Luxury Residential Lakehouse Gets a Lift, While Making Entertaining Easy

The Challenge: Hosting with a Multi-Level Home

Owning a lake house that comfortably hosts twenty people is a true family luxury—but keeping it stocked, accessible, and weekend-ready is no small task for an 80-year-old host devoted to bringing his loved ones together. The home’s unique layout adds to the complexity: perched right at water level, the living spaces sit below the garage and driveway, requiring every bag of groceries, every suitcase, and every cooler to be carried down a steep flight of 12 steps.

What should be a relaxing arrival quickly turned into a demanding chore, especially as the family grew and  the house was constantly filled with family and friends. Once Mike Echelbarger settled into his new vacation home, he recognized exactly what was needed to make lake living easy, welcoming, and safe – not just for himself, but for children, grandkids, and guests of every age. He wanted a solution that would protect his independence, preserve the ease of hosting, and support many more years of joy in this treasured gathering place.

The Solution

Discovering Galaxy Lifts Right Next Door

Echelbarger first spotted a lift in a nearby neighborhood, and it immediately caught his attention. A bit of research led him to Galaxy Lifts, where he found the Traveler — and quickly realized it was the same model he had admired down the road.

“The only other lift I looked at was mainly for boxes and cargo, not for passengers,” he said. “This Traveler had a plexiglass cab on all sides, and it was nice to look at.”

Dependability was his top priority. After reading online reviews, studying the design, and getting a feel for the company behind it, he felt confident the Traveler, and Galaxy Lifts, was the right choice and his family agreed.

From Customer Service to Design, No Detail is Left Behind

Even though his lake house sits in a remote area, the installation team traveled across the country to deliver and install his custom lift. They worked quickly and professionally, despite several on-site challenges. Because of the home’s unique layout, the lift had to be installed on a rockery—a rock wall alongside the steps. Unlike a smooth concrete pad, the uneven stones required careful adjustment and repositioning to ensure a stable fit.

Now that it’s in place, Echelbarger couldn’t be more pleased. The safety features, in particular, have impressed him. His grandchildren can continue to play safely while the whole family enjoys quality time, worry-free.

“The lift has two doors—one to enter and one to exit,” he explained. “You have to make sure both are closed to complete the electrical circuit. If either door is even slightly open, the lift won’t move.”

The Results: A Lift the Whole Family Will Love

For Echelbarger and his guests, not having to haul everything up and down the stairs has been incredible. What began as a practical solution for moving cargo has become the favorite way for everyone to arrive and depart—so the moment they step in, relaxation begins. 

“Everybody is using it now,” Echelbarger said. “When they come for the weekend, they all have luggage. They just put their bags in the Traveler, and when they leave, they do the same in reverse. They don’t have to carry anything up or down or risk banging up the stairs—or their luggage.”

While he originally installed the lift to transport groceries, coolers, and gear, the Traveler’s design also makes it ideal for people. Friends with limited mobility can use it comfortably, and its generous basket — 54.25” x 54.25” x 87” — easily accommodates a wheelchair. With a 500-pound capacity, ADA compatibility, and a 150-mph wind rating, the lift provides safety, stability, and confidence in any weather.

Echelbarger couldn’t be happier with his decision to enhance his lake house with the Traveler.
“The company is good, the machine is good, and the service is good,” he said. “If someone’s looking for a way to eliminate climbing stairs or carrying boxes and luggage up and down, this is a great solution.”

Level up your next vacation with a custom lift to fit everyone’s needs. Galaxy Lifts is here to make hosting easy, allowing you to spend more time with loved ones. 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.