With the rise in interest in finishing those empty basements across the country, there comes the question of what to do with that space. The answer usually lies with the homeowner and the family’s interest, but among the more fitness-minded, there is an increased appeal in using a basement as a gym. This article will explore the advantages and disadvantages of converting a basement into a gym and exercise room.
The major disadvantage to this kind of renovation is that gym equipment is not cheap to buy and a gym needs more than just one piece of equipment in order to give its users an effective workout. The upside however to this is that a home gym can cost as little as one to two thousand dollars to create. For those looking at having the full experience, though, a home gym can cost up to six thousand dollars for all of the equipment.
What offsets this is that having a gym in the basement means that gym membership can be torn up. This may seem like a minor cost, but it does add up. Gym memberships, themselves, vary greatly in cost. The lowest ones are about thirty dollars a month with some of the more expensive ones being up to a hundred and fifty dollars a month. Going by the cost of a membership to a well-known organization, like the YMCA, which is about fifty dollars a month, brings the annual cost to about six hundred dollars. For a couple that means the cost for both of them is over a thousand dollars! That savings per year means that even a more expensive gym will pay itself off in a few years. After that, the gym does nothing but saves a household money.
The other thing a home gym does is save time. A membership at a local gym requires travel time back and forth. In today’s day and age where time is money, being able to walk down a flight of stairs instead of getting into a car to get a workout is a benefit.
A home gym in the basement also has the advantage of being customizable. Different people have different approaches to what is a good workout for them and most gyms are generically designed to accommodate everybody. A home gym can be set up according to the needs of its family. Not only that, but a customized gym is also one that’s never busy. Owners of a home gym never have to worry about waiting to use a popular piece of equipment.
For those concerned about resale value, a gym is just a wide space filled with equipment. If a home is up for sale and a prospective buyer doesn’t want a gym in their basement, it can easily be repurposed as a family or entertainment room!
All in all, a home gym can be easily set up and can also easily be dismantled if it is no longer used, making it an attractive option for many people.
