A good way to make money from rental properties is to have a dual occupancy design, which would mean a townhouse or duplex with more than one person living in the structure. You can earn the rent of two occupants while only paying property taxes on one building, making it a good financial investment. If you acquire a dual occupancy design townhouse that is currently under construction, note a few features you'll want to discuss with your contractor to ensure you can charge the most rent and have the happiest tenants.
1. Separate access
While your dual occupancy home may not be able to have two separate driveways if the garages are built in the middle of the home or city codes don't allow it, consider what you can do to separate the access of the home for each occupant. This will ensure no one parks their car in the way of their neighbor's access to the home. You might request that the contractor widen the driveway and then split it with a landscaping feature or other barrier so each occupant can stay on their own side of the access easily and not block their neighbor.
2. Separate outdoor space
If the new construction you're considering is a duplex, consider adding a privacy fence in the back to split the outdoor space and allow each tenant to enjoy their space separate from their neighbors. A chain link fence won't allow for privacy and a good separation of space, so invest in something solid and that marks off each side of the property. If possible, build the outdoor patios and decks on separate sides of the home for added privacy and enjoyment for your tenants while they're outside.
3. Sound barriers
A home builder that specializes in dual occupancy buildings will have suggestions for how to increase sound insulation in each unit, and it's good to invest in the best sound insulation choices you can. This can mean blown foam insulation rather than fiberglass, as the foam can fill in every crack behind the walls and absorb sound waves better than fiberglass. This also might include thicker drywall on the walls that connect the two areas of occupancy, and double or triple glazed windows that keep sound inside one space and block sound waves from entering from outside. The more sound insulation and barriers you include in your dual occupancy design, the happier your tenants will be overall.
Share4 September 2015
Yo! My name is Lisa and I would like to welcome all you guys to my new blog. I was inspired to start this blog because I am tired of visiting people's homes and seeing the same old furniture and the same old designs in use. I used to have boring designs in my home and garden. However, all that changed when my friend Simon came to visit. Simon is a designer and property developer so he has a real eye for bringing out the best in any space. He gave me some top tips and helped me to transform my home and garden.
