Duplex House Floor Plans

Duplex house plans come in various options. They include 2 bedrooms and 2 bathroom options. They are usually designed to be good at conserving space. It can be especially useful if you’re dealing with a narrow lot. If you’re in the market to build to rent it out, this may be the option that you’re looking for. They can be built to optimize your rental income while keeping your costs down.

Duplexes offer many great features. There are other things that you may want to consider as well.

Don’t put two individually standing homes on two different lots. Duplex house plans are the option that will give you individual living spaces. It will easily allow two families to live side by side. They come in many different variations and even have a garage in the middle. Here are some of the ones we have collected on the website for you to check out.

Who is it for?

• Homeowners that want to rent out the neighbor unit
• Investors
• Multi-generational families
• People looking to the downside
• Someone wanting to rent out an Airbnb

Garage in the Middle

Duplexes with garages in the middle are popular for cost-conscious investors. Do you wish to maximize your returns while not buying a bigger lot? Ensure you keep down the cost of materials in the process. If you have a narrow lot, this is exactly the type of option you might want to consider.

The traditional duplex house is great for saving money. Putting the garages in the middle will give the tenants increased privacy. No longer do you have to listen when the couple in the other apartment is accidentally washing a red sock with the rest. Hopefully, you can expect to have your tenants living there for a longer time because of it. You won’t end up running around showing the house to new tenants every single month. Take a closer look around the site. Add filters to your search, and we’re sure you’ll end up finding the duplex that suits your needs.

Multi-Family Option

Are you looking for an option with one facade that still offers the capabilities of several families living there? You may not want them to be bothered by each other. The plans on this page allow just that. Even if they look like it’s intended for one family, they’re great for several. When you look closer, you’ll realize that there is more than just one family living there. The most common variation allows two families. It can be more than that.

Multi-family options offer significant financial benefits when they’re being built. Your ROI can usually be significantly better than if you were to build individually standing homes. You could also always move into one unit while renting out the other.

Duplexes are just one type of these multi-family units. You can choose whether or not they have the garage in the middle. As you’re scrolling this page, you’ll see that they’re available in many sizes. Some individual units may be 1,400 sq feet. Others can offer significantly more space per unit. They are unlikely to offer the unique appeal you may find from a tower house. They do have significant cost benefits as well.

Benefits:

• Great investments
• More affordable than buying two homes
• Offers easy multi-generational living.
• An additional source of income possible
• Good use of land

Cons:

• More complex than building single-family homes.
• Potential privacy issues
• Potential zoning restrictions
• Harder to sell than a single-family home

1,200 sq ft is common for a duplex

The 1,200 sq ft plans are the second most requested when users ask for square footage. The most popular option is the 1,000 square foot duplexes.

We have chosen to create a dedicated page to list designs around 1,200 square feet. Do you want a one-bedroom or a 2 bedroom? You can still get 2 bathroom duplex designs in that size.

If you’re looking for something between 4 and 10 bedrooms, you have landed on the wrong page. You may be interested in visiting our pages with designs between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet. They’ll better design the more bedrooms you want.

Have you noticed that some of the plans here are more or less than 1,200 sq ft? We know that too. It’s because we have set it up, so you will find plans that are +/- 250 sq ft of the search term. It means plans on this page go down as low as 950 sq ft and up to 1,450 sq ft. You can narrow your search if you want. This segmentation allows you to get slightly more designs.

2 Master Suites

Designs with 2 master suites offer a level of flexibility you may not be able to find in your average home. You may have a reason to favor that specific design. It’s not like you need one. Sometimes it’s just nice not to be confined to one master suite.

Suppose you have your Mother-in-law living with you. It’s nice to have another full bathroom attached to the room she is staying in to avoid confrontation. Suppose you have a lot of guests passing through. It may also be the nicer option then. You can offer them a room rather than force them to drive home. Sometimes it suddenly gets very late as you’ve been playing cards.

It allows your guests or other people in the house to retreat. They can have their personal space; it doesn’t matter if they’re your parents or guests. It’s a great way to make people feel welcome.

Some of the master suites may also be located on each side of the house. It provides an increased feeling of privacy. Besides having two master suites, they come in various styles. They also come in various styles like most other homes.

3 bedroom options

Your average family has a lot of needs. Most of these will be addressed if they find a 3 bedroom option to live in. It means the couple themselves will have their bedroom. If you’re like most others with two kids, each kid will also have their bedroom when they’re old enough. If they are still small, you can put them in the same room until they become bigger. At that point, they will likely be grateful to get their rooms. You may not even desire to live in a 3 bedroom duplex anymore either way then. You’ll be able to use that spare bedroom as an office or whatever you’re hoping to use it for.

Features to include:

• Good lighting
• Energy-efficient appliances
• Sufficient parking
• Good entrances

Cost to build

We would love to tell you that it is easy to estimate the duplex cost. The first step is to get the associated floor plans. The truth is that many factors play a significant role in costs. Suppose you haven’t yet purchased the lot to put the house on. Factor it into the whole equation.

Duplexes can be great opportunities to build significant wealth. There are a great number of ways to put your special touch on the design. Are you building a lake house that will have a walkout basement?

Mistakes to avoid:

• Underestimating the cost and time to build the duplex
• Ignoring versatility in the layout
• Failing to get the necessary permits

Duplexes that look like single-family homes

Some people may not have strong preferences for the exterior of the building. Some have a strong preference for duplex floor plans that look like single-family homes. It is often done by avoiding the usual symmetric look of a duplex.

These designs tend to have a bit more creative design. They’re made not to be symmetric but stand out slightly more. It will also mean you’re not confined to having two identical units. Rather, you’ll have individual units. They’ll have more interesting floor plans, too.

Modern, luxury options

Not every family wants to live in a house made of logs with a more traditional appeal. Some owners still want the good investment opportunity you get from a duplex. They also want to live in a modern space. What does that mean for you? Well, it can mean a bunch of things. Open floor plans with bright spaces are common for that purpose. It can also mean a modern kitchen with all the appliances you could dream of. Have we got you excited yet? Get the luxury your life deserves!

Smaller options

You’re comparing what you’re building to what you’re expecting to be around you’re planning on selling. Stacked duplexes or ones where each unit is about 800 sq ft turn out to be popular among investors. You can find options that vary from tiny to small. There are also ones that are quite large. The important thing is that you find the option that works specifically for you.

Having an elevator installed with a 2-story or 3-story duplex

Suppose you plan to use this as a place where you are likely to retire in the future. You still want to rent out the other part of it. You might want to consider the importance of features like accessibility and such.

Many duplexes are either 2-story or 3-story. You will be increasing the use of the home significantly by finding plans that have integrated elevators.

One-story, ranch-style designs

If you like the typical ranch-style homes that include a flat look to them, you’re not alone. Be sure to set up the filters only to get the most relevant plans shown to you. An advantage is you won’t have to worry about accessibility the same way you would with other options. Ranches also typically have a very popular and very open floor layout. It doesn’t work well if you have a very narrow lot.

Cool, narrow lots

You’re probably still looking for a cool option to build. We would all love those huge lots. Realistically speaking, many people have fairly narrow lots. They’re especially popular if you live in areas where house prices are extremely high.

Building on the beach?

Many homeowners love the idea of building on the beach. The disadvantage to building on the beach is usually the price tag that comes with it. By building a duplex there, you can more easily offset some of the costs you will incur.

Let them serve as a great townhouse.

It’s not just if you’re building on the beach that you want to build something rather compact. Compact homes make better use of the fact that you are building on an expensive lot. It can also be when you’re looking to build a townhouse. These options are great for the purpose.

Do you need a basement?

Getting a home with a basement is a feature that many families greatly appreciate. It is no different when it comes to designs with this style. Choose the filter to make sure the designs included all have basements. You will have a place to either use as a home gym. You can also use the place to set up the room that the kids always wanted.

From tiny to 4 bedroom options or even something larger, we have plans to accommodate all wishes. We have even the most untraditional multi-family wishes covered. Some go as small as 400 sq ft per unit. These are great energy-efficient options. We hope you’ll be finding just the match that will make you happy for years to come.

Suppose you have specific requirements. Maybe you want your duplex to be East-facing. Maybe you desire to have them be 600 sq ft. We might already have plans available on the page. You may also have to work directly with architects to alter the design of your choice.

Considerations when you’re building

Your journey isn’t over yet when you decide to build a duplex. We may have gone over some of the considerations you should be aware of. You’re still not at a point where you have chosen the design to use. You will use the blueprints to apply for the necessary building permits. You have a long journey ahead of you. Hopefully, you feel as if you are slightly better equipped.

The duplex can be the right way for many families. They’re especially great if you are focused on the potential cash flow that it can generate. It’s the most viable and lucrative real estate project people can get into. You can avoid needing massive amounts of financing for bigger multi-family units. At the same time, you can still subsidize your mortgage while you live there.

Besides cash flow, these buildings also generate equity. You have one of the advantages only very few landlords have. You won’t have a long way to travel if an emergency arises. It’s also easy to show the unit to another tenant.

When you’re building, you want to ensure you’re budgeting responsibly. Account for any potential cost that may not be in your current budget. It’s a good idea to contact the local building department to ensure the style can be built. Many communities won’t have restrictions on the building of duplexes. However, it is not universally the case.

Before moving forward with the project, you will want to ensure that you have the necessary funds. You won’t be able to rent out the other duplex unit before it’s completed. We recommend you do a feasibility study. It should include different budgeting scenarios depending on how the construction and the rental process go. It will take the mortgage into account.

You will make different budgets depending on what you expect from renting out the other unit. If you live in an area where it is easy to rent out a unit, that’s great. Suppose you live in an area where you might be slightly unsure of the amount of money you can get. Will you get $200 less than you were expecting for the duplex? You will want to make sure you’re being conservative in your budgeting.

We encourage you to start looking at as many different sources as possible. It ensures that the amount of rental income you anticipate receiving is as close to the exact figure as possible.

Find comparable rental units and see what they are being rented for. We recommend that you deduct 15% and use the figure you get for budgeting purposes.

Duplexes are great investment opportunities. We understand that you are looking to build one, but you must make sure you do it right.

People sometimes think there’s only one way to build a duplex. That’s not right. There are various styles to choose from so that your multi-family project stands out.

Have you made sure that you are ready to be a landlord?

Future builders must know what they are getting themselves into. Choosing to buy a duplex house plan from our website is a commitment. They can be great buildings to own and provide you with a good possibility to build consistent wealth.

They can be the main reason you may significantly change your lifestyle. It’s also important to note that being a landlord is not everyone’s dream. You are probably looking at building a duplex because of the possibilities that it offers. It’s also important that you know the potential downsides there are to it. You must be properly preparing yourself for everything that it takes.

Being a landlord can be easy when you find good, consistent tenants that pay on time. It’s good when you aren’t experiencing any significant issues with them. It can also be a lot of work if you don’t find the right tenants.

There’s no denying building or buying a duplex is perhaps the easiest way to start building wealth. The rental income can help you qualify for the mortgage you are likely applying for. You may choose to build a duplex rather than build a traditional house for the rent money. If you were building a traditional home, you would need to build an entire two units for the same result. It is harder to qualify for. In contrast, you may have an easier time getting a loan approved for a duplex.

We are excited that you are now ready to choose the right design with all that being said. We truly hope that it becomes a financial success for you!