20 years ago, developers rarely considered adding a gym to their condos. Gyms were on the backburner. But the times have changed quick.

Fitness is in (along with yoga pants), which means, despite all, those who take fitness & health seriously are reaping the rewards.

Nowadays, you’ll be hard pressed to come across a brand new condo without a gym.

But… even so, it’s still not always easy to spot a good condo gym from a bad one. And even with the sheer number of condos with built-in gyms today, not all of them are equipped to handle the volume of active residents or diversity of equipment that’s required for the gym. If your viewing a condo, it is worth checking to see if the gym has quality commercial gym flooring, if not you could hear the noise and feel the vibrations up to 10 floors above the gym!

When it comes to picking a condo with amenities, the number one thing people are looking out for is a gym – a fully loaded, spacious gym that’s consistently maintained. In a study done by RentShare, when asked what the biggest annoyance of residency is not having access to quality amenities. Condos around Richmond Hill often have complete amenities, including gym, but other condo-dwellers who didn’t consider this essential thing before buying a condo still have to drive themselves to a decent gym.

Time is of the essence in today’s world. Having to take half an hour to drive or take transit across town just to get a workout in is a workout in itself. With the fast-paced world we live in today, every hour is valuable, and it causes a strain on a tight schedule to have to trek across the city to get a sweat on.

Being able to get to a good gym in two minutes because it’s located in your condo building can make or break a decision to live in a specific condo.

So what makes a high-quality gym?

Here Are 3 Ways To Tell A Good Condo Gym From A Bad One

1.  The Number Of People Vs. Equipment

The number one factor of a high-quality gym is the size. But it’s not only the size of the gym that matters. It’s the size of the gym relative to how busy the gym is.

If you’re viewing a condo in the late morning or early afternoon during a weekday, the gym could look huge. You could have a huge gym (or so you think), but come back to the same gym at 6 PM, and it could be maxed out.

The “rush” at gyms fall between 6 AM-11 AM and the busier rush is at 4 PM-9PM. This means the best possible time for you to go get a workout in is between 12 PM and 4 PM. For most people who work a 9-5, that’s impossible. This leads to the next factor of a high-quality gym.

Condominium Experts at  SKYHUB suggest; When viewing a condo for sale, always ask the realtor or property manager the number of units the building has. And of course, get a full tour of the gym to check the size. If there are only 2 treadmills and 2 ellipticals, with a few machines & dumb-bells in the gym of a 400-unit building, you have a problem.

You’ll want to make sure that even on a busy night, there is a sufficient amount of equipment in the gym. One way to get a good view of the people to machine ratio is by taking a tour of the building (and gym) during the biggest rush (6-8 PM).

2. Gym Hours

This is a common factor that many people overlook when checking out the condo gym. It’s easy to get distracted by the fancy machines and space.

One of the most important factors is the hours of operation.

If you have a slick condo gym, but it’s never open when you need it, what good is it?

Being able to get a solid workout in during hours that work with your schedule is huge when it comes to your condo gym.

Always double check the hours during your tour to make sure you’ll be able to use the gym.

3. Maintenance

One of the hardest things to be aware of when selecting a condo with a good gym is maintenance.

It’s one of the most important factors when it comes to the life of a gym, yet it’s not always easy to figure out.

When checking out a condo, get a good look at the equipment. Ask the realtor or property manager how old the condo is – you’ll get a good idea of how well they maintain their equipment when you compare it to how it looks currently.

When touring the gym, are there cloths or paper towels with cleaner visible in the gym for gym users to wipe down equipment? Any broken down machines? Are there odd numbers of dumbbells?

4. Investing In Your Fitness & Wealth…

Condo market analysts suggests that condos with high-quality gyms are more likely to have other luxurious amenities, they are generally newer properties, and they tend to be owned by bigger developers who are able to handle managing larger volume buildings.

This means when you invest in a condo with a solid gym, you’re more likely to get a better return on your money in the long run.