Duplexes have been an Australian staple for decades.
Duplex designs have come a long way from being two houses plonked together and joined by a driveway. These days, modern duplex designs can cater to a wide range of needs to make the most of your block and to suit families of all shapes and sizes.
A duplex home offers the opportunity for young homeowners to take their first step into the property market, for retirees to buy their own patch of paradise, or for homeowners to earn an extra rental income. While these are the most common uses for duplex homes, their versatility and range of options are endless, particularly when working with home builders who specialise in duplex designs.
Get in touch to discuss making your duplex vision come to life or read on for some more duplex inspiration.
Five Popular Duplex Designs And Their Unique Features
Duplex designs have come a long way in the past few decades. Inviting, sophisticated, spacious, bright, and charming, modern duplex properties don’t leave much to be desired. You’ll be surprised at what can fit into these sleek floorplans, and to give you some inspiration, we’ve compiled five designs to add to your drawing board.
1. The Mirror Design
A mirror duplex will feature two identical properties side to side. The mirror design requires a wider block and creates fully sized and full-functioning spaces with open-planned living and alfresco dining. Our Modena 309 design is a great example, with each side having three full-sized bedrooms, a combined kitchen, dining and living room, and even an ensuite. In a mirror design of this size, you’ll feel like you’re not in a duplex at all!
Unique features of this design: complete equality of size on both sides, including an alfresco area, an equal number of bedrooms and an included garage space for each
2. A Stacked Design
This is a two-unit home built on a single lot, with separate access to each level. From the outset, the house may look like an ordinary two-storey home, but the second entrance will be behind the home or to the side.
Unique features of this design: control over the street facade of the home, making it look like one combined space. A stacked design will give ample room on each level, providing a separated, almost apartment-like feel.
3. The Corner Lot
Two frontages provide the perfect situation for a duplex! This allows multiple access points, creative floorplans, and unique designs. In addition, corner lot duplexes can be stacked, or single-level and their separate entries will allow for the ultimate privacy in each dwelling.
Unique features of this design: complete privacy and entirely separate entrances. Each side can enjoy double garages or a front lawn area of its own, which is often perfect for those wanting a balcony space or deck.
4. The Narrow Lot
Duplexes are famous among investors for the ability to create two homes on one lot, and this doesn’t stop with narrow blocks! A cleverly designed duplex will make the most of every square metre on the block, allowing you to enjoy its total value. Narrow lot duplex builders will get creative with the floor plan, allowing for an entrance at the front and the back, making one side smaller than the other, or creating a shared garage space.
Unique features of this design: allows you to double the income of your narrow block, creates a cosy space for different occupier types – such as a single person on one side and a family on the other, and often has a shared garage with separate entries.
5. A Traditional Design
A traditional duplex design is the perfect choice for those with a standard-shaped block and is essentially a house behind a house! Where the council will only allow for one driveway, this design offers a good solution with one driveway connecting both dwellings. Unit one may enjoy an alfresco area at the front, and unit two at the back, with both joined by a shared wall in the garage.
Unique features of this design: one driveway to suit a range of lot types, a shared garage wall to limit neighbouring noise, and often each unit features all you’d expect in a traditional house – even a media room!
The Benefits Of Building A Duplex House On Your Land
Still thinking about whether a duplex will work for you?
Here are 5 of the top reasons people choose to build a duplex house:
1) Pay off your mortgage sooner
A duplex can create quick equity, allowing you to sell two homes in the same space where one would usually sit. Additionally, you can experience a high rate of return, renting each side out for a profit to get your mortgage out of the way sooner, or live in one and pay your mortgage with the other! Either way, you will be closer to a debt-free life than ever.
2) Perfect for downsizing
Ready to downsize? Kids are gone, and the halls are starting to echo? A duplex could be the perfect solution. Building a duplex will allow you to enjoy a contemporary open planned floorplan with plenty of space to host friends and family for Christmas while keeping your retirement secure. You will wonder why you didn’t downsize sooner with luxurious, spacious, stylish, and comfortable duplex designs!
3) Keep family close
Multi-generational living is a beautiful thing with many benefits. Duplexes allow vulnerable family members to have independence, give adult children their first taste of grown-up living, and keep grandparents close during their sunset years. With each family having their own living space, both can enjoy as much or as little contact as they want while allowing the opportunity for regular check-ins and round-the-clock babysitting!
4) Get your foot in the door of the property market
Times can be tough for new home buyers, and the first step into the property market can be incredibly daunting. The security of having a passive rental income can be the best option for those wanting to own their own patch of land, helping them to pay off their mortgage while creating their unique space on the other side. It’s like all the best parts of having roommates without actually having them!
5) Earn a passive income
Duplexes are a great investment, giving financial security in a market that has never been hotter for short-term and long-term holiday rentals. Whether renting out both sides or one, the passive income earning potential is essentially uncapped. Many duplex designs will fit on a narrow block, allowing you to make the most of a smaller piece of land, gaining two separate homes to produce income from. You will not only have the security of two homes to house yourself or your family, but the potential for life-changing additional revenue to fund your retirement or next property goal.
How To Design A Duplex That Fits All Your Needs
Duplex designs are more creative and inclusive than ever.
The only way to guarantee you’ll get the most from your block is to work with a builder who gets your vision and has the experience to pull it off.
Where other builders may see a narrow block, an odd-shaped corner, or a difficult slope – we only see the opportunity to make your dream home come to life!
We have built and are licensed to build in the Hunter Valley, Central Coast & Newcastle.
If you’re ready to make your duplex vision a reality, get in touch with our crew today.