How much does a home gym cost to build?

By Joanna Jefferies

Many a gym membership is wasted due to the time it takes to pack a bag and get down there, to arrange childcare or take two hours out of your day for the round trip, and as we all know too well, when you’re not getting to your local gym your weekly membership cost still remains the same!
So why not save time and money and set up a gym at home? If you have a spare room you can create your own gym. If you need a little extra guidance, you can always bring in a personal trainer to put you on the right track with a personalised exercise programme too. Below we’ve investigated the cost of creating a home gym from basic to high-end, to give you an idea of what your home gym might look like. 

A home gym on a basic budget

A home gym on a basic budget can be as simple as plonking a treadmill and some weights into a spare room, but the Refresh Renovations specialist says there are key things you need to consider before moving those heavy machines in.
“[Homeowners] need to think about things like the weight of the equipment they want to use – for example look at what type of flooring they have in the house – do they need to make any special considerations for very heavy equipment?”
A good idea here is to speak to your local exercise equipment store about each machine’s weight and have your piles (if any) checked under the home gym area.
You’ll also need to consider what flooring you want in your gym – it’s important that it’s non-slip, regardless of the size of the space “you don’t want to go for a tiled floor, for example, you might want to go with industrial carpet,” says the Refresh Renovations specialist . 
Lighting is important too – you’ll need to ensure you have enough lighting in the room so that you can exercise safely. This could be as simple as swapping out dull bulbs for bright ones, or installing some recessed task lighting to illuminate spaces where you work out.
Basic budget range: $5,000 - $10,000
- Treadmill: $800 - $1,000
- Exercise Bike: $500 - $1,000 
- Rowing Machine: $500 - $1,000
- Weights/Dumbbells: $900
- Low cost rubber flooring tiles 16m2 (not including installation): $544
- Portable Air-conditioning Unit: $300 - $600
- Lighting: $200 - $1,000

A home gym on a mid-range budget

When you step up to a mid-range gym, you’ll need to consider what types of exercise you want to do, says the Refresh Renovations specialist , and correspondingly, how much space you’ll need to perform these activities.
If you’re performing a wide range of exercise activities think about storage for things like towels, smaller exercise equipment and mats.
Often, for a mid-range space, a garage or part of a garage will be converted to a home gym. This means more exercise machines can be included, and there might be a space to do stretching, yoga or Pilates.
“Do you want to have water on tap in the gym? – you’ll need to think about plumbing if you want to include that.”
You’ll also want to consider some type of sponge floor that can absorb having weights fall down, says the Refresh Renovations specialist . This will involve installing rubber matting in areas where you exercise.
The next step is to up-spec your technology. A wall-hung TV to watch exercise or music videos and some sort of sound system, as well as an in-built air-conditioning unit, will mean your gym is fit for purpose.
Mid-range budget range: $10,000 - $30,000
- Treadmill: $1,200 - $3,000
- Exercise Bike: $800 - $2,000 
- Cross Trainer: $800 - $2,000
- Rowing Machine: $1,000 - $2,500
- Weights/Dumbbells: $900
- Aerobic Step, Pilates mat & Swiss Ball: $400 - $500
- Plumbing, taps and sink: $2,000+
- Rubber flooring tiles 30m2 (not including installation): $1,500
- Air-conditioning Unit: $1,700 - $3,500
- Lighting: $1,000+

High-end home gym

If you want to take your gym to the next level, then creating a custom space for the types of exercise you want to do is key, but when it comes to the cost, “How long is a piece of string?” jokes the Refresh Renovations specialist . However, he says that if you do have the budget to extend your house and create a custom space, you’ll definitely want to consider how your home gym relates to the outside space, because having a “nature” outlook from your gym will make it a calming space to exercise, particularly if you like to do meditation, stretching, Pilates or yoga.
“I would think about some indoor-outdoor yoga areas, too,” says the Refresh Renovations specialist .
The benefit of a custom-designed space is the ability to define areas within the space, so you could use flooring types to separate muscle-building areas from cardio and stretching spaces.
In a high-end space going high tech with automation is crucial to making the space entertaining and easy to use. This means automating sounds, screens, temperature and blinds for the utmost in comfort.
Additionally, the Refresh Renovations specialist  says to take your gym to the next level “individual person spas and saunas are now available for a calm-down relaxing period after exercise”.
High-end budget range: $30,000 - $200,000+ 
- Industrial Treadmill: $3,500+
- Exercise Bike: $2,000+ 
- Industrial Cross Trainer: $3,500+
- Industrial Rowing Machine: $3,500+
- Weights/Dumbbells: $2,000+
- Aerobic Step, Pilates mat & Swiss Ball: $400 - $500
- In-built mini kitchen: $10,000+
- High density rubber floor tiles 60m2 (not including installation): $6,000+
- Air-conditioning Unit: $3,000+
- Lighting: $5,000+
- Automated sound system: $3,000 - $15,000
- Flat screen TV: $1,500+
- Individual sauna: $3,000 - $15,000
- Individual spa: $4,000 - $30,000
Are you looking for inspiration? Check out this home gym featuring a fully wired sound system and infrared sauna. 

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*Costs are rough estimates and are subject to change. For a fixed-quote accurate to your specific project, please consult your local Refresh Renovations specialist. All Refresh Renovations franchises are independently owned and operated.