See how this savvy couple saved £11k by building their own home gym using B&Q buys

If you've been missing the gym during lockdown why not follow this crafty couple's lead and build your own DIY home gym.

Related: See how these celebrities transformed garages and garden sheds into home gyms

Jodie Fougler and her partner Andy  decided to create their home gym when lockdown hit using scrapyard finds and B&Q buys. 'My partner Andy is a huge gym fanatic. When lockdown hit and the gyms were closed he was not pleased. so I said 'let's build one!' Jodie told LatestDeals.co.uk.

'We initially looked online at pre-built ones they were ridiculous prices ranging from £5k up to £10k for the same sort of height and size.'

After seeing the astronomical prices online, the couple decided to cut costs and build it themselves. Andy already had the gym equipment in the garden so they decided to build the gym based around that.

'There wasn't really a huge drawn-out plan. We discussed it and came up with a shape and style,' says Jodie. '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 homeschooling our daughter.'

'Together we agreed on the size and height, and we made it fit specifically to our garden,' explains Jodie. 'Andy wanted to make sure he could fit all of the gym equipment he needed in there.'

'We purchased all the wood and screws from our local wood yard called Maplin,' Jodie adds. 'The 4x2 wood cost around £300, the shiplap wood cost about £350. The roof felt was £60 and the facias were free from a roofer friend.'

'The UPVC windows and doors were only £80 from our local scrapyard. They were originally brown and white, but I painted them grey with Rustoleum universal slate grey paint. The external paint we used was Cuprinol Dusky Gem from B&Q.'

The pair picked up the gym mats for £10 a pack from B&Q, and the large mirrors from IKEA for £100 to finish the interior. All that was left was for the couple to move the exercise equipment inside and add some finishing touches outside.

Get the look: Universal slate grey paint, £19.99, Very

Cuprinol Dusky Gem, 2.5L, £20, B&Q

'It cost us approximately £900 to build,' says Jodie. That works out as £11K less than similar versions the couple had seen online.

'Building this in lockdown gave us a welcome distraction from all that was going on outside our home, especially for Andy being a very busy key worker,' adds Jodie.

'The end result was beautiful and it was a great learning curve for us both!'

Related: Cancel the gym membership – Lidl have all the home gym equipment we need, including a power plate!

We couldn't agree more. Have you tried any home gym transformations of your own during lockdown?