A family of fitness fanatics built their own lockdown gym in the garden for just £900, saving them up to £11,000.
Jodie Leah Foulger, 34, and her partner Andy, 32, decided to make their own workout space after finding out it would cost them up to £12,000 to have it done professionally.
The couple, from Southend-on-Sea, Essex, despaired when gyms closed in March as part of the coronavirus lockdown, the Daily Star reports.
Andy was desperate to keep training and Jodie wanted to get ready for their wedding.
Jodie said: “We decided to build the gym because my partner Andy is a huge gym fanatic!
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“When lockdown hit, and the gyms were closed, he was not pleased. So I said – let’s build one...
“I also wanted to use the gym for our pre-wedding build up.
“We were meant to be getting married in Greece in July 2020, but unfortunately our wedding was postponed until next year.”
It took the couple between two and three weeks to build, as Andy does shift work.
They fit the DIY job around their regular work patterns, working from home and schooling their six-year-old daughter.
Jodie wrote on Facebook : “Neither of us are in the trade.
“But, we designed and built the whole lot with no help at all.
“It is a custom size and shape to fit into our garden.
“We are really pleased with it."
The materials the couple used included wood for the entire structure and frame which were 4X2 from the couple’s local wood yard.
They got the wooden ship lap cladding from the same place.
Jodie and Andy picked up some second Hand UPVC windows and French doors for £80 from the local scrap yard.
The mum added: “The paint for outside of the summer house is Cuprinol Dusky Gem.
“And, the UPVC windows and doors are painted in Rustoleum universal paint in Slate Grey.
“The damaged windows were covered with D- C Fix vinyl window covering."
Jodie bought the large mirrors for inside the gym from Ikea online, the garden lights from screw fix and the rugs from Aldi and Lidl.
Her outdoor furniture was also from Aldi.
The couple designed the gym around the height of the gym equipment that Andy had purchased.
Jodie said: “There wasn’t really a huge drawn out plan.
“We discussed it and came up with a plan – we measured as we worked.
“Team work was certainly important and thank goodness he’s strong.”
She added: “Andy has a really good eye for design and I deal with all of the details.
“Together we agreed on the size and height and we made it fit specifically to our garden.”
If the couple had tried to buy a similar structure they would have been set back between £5,000 and £12,000.
She told money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk : "It took us approximately two to three weeks in total to complete as my partner works shifts. So we’d fit it in around both our jobs, me working from home and home-schooling our six-year-old daughter.
"It’s cost us approximately £900 to build. I looked online and similar sized summer houses and outbuildings range from £5k up to £12k!"
Jodie, who works in scientific and medical research, is a big fan of home interiors and garden design and so made sure that her back garden gym was stylish.
She often posts snaps of her beautifully designed home to her Instagram, @the.white.house.sparkles.
Fellow DIY fans were clearly impressed by the couple’s creation.
Posting in a popular DIY Facebook group, the post racked up a massive 1,700 likes and almost 400 comments
One person wrote: “From a joiner, you’ve done a great job there considering neither of you have a trade – be proud of that!”
“This is the best thing I’ve seen on this page,” added another.
While a third wrote: “That is amazing, enjoy your new gym!”
Still more called the build "incredible" and "stunning".
