Asset Finance for Gym Equipment
By Joshua Giles, Founder and Director · Reviewed by the CoreFi credit team
Last updated 20 July 2026
CoreFi is a broker, not a lender. We do not set rates and lenders make all credit decisions.
In short: Gym equipment finance spreads the cost of cardio machines, strength kit and full gym fit-outs over their working life, secured on the equipment itself. Strength kit and free weights hold value well, so hire purchase to own tends to fit, while cardio dates faster. Terms typically run 3 to 5 years. We are a broker: we place your case for UK limited companies and the lender sets the rate.
Gym equipment splits into two very different assets, and good financing recognises that. Strength kit, plate-loaded machines, power racks, benches and free weights, barely depreciates: a rack of dumbbells is worth much the same in five years as today. Cardio is the opposite, treadmills, bikes and rowers carry motors and electronics that wear with heavy member use and date as new models land. One half of your gym floor holds its value; the other does not.
The mechanic is asset finance secured on the equipment, with your limited company repaying over an agreed term, commonly three to five years. Because strength kit holds residual value so well, hire purchase to own usually fits: you keep an asset still worth real money at the end, and you can claim Annual Investment Allowance on the full cost in the year of purchase. A balloon payment against that durable residual can keep monthly costs down while a new site fills its membership. Cardio can suit a shorter term or a lease if you expect to refresh it before it wears out, and some operators split the two structures across the same fit-out.
Most of what we place is a full fit-out rather than a single machine: a gym, boutique studio, PT studio, hotel leisure suite or franchise site wrapping cardio, resistance, free weights and functional rig into one facility. Branded equipment from names like Life Fitness, Technogym, Precor or Hammer Strength holds its value and its appetite with lenders better than unbranded kit, which matters both for the advance now and the resale later.
The honest complication is trading history. A brand-new gym or studio is often a young Ltd with little to show a lender, so funders may want a larger deposit or a director guarantee where an established multi-site operator would not. A credible membership forecast helps, but it is not a trading record. The equipment secures the agreement, so the lender can repossess it if the payments are not kept up. No broker can promise a rate or an approval before a lender has seen the case. What we do is take your fit-out to the asset funders with genuine appetite for fitness, and tell you which structure fits the two halves of your gym floor.
Key Benefits
- Strength kit and free weights hold their residual value, so hire purchase to own is usually worth having and lenders lend against it comfortably
- Hire purchase lets you claim Annual Investment Allowance on the full cost in the year of purchase, set against Corporation Tax
- A full fit-out, cardio, resistance, free weights and functional rig, can be wrapped into one facility rather than separate agreements per supplier
- A balloon payment against the durable strength kit keeps monthly costs down while a new site is still building its membership
- Cardio, which dates and wears faster, can sit on a shorter term or a lease within the same deal, so you can refresh the treadmills without re-financing the whole gym
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy or lease gym equipment?
It often depends on the equipment. Strength kit and free weights hold value and are usually best on hire purchase to own, with Annual Investment Allowance claimable up front. Cardio wears and dates faster, so a shorter term or a lease can fit if you expect to refresh it. Plenty of operators split the two across one fit-out. Your accountant should weigh the tax position; a broker cannot decide it for you.
Can I finance a full gym fit-out in one facility?
Yes. Most gym deals we place bundle the whole floor, cardio, resistance machines, free weights and functional rig, into a single agreement rather than a separate one per supplier. That gives you one monthly payment and one term. Flooring, mirrors and installation can sometimes be included as soft costs, which the lender decides case by case.
Can a brand-new gym get equipment finance?
It is possible but harder. A start-up gym is usually a young limited company with no trading record, so lenders may want a larger deposit, a director guarantee, or a credible membership and cashflow forecast before they lend. Established operators with filed accounts get keener terms. The equipment still helps as security, especially the strength kit. We route new-site deals to funders comfortable with fitness start-ups.
Does branded equipment get better finance terms?
Generally yes. Recognised brands like Life Fitness, Technogym, Precor and Hammer Strength hold their value and have a clear resale market, so lenders are more comfortable and can price off the invoice. Unbranded or heavily used kit gives the lender less residual to lean on, which can mean a tighter advance or a larger deposit. It affects both what you can borrow now and what the asset is worth later.
Asset Finance calculator
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Amount financed
£54,000
Monthly payment
£1,344
Total payable
£64,502
Total interest
£10,502
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Get matched with lendersCoreFi is a trading name of JG Core Ltd (Company #16218779, England & Wales). CoreFi acts as a commercial finance broker and does not provide regulated financial advice. All products described are unregulated business-to-business finance. Information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute a formal offer of finance. Terms, rates, and availability are subject to lender criteria and may change without notice.