carrying heavy items up and down the steep staircase.

Because friends and family often visit with children, safety was essential. Chanda even put the Traveler’s safety features to the test himself. He discovered that the lift stops immediately if a passenger extends a hand outside the cab. If someone walks beneath it, the lift halts instantly. And if the upper gate is opened while the lift is down, the gate locks automatically and cannot be opened. 

Though he’s only had the lift a short time, Chanda is already blown away by the way it has transformed their family’s lifestyle.

“It’s a great product and it works well,” he said. “And when guests come and see it, they all say, ‘Wow, this looks awesome.’”

Galaxy Lifts offers customized solutions for homes at every stage of life. Each lift is crafted with safety and convenience at the forefront. Explore endless colors, sizes, and styles at galaxylifts.com, or contact the team at 888-317-7203 to start designing a lift tailored to your home.