Mine is placed with the foot of the post directly against the foundation. That leaves the post about 7" from the wall. The rail that the car sits on is 21.5" from the wall.
That's enough room to do anything I want to do with any car that will fit on the lift.
Obviously, the only way to get on that side is with the lift up high, or low enough to step over the rail. A minor annoyance.
For most lifts, the controls and fluid tank are mounted on the outside of one of the posts. And it really doesn't matter which way the lift is set up. You can drive on and off from either end. You can have the controls on either side.
