690mm terrace staircase, Levenshulme
- The stairs
- Straight flight, 690mm clear width, wall on both sides
- What we fitted
- Slimline reconditioned straight, rail on the wall side
- Result
- Roughly 480mm walking space left with the seat folded
Slimline stairlift specialists
Stairlifts for narrow stairs
in Manchester.
Tight Victorian terrace? Compact semi? Cottage staircase? We fit slimline straight and curved stairlifts to staircases from 660mm across Greater Manchester — reconditioned from £995, new from £1,995 — and you can still walk past when the seat is folded.
- Fits stairs as narrow as 660mm
- 12-month parts & labour warranty
- Local family-run installation team
Designed for tight staircases
Plenty of room left to walk past.
Slimline stairlifts use a compact rail and a fold-away seat to take up far less of the tread than a standard lift — in both straight and curved models. The result: a stairlift that works on narrow stairs without making the staircase feel cramped for the rest of the household.
- Straight and curved slimline rails available
- Survey measures every step — including the narrowest point
- Rail sits to one side of the treads — stairs stay walkable
- Powered swivel seat so you exit safely on the landing
- Battery-powered — keeps working in a power cut
- Discreet cream finish blends with most décor
- Removable when no longer needed — no damage to walls
What makes it work
Built small, where it matters.
Compact, slimline rail
A slim profile rail mounts close to the wall so it takes up far less of the tread than a standard stairlift, leaving room to walk past easily.
Fold-away seat, footrest & arms
Seat, arms and footrest all fold neatly against the rail when the lift isn't in use — the staircase stays clear and safe for everyone else in the house.
Comfortable, supportive seating
A properly padded seat and backrest with powered swivel at the top makes getting on and off easy, even on a tight landing.
Before you call
How to measure a narrow staircase for a stairlift.
Four quick checks tell you whether a slimline stairlift will fit your stairs. You only need a tape measure and two minutes.
- 1
Measure the narrowest tread
Run a tape from the wall to the inside edge of the banister at the tightest step. Anything from 660mm upwards is usually workable with a slimline rail.
- 2
Check the space when folded
A folded slimline stairlift projects roughly 300–350mm from the wall, so on a 700mm staircase you keep around 350mm of clear walking width.
- 3
Look at the top and bottom
Doorways at the head of the stairs, a tight half-landing or a bottom step into a hallway all affect the rail. A hinged rail or park position solves most of them.
- 4
Book a free survey
An engineer measures every tread, the landing and the doorways, then tells you honestly whether a straight, curved or perch model is the right fit.
Fixed, fitted prices
Narrow stairlift prices.
Every price includes the survey, the slimline rail, installation and a 12-month parts and labour warranty. No hidden extras.
Reconditioned slimline straight
£995
Workshop-rebuilt narrow-stair model, fitted within 24–48 hours.
New slimline straight
£1,995
Brand new compact rail and fold-away seat, fitted within 24–48 hours.
Narrow curved
from £2,995
Made-to-measure rail for tight bends and half-landings, 1–3 weeks.
Want the full breakdown? See what a stairlift costs in Manchester or compare renting instead of buying.
Narrow and curved
Narrow stairs with a turn or half-landing.
Plenty of Manchester terraces have a narrow flight that turns at the top into a small landing, or a bottom step that opens straight onto a hallway door. Both are solvable. A made-to-measure curved rail is built to the exact line of your staircase so it hugs the inside edge and keeps the tread as clear as possible, and a hinged rail section folds up at the bottom so a doorway or hallway stays completely free.
For very steep or exceptionally tight flights, a perch stairlift uses a raised semi-standing seat that needs less tread depth — the engineer will tell you at the survey whether it's a better fit than a standard seated model.
What customers say
Slimline stairlifts fitted on Manchester's tightest staircases.
Narrow stairs are the job we get called about most — Victorian terraces, 1930s semis and stairs other companies have already turned down. Here's what those customers said afterwards.
Our staircase is only 690mm wide and two other companies told us nothing would fit. The slimline rail went in on a Tuesday morning and you can still get past it with the seat folded.
Victorian terrace, narrow stairs and a door at the bottom. The hinged rail folds right out of the way so the hallway is clear. Fitted in a single day and they took the packaging with them.
Mum's stairs turn at the top onto a tiny landing. The curved rail follows the inside edge and she still gets to the bathroom door easily. Honest advice at the survey, no pressure at all.
Very steep, very narrow flight. They suggested a perch seat rather than sell me something that wouldn't work properly. That told me everything about the company.
Real installs
Four narrow staircases, four different solutions.
Every tight staircase needs a slightly different answer. These are typical examples of what we fit across Greater Manchester and what it left behind in walking space.
Door at the foot of the stairs, Chorlton
- The stairs
- Narrow flight opening straight onto a hallway door
- What we fitted
- Slimline straight with a manual hinged rail section
- Result
- Hinged rail folds up so the doorway stays completely clear
Tight turn onto a small landing, Stockport
- The stairs
- Narrow stairs turning 90° onto a compact half-landing
- What we fitted
- Made-to-measure curved rail hugging the inside edge
- Result
- Bathroom and bedroom doors both still open fully
Steep narrow flight, Oldham
- The stairs
- Steep pitch with shallow treads, 665mm width
- What we fitted
- Perch stairlift with a raised semi-standing seat
- Result
- Needs far less tread depth than a standard seated model
Not sure if your stairs are wide enough?
A free home survey settles it in 20 minutes.
A local engineer measures every step, the landing and any doorways — and tells you honestly what will work.
Common questions
Narrow staircase questions, answered.
Explore other options
Not sure which type of lift you need? See our straight, curved and reconditioned ranges, or have an engineer from Manchester Stairlifts recommend the right one at your free home survey.
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