Here Are The Pros and Cons of Living in A Duplex

Duplexes are all the rage these days. If you are thinking about buying a house, there is a good chance that it will be a duplex. You can see why. In most places, the cost per square foot for living space is lower than in single-family homes, so it makes sense to build two houses on one lot. But what if your home was already built? What would happen then? Would you be able to afford it? Or would you have to find another place to live? 

If you are like me, you are probably wondering about the pros and cons of living in a duplex. And I am going to tell you exactly what I think about them. 

Pros 

1) It’s more affordable than a single-family house. 

Living in a duplex means you get two houses for the price of one. That’s pretty great! Even better is that, since each unit has its own kitchen and bathroom, you don’t need as much space or money to furnish your house. Affordability is definitely one of the biggest advantages of living in a duplex. 

2) You can rent out one half of the house. 

You may not want to do this at first, but if you ever decide to sell your duplex, renting out one half of the house will help you with the sale. Sooner or later, you might just decide to do it anyway. This way, you’ll make some extra cash. 

3) There’s less maintenance. 

The upkeep on a duplex is less than that of a single-family home because each unit has its own plumbing and electricity. Since you don’t need an entire yard, there’s less lawn work to do, and you won’t have to worry about having neighbors right next door. 

4) More privacy. 

A single-family home gives you plenty of neighbors, but if you buy a duplex, you’ll only have yourself and the other tenants for company. You’ll never have to worry about someone seeing you doing something embarrassing. 

5) It’s easier to renovate. 

Because the units are separate from each other, you can easily make changes to one without affecting the others. If you want to redecorate or add on to your duplex, it’s easy to do so. 

Cons 

1) You’ll need a bigger yard. 

If you want to put up a fence between the two halves of your duplex, you’ll need to clear out part of your yard. And that will cost you some money. 

2) Your property taxes will go up. 

This is a big one. Property taxes are based on how many square feet of land you have. If you have a large yard, you’ll pay more tax. And the same goes for duplexes. 

3) Some people don’t like sharing a wall. 

Some people are fine with it, but some aren’t. If you don’t share walls with anyone else, you’ll be able to hear everything that happens inside your neighbor’s house. This can be annoying for both parties involved. 

4) You’ll need a bigger parking area. 

I know what you’re thinking: “What does a parking lot have to do with anything?” Well, a lot of duplexes don’t come with a driveway, so they have to use the street for their cars. This means that your front yard will be full of parked cars. If you don’t have enough space for your car, you’ll either need to park somewhere else or take public transportation. 

5) It’s harder to sell. 

You’ll always have competition when trying to sell a single-family home, but with a duplex, there’s only one other person living there. This means that there is less demand and less money to be made. 

Final Words 

So what should you do? It depends on what you want. Do you want to live in a duplex? If so, you’ll need to consider the pros and cons. It’s up to you to decide whether or not it’s worth it.