Step 4 of Building a Home Gym: Set Up a Budget

Now that you’ve clarified your space, needs, existing inventory, and wish list, let’s set that budget for your home gym. This might not sound sexy but think of it as a magic trick to turn your money into muscles. You’re basically David Copperfit.

Here’s how to set a budget for your home gym, whether you’re building a luxury home gym or looking for low-cost gym equipment:

Determine Your Home Gym Budget

What does a home gym cost? That’s like asking the price of a bag of groceries; it totally depends on what you get and need.

Budget limit: Start with your top end. What total amount can you/are you willing to realistically spend on your home gym?

Flexibility: How flexible is that number? Leave some room (like 10%) for unexpected expenses. No matter how well you plan, surprises happen.

Research gym equipment costs: Browse Repfitness.com’s home gym equipment to get an idea about price ranges – for both the essential gym equipment and the maybes.

Don’t forget the less fun essentials: gym flooring to protect your home and equipment; storage to keep it all organized; and assembly costs (if you want help). Luckily, all REP gym equipment ships free in the lower 48, so you don’t need to worry about that.

As you research costs, this will help inform Step 6 (when you will pick the right equipment). But this step is less about making the perfect choices and more about understanding the financial range you’re working with.

Budget for growth: Building out a home gym can be done in phases. Can you set a monthly/quarterly/yearly budget for growth?

Prioritize Your Purchases

Break it down: Now, break down your total budget into categories -- must-have gym equipment vs. optional goodies – with the largest portion of the money going to the essentials that you’ll use the most. If you ranked your wish list in the last step, this will be easier.

If your budget is limited and you need a low-cost home gym, consider a phased approach. Start with the most essential items (dumbbells, barbell, power rack, plates, bench) and gradually add more equipment over time.

Read: 3 Ways to Build a $1,000 Gym

Look for Ways to Save on Gym Equipment

If you are looking for economical deals and discounts, keep an eye out for sales by signing up for REP’s newsletter (scroll to the very bottom of the home page and enter your email address in the box on the right). Also, follow REP on Facebook and Instagram.

Even if you can’t wait for a sale, there are a ton of other ways to save money.

Must-read: How to Save Money on Home Gym Equipment

Also, think about the big picture when selecting equipment. A versatile power rack with room for growth (like the PR-5000) may cost more up front than the budget rack. But the option to add attachments (especially cable attachments) instead of buying full, stand-alone pieces of equipment will save you money (and space) in the long run. Multi-functional equipment is a long-term investment and money-saving hack that REP has turned into an art.

Need Help Pricing Everything Out?

Budget got you stuck? You can request a quote here – and it just might help you save money, too. REP's experts can offer advice on how to best build and outfit your space. After they create your custom quote, ask if you qualify for a discount. Large/bulk orders get a percentage off. You can also get help in person at one of REP’s showrooms. You’re not alone.