As a property investor, are you thinking of buying a duplex house? While duplex homes have gained popularity over the decades, investors still face confusion regarding the configurations of these properties.
In this guide, we have comprehensively discussed what is duplex house, its advantages and disadvantages. This will guide you while you brace up to purchase one of these properties. Reputed real estate builders have come up with elegant gated communities where you can purchase duplex homes in various cities.
At the outset, let’s be clear that a duplex house is simply not a two-storeyed building. Let’s check out the duplex house meaning and how they are different from typical two-storey homes.
Although duplex homes are constructed on two floors, it is different from common two-storey buildings. These properties have a single kitchen and a single dining room for both the floors.
In a duplex house design, the developers come up with two living units with a common central wall. These units may be configured either on two floors or side-by-side and have separate entries.
Although there are two floors in duplex homes, it is owned by an individual. The entry points for both the floors may be different.
In India, duplex homes come with a kitchen, hall, and bedrooms on the lower floor. The master bedroom is usually available on the upper floor. Therefore, one can evaluate the duplex house meaning as a property having two floors and never more than that.
Check out the essential features of a duplex house.
• A duplex house should have only two floors and not more than that
• A common staircase connects the lower and upper floors
• Duplexes are owned by an individual and a single family resides on the property
• Renting out one floor in a duplex can fetch a healthy ROI
Now that you know what is duplex house, let’s move on to the different types of the property.
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Have a look at the different types of duplex houses, based on their configurations.
1. Standard duplex houses
These properties have two storeys, where a staircase connects both the floors. The living room and kitchen are housed on the lower floor, while the upper floor includes kids’ rooms and bedrooms.
2. Ground duplex house
A ground duplex house is designed on the ground floors of apartments. The lower floors come with the bedrooms and face a garden. On the upper floors of these properties, the kitchens and living rooms are integrated. Owners preferring pets and gardens often go for ground duplex homes.
3. Low-rise duplex
Low-rise duplex homes come with an attic on the second floor and spacious balconies. Usually, they are developed in a limited area compared to other variants of duplex houses.
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A few factors determine the position of rooms and design of a duplex home. These include:
Location of the property
Usually, real estate developers come up with duplex houses in cosmopolitan cities. These properties are smaller in size compared to those located in the suburban areas. The number of rooms would be fewer in smaller duplex properties.
Property layout
When it comes to layout, duplex properties usually follow a uniform design. On one floor, the property houses the dining room, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. The master bedroom is integrated on the other floor. However, owners can choose other designs, where the property comes with smaller rooms, but the overall number of rooms is greater.
Buying a duplex house comes with several benefits. Investors should know these advantages before putting their funds in these properties.
Rental income
One of the best reasons to purchase a duplex home is the ability to rent out a floor. While the owner resides on one floor, the other floor can be put on rent. This fetches a consistent return on investment over the months. In India, owners of duplex houses can also enjoy certain tax benefits on the rental income.
Mortgage benefits
Investing in a duplex house brings in some great mortgage benefits. On renting out a portion of the property, the owner can recoup a part of the home loan taken to buy the property. In cities with high demand for rental properties, owners can manage a major part of the EMI on home loans by letting out one of the floors in a duplex house.
Serves different purposes
The design of a duplex house serves separate purposes apart from residing. Think of setting up a home office on one of the floors. Given that duplex homes are spacious, you can enjoy the privacy of having an office. With working paradigms changing, millennials carrying out office work from home often go for duplex houses in major cities.
Ideal for joint families
One of the other reasons to invest in a duplex house is its suitability for joint families. While older people can reside on one of the floors, you would enjoy your privacy. This way, families can stay together without causing any inconvenience.
While duplex houses offer several advantages, investors should be wary about their disadvantages as well.
Duplex houses have common walls separating the rooms. This can lead to disturbance for the residents due to noise.
When it comes to renting out a duplex house, sharing the property turns out to be a challenge. Much of the space, including the staircase, is shared in these properties. It can lead to a lack of privacy, and finding a tenant in a duplex house can be difficult.
While most owners invest in a duplex home considering the higher quality of lifestyle, it’s easy to overlook the returns they promise. In India, duplex houses are located in areas with significant land banks. In cities, the number of projects with duplex homes is limited due to the limited availability of land.
It’s imperative to consider the surroundings and neighbourhood if you are willing to invest in a duplex house. If the locality isn’t that good, there’s always a risk of not finding tenants. Currently, duplex houses are quite common in the southern cities.
Before you invest in a duplex house, it’s imperative to understand the cost. This value significantly differs from one location to the other. On average, the cost of constructing a duplex house starts from INR 1,500 per square foot with the basic finishing materials. You may consult one of the reputed real estate agents to get a more transparent idea about how much a duplex home is likely to cost you.
Many families think of converting a duplex house into a single home. This requires a lot of planning before you decide to change the structure of the property. The layout of the home is also affected in the process as the internal walls have to be removed. The construction cost of a duplex property is usually high.
When you renovate a duplex house, make sure to consider the plan for the new layout. Decide whether each floor should have space for a living room, kitchen, and at least one bathroom. Certain electrical and plumbing modifications may also be necessary. The non-load-bearing walls need to be removed from these properties. Therefore, it’s wise to consult a structural engineer or an architect before getting the property remodelled.
Usually, families invest in duplex homes for personal use, and not for renting out. However, if they want to sell off the unit later on, it might be tough to find a buyer. The demand for duplex homes largely depends on the location of the property, pricing in the area, and other factors.
However, this doesn’t imply that selling off a duplex home will be challenging. A lot of homeowners are looking for duplex properties in different parts of the country.
Buyers also consider safety when it comes to investing in a duplex property. Mostly, duplex properties in secure gated communities are popular among buyers. Reputed builders have come up with such properties in different cities.
Also Read | Condo vs Apartment
Now, let’s take a look at the differences between a duplex house and other types of properties.
Although a duplex house comes with two floors, it is different from a two-storey house. Not all two-storeyed homes can be classified as duplex properties since most of them aren’t connected by a single staircase. Besides, the design and layout of common two-storeyed houses differ from that of duplex homes. In many cases, independent owners reside on separate floors in a two-storey building. Therefore, the lifestyle and configuration in duplex houses largely differ from common houses with two storeys.
Typically, a villa is larger than a duplex house, although both are used for residential purposes. Investors consider villas to be a more luxurious purchase, compared to a duplex. For those prioritizing privacy, villas tend to be the first choice.
The concept of villas stemmed from the Roman era, where the elite class moved to the countryside during the summer months. This concept has shaped contemporary independent homes or villas that are developed on a plot. However, these days, you will also come across sophisticated villas in gated communities. These properties come with additional amenities such as a clubhouse, gym, swimming pool, and other perks. Such facilities aren’t available in independent duplex homes.
Compared to a duplex house, a townhouse can offer more living spaces. In terms of ownership, a duplex has to be first purchased by an individual before being rented out. However, two or more individuals directly own the properties in townhouses right from the beginning. This enables them to carry out any change in the property. On the other hand, tenants residing in duplexes don’t have the right to modify the property without seeking permission from the owner. The owner of a duplex property is responsible for bearing all sorts of construction and renovation costs.
A penthouse is located in multi-storey buildings, usually ink the top floor. This makes it different from duplex houses in terms of structure. Penthouses are expensive since they usually offer beautiful views. Usually, developers come up with only one such unit on a particular floor.
A duplex house needs more maintenance and care compared to a flat for its upkeep. Flat owners need to bear fewer responsibilities, and these are limited only to the interiors of the property. The housing society usually takes care of the common areas. In terms of ease of selling, flats find buyers faster than duplex houses.
Now that you know what is duplex house and the different types of duplex house, check out some of these properties in new gated communities in your city. We have comprehensively discussed the advantages and disadvantages of investing in a duplex house in this guide. This will help you carefully assess the lifestyle in these properties, along with the potential to earn an ROI from these properties. If you are interested in buying a duplex home, reach out to one of the reputed real estate agents and invest in one of these properties.
