Thinking about a Duplex Development in Perth or the South West?
What is a duplex?
A duplex is a type of subdivision. A subdivision involves creating two or more blocks of land from a single ‘master’ block. The master block may include an existing dwelling on it, which may or may not require demolition to make room for the new land titles and the future residences built on them. Duplex developments usually come in two variations:
In front & behind
This type of duplex design involves subdividing the land into two titles in order to build two dwellings, one behind the other.
Side by side
This type of duplex design involves subdividing the land into two titles in order to build two dwellings, side by side.
What is the difference between a duplex and triplex development?
It’s important to know which subdivision you can undertake on your property, as well as which one is the most appropriate for your Perth block.
A duplex is defined as two self-contained dwellings under one roof with one shared wall that can be built on a single title or multiple titles. By selling two titles, you can sell each newly created dwelling individually, making them popular investments that provide multiple rental incomes at a lower land cost when compared to detached houses. On the other hand, a triplex development involves dividing the land into three and building three separate living units.
So, the main difference is fairly simple – a duplex design has two units, while a triplex has three units. Still, it can be hard to decide which is your best option. Both have great investment benefits – the decision to build either two or three homes on your block usually comes down to zoning guidelines.
Benefits of building a duplex on your Perth block
Building a duplex on your Perth block has a number of investment benefits to both the investor and the home buyer. Some of these include:
- Higher return on investment
- Cost savings
- Reduced stamp duty
From a development perspective, the biggest advantage of building a duplex is that it gives you options that can be mixed and matched to your needs, investment goals and retirement plans. You can sell the new properties, rent out the properties, or a combination of both.
Most people who build a duplex in Perth or the South West want to turn the newly created properties into revenue streams. However, many investors develop with the intention of living in one of the units and renting out the other. One common reason for this is to accommodate parents – by developing a duplex, you can turn one property into two residences that allow you to live in close proximity with each other while still maintaining your own privacy.
Why Developments by Dale Alcock?
Duplex developments have proven over time to be a profitable investment strategy, but only if you partner with an experienced duplex builder.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re a mum and dad ‘beginner’ sitting on a large block, or a seasoned investor looking to build multiple units, as a highly experienced duplex home builder, Developments by Dale Alcock can help you unlock the full potential of your land. You’ll have 30 years of diverse experience at your fingertips as we help you develop, design and build a successful duplex development at minimal risk and maximum return.
To get started, we encourage you to take advantage of our free feasibility study. We can estimate how much it will cost you to build a duplex development on the block you own (or want to purchase), including associated costs such as demolition. We’ll provide valuable insights into the local Perth market, including what buyers and renters are looking for. We’ll identify any ‘hidden’ issues, from site costs, to heritage restrictions. And we’ll provide you a range of design options to better understand what’s likely to return the best profit.
Subdividing your block
To realise your duplex development dream, you’ll need to carry out a subdivision on your master block. This opens the door to being able to sell each new block individually, however, it does require a thorough understanding of the residential design codes (R-Codes).
Choosing the right duplex design
A successful duplex design needs to be cost-effective to construct and appeal to the right target markets if you want it to be snapped up quickly, at the best possible returns. With a range of single storey unit and two storey townhouse plans designed by our expert in-house designers, you’re sure to find the perfect fit for your project.
Duplex FAQs
Council requirements differ across suburbs in Perth. Some may have to be a minimum of 600sqm to build a duplex, and in the next council area it’s only 500sqm. It’s best to speak to our development consultants about a specific address.
That all depends on the numbers! You are best to do a feasibility study on both options – factor in all costs (do your research to make sure you know about all the hidden or lesser known costs as well; plus include any renovation costs that might be required on the established houses to make them marketable to your target market) and run these against your strategy. Your options are as follows:
• Rent out both units
• Sell both
• Sell one; rent the other
• Sell or rent one; live in the other
This should give a solid indication on whether you are better off buying or building in this instance.
It can be – as long as you do a feasibility study first to make sure the numbers stack up. First, start with your exit strategy (do you plan to hold, rent or sell the properties?). Now look at all your costs to see if you can afford to do it (land, construction, fees, surveys, siteworks, permits, reports, interest payments. A broker or financial planner can help with this). Once you have done your market research on location and target market you are then in a better position to do a feasibility study – this involves adding up all your costs (including selling fees and taxes) and calculating against your expected sale price. This is when you will see if the project is a good investment.
This will differ council to council, it’s best to speak to one of our development consultants if you’re thinking about building a duplex.
We offer a free feasibility study which will look at costs, market insights and profit return, we can also identify any ‘hidden’ issues plus give you a range of design options.
View our featured development case studies:
As WA’s award-winning duplex home builders, we’ve helped investors write their duplex development success stories all over Perth, from Leederville to Victoria Park and Wembley Downs. Read our case studies to find out how others have unlocked the hidden value of their land by turning underutilised site into products designed strategically to appeal to local market needs.
Doubleview Duplex
A seasoned developer with several duplex and triplex projects completed, the client had bought the Doubleview property 10 years ago. The existing house was tired and in need of more than a coat of paint and could be demolished to make way for two new homes.
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Bayswater duplex
When our clients found a block in Bayswater (1014sqm, R25 zoning) they jumped at the opportunity to purchase it. Unsure of what they could do with it, they engaged Developments by Dale Alcock to help get started. Their priority was to maximise profit and build some long-term investment properties.
VIEW CASE STUDY
Como duplex
The clients were living in the older home which they had purchased in 2002 and decided to relocate to the Perth Hills. The home sat on a 1012sqm block that was ripe for development. The block’s R20 zoning meant there was an opportunity to knock down the old house and replace it with two new narrow lot homes.
VIEW CASE STUDY