Last updated on December 7th, 2022 at 06:23 am

Everyone work really hard to get success in life. But have you ever thought about what success actually means? What is the significance of a well-settled life?

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As human beings, we are a little of the emotional side, and for us, the perfect life is to live with near and dear ones happily and peacefully. And, this is indeed a fact. Having a home where you can live with your dear ones and cherish every single day is tagged as a perfect life. To make your life perfect, an ideal home plays a significant role because buying a home is not what we practice daily. Owing to this, it becomes essential to choose a home cautiously.

When it is the time to choose the home you want to live in, you have quite various options to choose your perfect home. When you are about to invest your hard-earned money, your mind must be struggling with the dilemma of choosing the best type of home for you and your family. Duplex house in India, townhouse in India, apartment in India and condos in India are some of the confusing yet tempting options you can go with. All the home types seem to be identical, but they are actually quite different from one another in many aspects.

You can choose any of the given options to prepare your house, but one thing you need to know is everything about your new home. For all those individuals planning to own a duplex, we have listed all the essential and needful information about the duplex house, meaning, design, plan, cost, etc. So that first-time homebuyers need not face any problem while starting a new life in a new place.

So, without wasting any more time, let us get started:

What is a duplex house?

Duplex houses fall under the category of apartments and are widely preferred for having many house-like qualities. Nowadays, many people are choosing duplex houses as they are offering privacy to the housemates in terms of more space. One most important thing to be kept in mind while investing in duplexes is that not all the duplex units are the same. One unit differs from another in terms of the number of rooms, design, layout, and other factors. So, buyers should be very cautious while buying a duplex for the number of rooms the unit has and the design it is offering to the buyers.

To know the exact duplex house meaning, here are some points listed:

  • A duplex house is a kind of residential multifunctional unit having two floors. If a unit has three or four floors, then such units will be known as multiplexes.
  • If the duplex’s general design is considered, the building must have a dining room and a kitchen.
  • The two living units of the duplex house can be designed in two different ways. One of them is floor-wise, and the second one is side-by-side. These divisions will are made to separate the entries in the house.
  • If talking about the Indian duplex house design, the house will have a hall, a kitchen, and bedrooms. The duplex layout will have bedrooms, a kitchen, a hall on the lower floor; and a master bedroom on the upper floor.
  • The two floors of the duplex will be connected via the staircase.
  • Owing to the reason that the duplex house has separate entries, the family can rent one floor to tenants for good rental returns.

Reasons to choose duplex as your first home

Several options are available for people who are willing to buy a new house for themselves. From the penthouse to the townhouse to apartments and duplexes, several options are there to go with. Here, some reasons are given below to help you to choose whether you should go with a duplex or not. So, let us have a look at them:

  • Duplexes give more tax benefits to the owners. Duplexes have two floors; people can live on one side and rent the other to gain some extra returns from the same property.
  • Buyers and tenants get extra mortgage advantages by buying duplexes as a house. The property owners have to pay a large interest rate for the whole property, and if the owner rents the property to the tenants, the quality for the lower interest rate.
  • If you have any idea about the landlord-tenant law, then duplexes can be your way to earn passive income.
  • Owners can earn a larger amount of money by renting the property than he has invested in buying the same duplex. For this factor to work, you need a prime locality and supreme duplex constructed.
  • A duplex can work as a multifunctional space for people as well. You can have your home and office both under one roof.

Points to consider before choosing duplex as your first home

Before planning to rent or own duplexes, some points are there should be kept in mind to make the correct decision. So, have a look at the points given below before investing your hard-earned money in a duplex house:

  • Are duplexes fall in your budget?
  • Can you afford to pay the up-front cost of a duplex?
  • Is a duplex more expensive than a home?
  • If I don’t have a tenant for my duplex, will the mortgage fall in my budget?
  • Can I get a good return to cover all the repairs and expenses of my duplex?
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How many rooms does a duplex have?

How many rooms do duplexes have? The answer to this question is depends on the size of the duplex. A particular unit of a duplex house has two floors having kitchen, hall, and bedrooms on the lower floor and a big master bedroom on the upper floor. This is what that basic layout of a small duplex house resembles. To have an idea about the number of rooms in a duplex house, the duplex size plays a very important role. Likewise, if one unit of a particular duplex has two bedrooms, a kitchen, and a living room, then the total number of rooms in the whole duplex will be 8. The first considerable thing while counting the the number of rooms in a duplex is that the rooms having attics are not considered rooms. The second considerable thing is that different duplexes have a different number of rooms; it totally depends on the size of the duplex, as mentioned above.

Variations in the number of rooms

Number of rooms Types of rooms every unit have
7 rooms A living room, a bedroom, a kitchen, and a dining alcove
8 rooms A kitchen, a living room, a bedroom, and a dining room
9 rooms Two bedrooms, a dinning alcove, a living room, and a kitchen
10 rooms A dining room, a kitchen, a living room, and two bedrooms
11 rooms A kitchen, a dining alcove, a living room, and three bedrooms
12 rooms A maid’s room, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and two bedrooms
14 rooms Two maid’s room, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, and two bedrooms

Factors affecting the number of rooms in a duplex

The number of rooms in any duplex depends on some factors like:

Location where the duplex is constructed

The number of rooms in a duplex depends on the location where the house is constructed. Duplexes located in the major cities are comparatively smaller as compared to those located in the outskirts. This is because the urban areas are relatively crowded, and thus, dwellers prefer to opt for duplex units for studios or cabinets.

The size of the duplex

The number of rooms each unit has depends entirely on the size of the duplex. If you rent a bigger duplex, you will get more rooms in your units, and similarly, if you will rent a smaller duplex, you will get a comparatively less number of rooms in the unit.

The layout of the duplex

The duplex layout results in the number of rooms. Owing to this reason, you can plan the layout of the duplex according to the number of rooms you want. Generally, the small duplex house has a living room, a kitchen, a hall on the first floor, and a master bedroom on the second floor. The best thing is that you can customize your duplex as per your needs and requirements.

The cost of the duplex

The cost of renting a duplex and the number of rooms in the same duplex is directly proportional to each other. The more rooms in the duplex, the more will be the cost of renting it. So, if you are planning to buy or rent a duplex house with a a higher number of rooms, it will be really expensive for you. So, be mindful before investing.

What is the difference between a two-story house and a duplex?

Two Storey House Duplex House
Two storey building may or may not be a duplex house. Duplex house is always a two storey building.
The stories of two storey buildings may or may not be connected. Floors are connected with a staircase.
The stories here may or may not be dependent. The floors here are dependent on each other.

What is the difference between duplex and villa?

Villa   Duplex House
Villa is larger than a duplex house. Duplex is comparatively a smaller unit. 
A villa is a plush investment. A duplex house cannot be considered as a plush purchase when compared to a villa.
A villa offers total privacy to the residents. Duplex house can be a bit public when rented to tenants.
A villa offers Roman culture blended with modernity to the people. A duplex has a simple and normal layout owing to the low budget duplex house design selected by the owner.
A villa has amenities like gym, clubs, and pools. A duplex house is having only bedrooms, halls, and kitchens.

What is the difference between a duplex and a penthouse?

Penthouse Duplex House
A penthouse is built on the top floor of every building. A duplex is a two-floor property.
A penthouse is comparatively expensive. Duplex houses are cost-effective.
They are offering excellent view to the residents. Living in a duplex house will offer view to the top-floor residents.
Penthouses are basically high-rise properties. A duplex house is a cost-effective property.
A penthouse is a separate independent property. Duplexes have two floors with separate entries. 

What is the difference between a duplex and an independent house?

Independent House   Duplex House
An independent house can be a villa, a penthouse, or even a duplex house ever. A duplex house is only a duplex unit and nothing else.
These buildings can have any number of floors. A duplex house has only two floors.
These properties can have amenities like pools, clubhouses, gyms, and others. These properties have only bedrooms, a kitchen, and a hall.
Independent houses can be comparatively expensive. Duplexes are cost-effective properties.

What is the difference between a duplex and a townhouse?

Townhouse Duplex House
A townhouse can have more than two living spaces. A duplex house is having only two separate living spaces.
A townhouse is not a rental property. Individuals own different living spaces in a townhouse. A duplex is owned by the buyer and then the owner rent the second half of the proper to tenants.
The residents of townhouse can made significant changes to the place. The tenants here in Duplex cannot not make any changes without the permission of the owner
A townhouse can have amenities like yards, different bathrooms, pools, kitchens, etc. A duplex house has only kitchen, hall, and bedrooms.
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What is the difference between a duplex and an apartment?

Apartment Duplex House
An apartment can have more than 5 separate living spaces in one property. A duplex house has only two separate living spaces.
Apartments have same entries for all the residents. The duplexes have separate entries for different floors and areas.
This property have common area like common bathroom, kitchen, pool, gym, etc. The Duplexes have separate amenities for the residents.
Apartments cannot be owned by anyone. They are the rental properties. Duplex houses are owned by one and then the second half is rented by other.

What is the difference between a duplex and a condo?

Condo Duplex House
Condos are the part of duplex houses. Duplex houses are the separate units.
Condos provide facilities like that of a house. Duplexes are house for one and rented properties for other.
Condos are only one unit with no floors and levels. Duplex houses have two floors.

What is the cost of building a duplex house in India?

Cost of building a duplexes
National average cost $370,000 to $385,000
Average range $270,000-$530,000
Maximum cost $128,000
Minimum cost $1,000,000
Type of Duplexes Cost of building per square foot
One-Story Duplex $100 – $200/sq. ft.
One-Up, One-Down Duplex $90 – $130/sq. ft.
Side-by-Side Duplex $130 – $180/sq. ft.
Average cost of building a duplex
Architect cost 10% to 15% of the project cost
Foundation cost 5% to 10% of the project cost
Structural engineer cost $500 to $25,000
Floor structure cost 10% to 15% of the project cost
Contractor cost 20% to 30% of the project cost
Walls and exterior finishing cost 5% to 10% of the project cost
Roof building cost 5% to 15% of the project cost
Interior finishing cost 6% to 12% of the project cost
Interior feature cost 2% to 7% of the project cost
Windows and doors building cost 12% to 17% of the project cost
Kitchen building cost 6% to 14% of the project cost
Bathroom cost 3% to 6% of the project cost
Plumbing  cost 10% to 15% of the project cost
Electrical cost 7% to 12% of the project cost

Advantages and disadvantages of living in a duplex house

Advantages of living in a duplex house Disadvantages of living in a duplex house
The rental unit of the duplex house will help you earn larger mortgage. Renting your duplex can help you learn landlord-tenant laws, but being a landlord is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Buying a duplex house is an affordable method of owning a new house in your dream locality. If you are renting a duplex house for yourself, then handling all the expenses related to repairs can be very heavy on your pockets.
The rental income of your duplex unit will help you cover half of your expense. If you are looking for a duplex only as a house, then you might not get the property at your dream location.
You can also rent half of your duplex on the vacation market to earn some extra money. It is a fact that duplexes are neither very high in demand nor everyone’s first choice.
For all those who are willing to have real estate experience, duplex can be very helpful in this. Buying duplex and then resale it is easier said than done.
Having a big duplex house at a prime location will be highly appreciated by everyone. If your duplex house is not in located in a prime location, then you might feel difficult to get handsome rental income.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Duplex house in India

Q. Are duplexes common in India?

The best location for constructing a duplex house is the one having a large and significant land bank. Bangalore, Kerala, and Hyderabad are Indian cities with some duplex properties and can also be considered for constructing such buildings. But, duplexes are now not uncommon or unknown in other Indian parts as well.

Q. Is there any risk involved in investing money in buying a duplex?

While investing your hard-earned money in any property, everyone expects to get good return value from it. The same goes with the duplexes, and owners can rent the property to tenants to reap a good return from the property. But there are certain risks associated with it about which the buyers should be very cautious. Some of such risks are listed below:

To get a good return from your duplex house, the location plays a significant role. Nowadays, when the prime Indian localities are saturated, people have to buy peripherals for construction.

You can choose peripherals or suburbs of the dedicated cities for constructing your duplex. But, these locations do not let you earn a good amount of rent. That is why; the buyer should be very cautious while choosing the site.

Q. How much does a modular duplex cost?

The average cost to build modular duplexes is around $100 per square foot.

Q. Is a duplex multi-family?

Yes, a duplex house is considered a multi-family unit with two to three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a maid’s room.

Q. How many bedrooms are in a duplex?

A duplex house can have a different number of bedrooms based on the size and the layout of the duplex. A duplex house may have one, two, or three bedrooms in a single unit.

Closing Thoughts

If you are the one who plunges to own a duplex house in India, this will be fruitful for you in many ways. You can buy a duplex in various sizes and designs; based on the number of rooms you want in your home. You can choose the society accordingly and rent the place to some good people with whom you can connect quickly and are trustable to get the actual value of having a duplex. The only that is still to be figured is how you will manage to move from the old location to the new one with all your items and households, and for this, Thepackersmovers.com is here at your service. This is one such online platform that is offering the movers with safe, secure, and on-time relocation companies. Movers in India and worldwide can choose the best and top-notch packers and movers companies offering needful moving services at decent price rates. All the companies available here on The Packers Movers are legal, verified, licensed, and background-checked to cater to the movers’ needs for a relaxing and hassle-free move.

So, explore the website and hire a genuine moving company for your relocation process.

Sakshi Ecavade