The Hidden Cost of Keeping Unused Equipment in Your Practice

That idle aesthetic device in your storage room or unused treatment bay is not "just sitting there." It is actively costing your practice $500–$1,500 per month. Most practice owners don't calculate these costs because they are invisible — no invoice arrives, no bill is due. But the money is leaving your bottom line every single month.

The Five Hidden Costs

1. Depreciation: $200–$600/month

Aesthetic equipment depreciates whether you use it or not. A $60,000 device loses approximately $400/month in resale value during years 3–5, regardless of how many treatments it performs.

The cruel math: The longer you hold unused equipment hoping the "right time" to sell arrives, the less it will be worth when you finally list it.

2. Insurance: $50–$150/month

Your equipment insurance policy covers every device in your practice — including the ones you never turn on. Most practices carry $500–$1,800 in annual insurance premiums per device.

3. Opportunity Cost of Floor Space: $100–$400/month

A treatment room occupied by unused equipment is a treatment room generating zero revenue. The average aesthetic treatment room generates $3,000–$8,000 per month when actively utilized.

Even accounting for the cost of a room sitting partially empty, the opportunity cost of space consumed by a device you are not using is real and measurable.

4. Maintenance to Preserve Resale: $100–$300/month

If you plan to sell the equipment eventually, you must continue maintenance to preserve its value. Annual service costs $2,000–$4,000 — and a device that skips maintenance loses an additional 10–20% of resale value.

You are paying to maintain a device that generates no revenue. That is the definition of waste.

5. Opportunity Cost of Capital: $100–$500/month

The $30,000–$80,000 in value locked in that device could be deployed elsewhere. In a basic savings account, $50,000 earns ~$200/month. Invested in patient acquisition marketing, it could generate $5,000–$15,000 in monthly treatment revenue.

Monthly Cost Summary

Over 12 months, that unused device costs your practice $6,600 to $23,400 — on top of its declining resale value.

The Math That Should Convince You

Here is a concrete example:

You own a 4-year-old aesthetic laser currently worth $35,000. It sits unused. You are "thinking about selling."

If you sell now: You receive $35,000 and eliminate $1,000/month in hidden costs.

If you wait 12 months: The device is now worth ~$28,000 (depreciation), and you have spent $12,000 in hidden costs. Your delay cost you $19,000.

The decision to sell is rarely about whether to sell — it is about whether to sell now or lose money waiting.

What To Do With Idle Equipment

If you recognize these costs in your practice, you have three options:

The worst option is the one most practice owners choose: doing nothing. Every month of inaction compounds the loss.