With rent prices skyrocketing and homeownership becoming scarcer, almost like finding a unicorn, duplexes might be the most logical and savvy solution and option nowadays. They are like the superheroes of housing. Duplexes allow space to be used more efficiently by creating a multi-family home instead of a single-family one. This means that two families will split expenses, easing the financial burden of rent or a mortgage payment for one party.

Although living in a duplex means that two families live on the same property and may sound like you’re rubbing shoulders with your neighbors all the time, but fear not! Each family has their own unit with individual outside access, providing privacy and plenty of space. In fact, at Fairway Homes West, we have many custom duplex floor plans to achieve just that!

Keep reading to learn about duplexes, things to consider before building your custom duplex, and our available custom duplex floor plans at Fairway Homes West.

The Types of Duplexes

• Two-story stacked duplexes:
  • Consist of one unit stacked on the other
  • The least expensive duplex style
  • One roof
  • Connected electrical and plumbing lines
  • Requires fewer building materials
  • Efficiency is the name of the game here

• Side-by-side duplexes:
  • Shared wall
  • Appear as one individual single-family-home, but each has their own entrance
  • The most traditional layout
  • Larger floor plan
  • Complex electrical and plumbing
  • Land and zoning requirements/ rules

• One-story duplexes:
  • Largest floor plan
  • Larger roof
  • Extensive electrical plumbing required
  • The lot will have to be twice the size of the home
  • Land and zoning requirements/ rules

In a nutshell, there are 3 main types of duplexes. They come in all shapes and sizes, from stacked units to side-by-side layouts or even single-story setups. With their mix of private and shared spaces, duplexes offer flexibility and affordability like no other. Whether they reach for the sky or spread out on the ground, duplex living is all about making the most of your space while building a close-knit community and keeping costs in check.

Convinced you need to build a custom duplex yet? Let’s dive into things to consider before you get started on building your dream custom duplex.

Things to Consider Before Building a Custom Duplex

First off, here is the cost and logistics:

• Costs vary depending on materials and amenities
• More expensive than a single-family home, but cheaper than two single-family homes
• Costs increase as square footage increases
• Plumbing and electrical installation requirements
• consider land requirements and zoning capabilities – you must make sure your lot is zoned to allow duplexes

If you’re starting from scratch, and don’t have land already and are looking for a lot specifically for a duplex, zoning may be restricted in your area and limit the availability of where you can build. For this reason, we highly recommend researching which municipalities allow the building of duplexes and focusing your efforts on those areas to give you as many options as possible. In areas with more restrictive zoning, you’ll find it a lot more difficult — if not impossible — and will likely have to rely on getting lucky with finding somewhere suitable given your restricted options.

In this vein, it’s also worth considering the previous development of a lot, primarily because an undeveloped one will require you to pay more to install plumbing and electrical infrastructure from scratch.

When building a duplex, it’s important to think about the costs and how they are divided to plan your budget effectively. Be prepared for unexpected expenses that may come up during construction.

Pros and Cons to Consider

We’ll start with the pros here since many people really only consider a single-family home when a duplex often has many advantages. In many ways, these advantages all stem from the greater space efficiency and the positive ripple effects of that.

Pros of building a custom duplex:

• Greater space efficiency
• Eases financial burdens through shared expenses
• Tax deductions

As for the cons, many of these are things that people already consider about duplexes — and, in our experience, can lead to people being unfairly biased against them at times — but it’s worth laying them out regardless.

Cons of building a custom duplex:

• Local zoning regulations can restrict your ability to build a duplex in your preferred location
• Shared lot with another household means less privacy

Overall, given the financial benefits of a duplex, in our experience “having to occasionally interact with people” is a tradeoff that most are okay with — and many outright enjoy as it can help foster a community that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

Now, let’s talk about custom duplex floor plans, because who doesn’t like a good custom home blueprint?

Fairway Homes West’s Custom Duplex Floor Plans

If you are interested in building your own duplex in Arizona, we have some options for you.

Bayshore Floor Plan – the one-story wonder

• A two-story duplex that starts at just over $438,885
• 3,155 square feet
• Each unit having three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms
• Each unit having a two-car garage

So, there you have it folks! A duplex might bring some details and complexities that you wouldn’t have to think about for a single-family home, but it also brings a lot of freedom and the ability to build two cost-effective custom homes you might not otherwise be able to. This is especially true with home and rent prices surging — we find that many are trying to find a better solution whether as renters or potential homeowners, and that duplexes give many people options they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.

Dive into the world of duplexes, and Start building the custom duplex of your dreams with Fairway Homes West.