Finance question
Can I finance a pilates or reformer studio fit-out?
Yes. A reformer studio fit-out can be financed up to $500,000, with the reformers, flooring, mirrors and reception funded together in one facility, often low-doc. The machines are the bulk of the spend: a studio with 8 or more reformers runs $70,000 to $120,000 plus, of which $50,000 to $90,000 is the equipment package, subject to lender assessment.
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The short answer
The reformers are the loan, the build is the rest
In a reformer studio the machine is the business, so most of the fit-out is equipment a lender can see, price and value. Reformers come in grades. Commercial studio-grade machines run $3,300 to $4,500 each, premium studio machines $4,700 to $7,500, and flagship brands about $6,700 to $11,000, largely quote-only. Home-grade machines at $1,900 to $3,300 are not built for studio hours. The gap is warranty and frame engineering, and it matters because a studio runs its machines eight classes a day. Towers and cadillacs add $5,000 to $7,000 each (reformer pilates studio cost guide).
Published Australian figures put a basic four-reformer studio at $30,000 to $50,000 all-in and a larger commercial studio with 8 or more reformers at $70,000 to $120,000 plus, with the equipment package making up $50,000 to $90,000 of that. Plan on 8 to 10 square metres per reformer, so a 10-reformer studio wants roughly 100 to 150 square metres, with flooring at $50 to $100 per square metre plus mirrors, storage, lighting and reception. The machines and the build can sit in one facility of up to $500,000, usually secured on the equipment itself (same guide).
The franchise route costs more. The guide puts KX Pilates at $150,000 to $200,000 all-in with a $50,000 franchise fee, and Club Pilates from about $300,000, against roughly $100,000 for an independent build. New studios are financed on presales and location, the way gyms are, so a signed lease and a founding-member list help more than a long trading history (reformer studio guide). Ventas is a broker across 40+ lenders, not a single bank, and there is no upfront fee to you; the lender pays us on settlement.
Do you qualify?
What a lender looks at on a studio fit-out.
Commercial-grade reformers
Studio-grade machines with a warranty hold their value and secure the loan.
A lease and a location
A signed lease in a catchment that can fill the classes.
Presales or a waitlist
Founding members show demand before the doors open.
Low-doc friendly
Many deals settle without full financials.
Why reformer studios finance well
The machines are the security
Studio-grade reformers have published prices, so a lender can value them.
One facility
Reformers, flooring and fit-out funded together in a single application.
A lower entry cost
The guide calls it one of the cheapest premium fitness formats to open.
A worked example
An instructor opens a 10-reformer studio of 120 square metres. Ten commercial reformers, two towers, flooring, mirrors and reception come to $110,000, inside the $70,000 to $120,000 plus range for a larger studio. The lender funds $95,000 against the equipment and fit-out, and the owner covers the $15,000 gap from savings. Illustrative only.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to open a reformer pilates studio?
The cost guide cites $30,000 to $50,000 for a basic four-reformer studio and $70,000 to $120,000 plus for a studio with 8 or more reformers, of which the equipment package is $50,000 to $90,000.
Can I finance the reformers and the fit-out together?
Yes. Reformers write as standard business equipment, and the flooring, mirrors and build can be wrapped into the same facility, up to $500,000, subject to lender assessment.
Do I need to own the studio space?
No. Leaseholders can finance a studio fit-out, because the equipment and build secure the loan. New studios are assessed on location and presales, the way gyms are.
Can I finance a pilates franchise?
Often yes. The reformers and fit-out fund as equipment, while the franchise fee itself may need to come from your own funds or a separate facility. The guide puts KX Pilates at $150,000 to $200,000 all-in with a $50,000 franchise fee.