In Relation to the Building Space

• Potential impact of a pit and headroom required?
• Available shaft space, and how much lift car size will be achieved in relation to the lift shaft size. What is the most economical fit?
• Shaft construction - will it be constructed from masonry, reinforced concrete, or have you considered purchasing a steel or aluminium shaft together with the lift?
• Is fire rating required?
  
• Does the lift require a machine room? If the lift requires fire rating, then the machine cabinet will need to be nearby (200mm deep)

In Relation to the Building Appearance and the Doors of the Lift

• How will the landing doors look and will they blend in?
• How will the landing doors slide away, or is a swing door preferred?
• Are the call buttons incorporated into the door jambs or separate?
• What finish will be applied to the landing doors?
• Fire rating?

In Relation to the Interior of the Cabin

• How will it look
• Whilst customers often wish to customise the cabin (or minimise costs), late in the job our customers sometimes wish they had bought the luxury interiors instead. Which kind of customer are you ?
• What floor finish is best
• What ceiling finish is best
• What will look great
• What will be hardwearing
• Can the cabin be changed, is it possible to redecorate later
• What do the profiles and finishes look like. INSPECT THEM
• Quality of the interiors is a major issue and they should be inspected

In Relation to the Approvals

• Is the product approved for use in Australia?
• Is the design properly registered?
• What section of the Australian lift code does the lift comply with and is my building certifier comfortable with the proposed solution?

In Relation to the Alternatives

• What is really being offered, speed, load capacity, time in cabin for journey
• Each potential supplier will try to entice you, are they offering an all inclusive price or have they left something out? like doors? or expensive cranage for the installation process? or scaffold, shaft lights, fixation requirements
• Does the quote match what will be supplied, ie lift speed, car ceiling height
• What is really being offered, speed, load capacity, time in cabin for journey
• Can the alternative be trusted (what is their trading history)
• Do they deliver on time (check references)
• Can the lift be ridden prior to making a decision, what is being purchased
• What are the control mechanism, there is a significant difference between AUTOMATIC CONTROL and CONSTANT PRESSURE
• What are the safety features, there is a significant safety difference between genuine FULL HEIGHT (180 beam protection) and 3 single beams protection.  (LIFT SHOP WILL NOT SELL SINGLE BEAM PROTECTION MACHINES DUE TO RISK OF ACCIDENT)
• What is the load capacity, is 3 person 250kg enough, usually 350kg (5 person) is adequate or is the heavy duty 500kg solution preferred.
• What does it REALLY COST

In Relation to the After Sales Experience (Service and Maintenance)

• How long is the warranty and does the supplier provide comprehensive maintenance during the warranty period
• What is the company's service performance like, have you checked references
• What is the ongoing service and maintenance cost (this can be substantial over the life of the lift)
• What is the recommended and required level of servicing for the lift
• Are sensible service contracts available
• What are the running costs
• What will happen in the unlikely event of a trapped passenger

In Relation to the Environment

• What is the power consumption?
• Does this require single or three-phase power (a more expensive form of power, to install and run)?
• What is the noise impact of the drive mechanism?
• Is there the visual pollution of an overhead motor room?