Everything you want to know before we touch your stairs.

It gives you access to useful space already inside suitable stairs, without adding another cupboard to your hallway. We adapt two adjacent straight steps into one lifting section. The lowest step and any curved steps stay fixed.

It depends on the space beneath your stairs and what you can comfortably reach. Photos help us assess what may be usable; house plans alone cannot confirm it. We explain what your own layout could offer before you decide. A free check does not commit you to a fitting.

Shoe Hole is designed mainly for homes built from 2000 onwards. We check both the staircase and the usable space underneath. A turn at the bottom does not automatically rule it out: a suitable pair of straight steps above the turn may work. Not sure about your house age or layout? Ask us. Photos can follow your initial enquiry.

The standard price is £399 fully fitted. Two qualifying nearby homes fitted on the same agreed day are £349 each, and three are £299 each.

When closed, they still look and work like ordinary stairs. The storage and lifting hardware stay hidden beneath.

No. The initial photo suitability check and quote are free and there is no obligation.

On a standard two-storey house we do not believe it does. Stairs are covered by Part K, which is not among the requirements regulation 3(3) lists as making an alteration notifiable, and we do not cut the structural parts of the staircase. There is a full explanation, with the clause numbers, on our building regulations page.

No. We work with your existing staircase and adapt a suitable pair of adjacent straight steps, subject to assessment.

Most suitable installations take around two hours. We will confirm the expected timing before the visit.

Shoes, wellies, school bags, sports kit, toys and similar everyday hallway items. We will explain sensible limits for your specific installation.

Yes, five years. It covers the installation and the hardware we fit, so if something like a hinge or a gas strut fails, or the fitting itself is at fault, we come back and put it right. It does not cover damage, misuse or ordinary wear and tear. Your statutory rights are unaffected.

Nearby homes with suitable staircases arrange one agreed fitting day. Two homes are £349 each and three homes are £299 each. We check every staircase and confirm the price before booking.

One hand. The lifting section is carried on gas struts, so it is light to raise and it holds itself open while you load it. Let it down and it closes flush.

The section is easy and light to lift, and it closes flush so there is no open drawer to trip over in the dark. Like anything else in a house with children, from the oven to the stairs themselves, it is there to be used sensibly. We would not suggest a toddler operate it unsupervised.

No, and there is no added weight at all. The same treads and risers go back in, with your existing carpet and underlay on top. Nothing is swapped for anything heavier.

Not in the section we use. We check what is in the space before anything is opened up, and if there were services in the way we would tell you and stop.

Yes, fully. The lifting section is fixed back down and the treads or risers replaced if they are ever needed. It is a reversible alteration, not a permanent one.

No. The staircase keeps the same shape, the same rise and the same going, and the whole thing is reversible, so it can be taken back out if a buyer ever wanted that. We will not tell you it adds to what your house is worth, because nobody can actually show that it does. What it does is give you somewhere to put the shoes.

We message you when we are on the way. On arrival we do a final check of the staircase before anything starts, because a photo cannot show everything. We park on the street outside. It helps enormously if the hall and stairs are clear of shoes and bags so we can get to the work. When we are done we vacuum, tidy up properly and take every bit of rubbish away with us, so there is nothing left for you to deal with.

We aim to come back with your quote and the dates we have free within about 24 hours of getting your photos. If a nearer date opens up because we are already working in your area, we will let you know.

Payment is by card once the work is finished, handled through Stripe. There is no deposit. Where Stripe offers it to you, Klarna is available at the checkout if you would rather spread the cost, though whether you are eligible is Klarna's decision rather than ours.

Just tell us. We ask for about 72 hours' notice where you can manage it, so the slot can go to somebody else, and there is no cancellation fee. Your legal cancellation rights as a consumer are unaffected.

Struts are a wearing part and they are easy to change. We post you replacements and they swap straight over, so in most cases nobody needs to visit. The five-year guarantee covers the installation and the hardware we fit.

We are based in Cannock and cover roughly 80 miles around it, which takes in the West Midlands, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Derbyshire, Cheshire and a good way beyond. If you are outside that, ask anyway and we will tell you honestly.

Yes. Call or WhatsApp 07533 951011, or email myshoehole@gmail.com. A real person answers, and no photographs are needed to ask a question.