What Is A Duplex? A duplex is a property comprising of two individual living spaces. Duplex builders create these spaces which may be joined to one another or can be above and below each other.  There may be some confusion as to what qualifies as a duplex and what may be considered an apartment building but as a general rule of thumb, an apartment building tends to be more spacious whereas the duplex is usually just the size of a regular family home. A duplex may also be one piece of shared land for two single homes.  Benefits Of Building A Duplex  More Potential For Profit With two properties, the odds are that you stand to make more money from them. One option is to rent out both properties, with an average annual yield of 6.1% should you spend $600,000 on building the property and rent each one for $350 per week, that's pretty good going. What's more, within just one year of building said duplex, you could potentially make a profit of $100,000 if you sold each property for $350,000 on completion.  But oftentimes when someone has put their blood, sweat and tears into a build, the greatest reward is living in the property and enjoying the hard work. This is perfectly viable with a duplex and you still have the option of renting the second unit to create a passive income.  Set Up An AirBnB With so many people travelling the world, accommodation is a huge business and your duplex allows you to cash in on this. Using a site such as Airbnb gives you the potential to make a much higher profit than if you were to rent out the property for the long term. If you are living in the property, you can still take advantage of this option as the site gives you the choice to rent out individual rooms.  It's A Great Way To Get Onto The Property Ladder As An Investor In days gone by, it may have been more difficult to make a name for yourself in the property field but with so many options in the modern market, a duplex offers new investors a great way of entering the game.  You could live in one of the homes and rent out the other, giving you the advantage of being close-by to monitor your tenants and be on hand to help with any issues. You might also opt to rent both properties as a way of making a much faster profit.  Advice For Building A Duplex  When it comes to building any type of home, there are points to consider to make the most out of the build and a duplex is no exception to this rule. Let's take a look at some handy tips for building your duplex.  Most duplex builders know that natural light is the key to creating an open and airy living space. Installing lots of glass to let in the sun and designed open plan living areas will achieve this.  Try to keep up with the latest architectural and interior design trends. If you want your property to appeal to potential buyers or tenants, having quality materials and interesting designs can be an advantageous selling point.  If you are looking to make the best profit from your build, you will want to get it completed in the most efficient and speedy manner - without cutting corners on quality. Check out your builder's previous work and timescales to ensure that the job will get done within your planned time frame. FAQs What's The Difference Between A Duplex And A Townhouse? A duplex often features a mirrored layout to its partner home and the two properties share only one common wall. However, a townhouse is usually a house within a row of three or four conjoining properties.  Is A Duplex The Same As A Semi-Detached? Whilst the two properties may appear to be the same at first glance, there is a distinct difference between them. A semi-detached house is made up of two properties that are joined together by one wall but are on two separate plots of land and are commonly owned by two separate people. Duplex builders create two properties which share a common wall but are on the same plot of land, often with the same owner. In legal terms, a duplex, whilst made up of two separate living spaces, is classed as one property.