suburbs commonly comprising ‘quarter-acre blocks’.”
Why?Becauseaduplex,whichisessentiallytwohomes
occupying common land, can help maximise the value
of the land you already own.
If you’re developing to sell, you can potentially double
the value of the original property, and if you’re develop-
ing to invest you can create a high-yielding property
without having to purchase new land. This means
lowerstampduty,holdingfees,insurancecostsand
council rates and potentially higher tax depreciation.
Gavin Mansour, from Mansour Building Services in
Sydney,saysaduplexisalsoahighlycost-effectiveway
of upgrading your existing property, as you can sell or
Double your
chances
C
reating a duplex is a great way to capitalise
onthelandthatyoualreadyown.Andif
you’re looking to buy an investment
property, converting your new purchase
intoaduplexcanhelpyougetabetter
return on your money.
With the Sydney market in particular going gang-
busters, duplexes have popped up all over the place.
Peter Georgiev, chief executive of Archicentre, says he
hasnoticedaboominduplexdevelopment.
“Ifonlysuburbandevelopmentswererestricted
to duplexes!” he says. “Developers [around Sydney] are
seeking to maximise yield in the established middle
STORYSTEPH NASH
PROPERTYDEVELOPING
FACT
FILE
- Do your research and
look at what the market
is doing. - Listen to the advice
of the right people,
such as real estate
agents and builders.
Property owners are maximising the value of their
home or investment by creating a duplex