In many residential blocks, commercial properties or hotels, your lift is the silent workhorse of the building. It carries people or goods, reliability and safety matter every day. But what happens when your lift starts showing wear, ignoring small issues becomes the norm, and you realise you might need more than a quick fix?
At Arrival Lifts, with over 25 years’ experience servicing, maintaining and modernising lifts across Surrey, Kent and London, we’ve seen the tell-tale indicators. If you’re in the UK and wondering whether it’s just a repair or time for something more substantial, we can help you make a decision.
Contact us on 0208 544 4888 or email enquiries@arrivallifts.com to arrange a free consultation today.
When your lift feels old before its time and starts falling behind the demands of your building, Arrival Lifts steps in with tailored lift modernisation solutions that make the difference.
The 7 Signs That Show You Need Lift Refurbishment!
1. Frequent Breakdowns Or Service Call-Outs
If your lift is becoming a “broken-door” or “stuck-between-floors” story more often than not, that’s a strong sign you need lift refurbishment. Persistent faults, particularly in older lifts, indicate components are reaching the end of their useful life. While our team at Arrival Lifts can provide emergency call-outs and repairs, when the repair count is high, refurbishment is the smarter, longer-term solution rather than chasing breakdowns.
What to do: Ask your engineer to produce a condition report and compare the repair costs with the cost of refurbishment so that you can make an informed choice.
2. Outdated Control Systems And Sluggish Performance
Older lifts often suffer from legacy controllers, slow door operation, jerky starts or stops, and outdated safety features. These issues don’t just cause frustration; they can compromise accessibility, ride comfort and regulatory compliance. A modernised lift improves performance, energy efficiency and user experience.
At Arrival Lifts, we specialise in mechanical and controller upgrades as part of our lift modernisation service.
What to do: Check the age of the controller, whether it frequently displays error codes, and whether an upgrade would result in faster, smoother, and more consistent operation.
3. Poor Energy Efficiency And Rising Running Costs
If your building’s electricity bills for the lift are climbing, or your lift keeps needing more maintenance, it’s often a sign you need lift refurbishment. Modern components, such as regenerative drives and LED lighting, can substantially reduce energy consumption. We work with clients who want to “green” their lift systems and get savings over time.
What to do: Ask your service provider to analyse your lift’s energy use and present refurbishment as part of your lifecycle plan.
4. Interior Cabin Looks Tired Or Unwelcoming
While appearance may seem cosmetic, lift cabins play a major role in the overall building experience. Worn panels, outdated lighting, scratched doors, and old flooring undermine impressions of quality and can impact building value. Lift car refurbishment is often one of the most cost-effective parts of the modernisation journey.
What to do: Walk the lift with fresh eyes. If your building’s standards have moved on, but the lift hasn’t, it’s a sign that your lift is lagging.
5. Accessibility Or Regulatory Standards Not Met
Regulations in the UK are ever tightening: accessibility under the Equality Act 2010, safety under LOLER, and the latest standards for lifts (such as EN 81-70) all demand compliant systems. If your lift is older, not wheelchair-friendly, lacks braille/tactile controls or fails accessibility checks, you need lift refurbishment.
We cover this in our ‘lift requirements in residential buildings’ blog and help clients upgrade accordingly.
What to do: Review your last inspection’s condition report and check whether any accessibility items were flagged. If so, plan refurbishment.
6. High Downtime And User Complaints
Building managers will tell you: if users consistently complain about the lift (doors sticking, unpredictable stops, slow response) and you’re seeing more downtime, you need to review whether fixes alone will suffice. Repeated issues damage trust, occupant satisfaction and even revenue (in hotels or commercial blocks). At Arrival Lifts, we emphasise client-focused service with fast responses. If fixes aren’t cutting it, refurbishment may be the right path.
What to do: Monitor downtime, log user complaints and compare them year on year. If costs and complaints are increasing, a refurbishment strategy is justified.
7. Your Lift Is Nearing Or Beyond Its Design Lifespan
Every lift has a life expectancy. If your lift is 15-20 years old (or older), even regular maintenance may not prevent escalating costs and reliability risks.
At this stage, you should ask: “Is it time to invest in refurbishment or replacement?” Our blog on lift repairs vs. replacement delves deeper into when a full replacement makes sense, but often, refurbishment is the sweet spot.
What to do: Review age, usage profile, and inspection reports. If the lift is old and still in high-traffic use, refurbishment is often the most cost-effective next step.
Contact Maintracts Services Ltd
Why Choose Arrival Lifts For Your Lift Refurbishment
With over 25 years’ experience across London, Surrey and Kent, we’re a family-run independent company built on personalised service and strong client relationships. We offer:
- A dedicated engineer and project manager for each refurbishment project.
- Fast response times in many instances, within two to four hours in the M25 area.
- Transparent, fair & honest quotes with phased options to fit budgets.
- Full range of lift services including installation, maintenance, repair and modernisation so we can support you beyond the refurbishment.
- Our rapid emergency call-out service ensures that if anything happens during or after the refurbishment, we’re on hand 24/7.
CONTACT ARRIVAL LIFTS
Conclusion
If you manage a building and recognise any of these seven signs, such as frequent breakdowns, outdated technology, rising costs, user complaints, or an ageing system, then it’s time to consider lift refurbishment seriously. At Arrival Lifts Ltd, we’re committed to helping you restore reliability, safety and value to your lift systems with expert guidance and tailored solutions.
Get in touch today on 0208 544 4888 or email enquiries@arrivallifts.com to arrange a free site survey and bespoke plan. Let’s prevent unplanned downtime, meet regulatory demands, and enhance every ride in your building.