In this episode, Maria Laverde sits with us to dive into the world of dual occupancies and the unique opportunities they offer for property developers. From detached and semi-detached to reverse living layouts, we discuss the advantages, requirements, and design considerations for various types of dual occupancies.
They unpack the potential of creative site layouts, the specific separation requirements for each design, and how to leverage existing structures to maximise profitability. Learn how different layouts can enhance resale value, lower noise transmission, and even capture stunning views. If you're looking to broaden your development options and capitalise on dual occupancy strategies, this episode has everything you need.
Topics:
✅ Detached, Semi-Detached, and Class 2 Dual Occupancies Explained
✅ Separation Requirements for Different Layouts
✅ Designing for Better Resale Value
✅ The Benefits of Reverse Living Layouts
✅ Attaching New Dwellings to Existing Homes
✅ Creative Site Layouts for Corner Blocks
✅ Maximising Views and Natural Light with Strategic Designs
✅ Profitable Approaches for Different Development Scenarios
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[00:00:04] Well, welcome to another episode of the Residential Developer Podcast. My name's Nathan Battishall and I'm your host and I'm really privileged to have Maria Laverde, the Lead Building Designer at Duplex Building Design with us. Good to have you back.
[00:00:16] Good morning, Nathan. How are you?
[00:00:18] Really well, really well. And look, I thought today we could have a chat about different types of dual occupancies because I think for a lot of investors, developers, builder developers who listen to this podcast who are interested in doing projects,
[00:00:33] there's so many different types of dual occupancies that you can do attached, detached. So I thought we could spend a little bit of time just breaking down the different types and talking about scenarios, maybe where they get used, maybe some of the advantages and disadvantages of those. Because the side by side duplex is not always the way to go. Obviously, it's the most common, but we want to talk about some of the scenarios out there just so people can jump into that.
[00:01:03] So look, let's just start off by just explaining to us what a dual occupancy is because sometimes people get mixed up between dual occupancy and duplex.
[00:01:16] Well, it is a lot to cover here, but pretty much when we have two dwellings that can be subdivided under different titles, that creates a dual occupancy.
[00:01:32] So there is different ways of subdivision. There might be a strata title or torrent title. It is based on the end of the lot size, or we might end up having to do a strata because of sharing services or other elements.
[00:01:48] So that is what a dual occupancy is.
[00:01:53] But there is also a lot of types of dual occupancies that is attached, semi-detached.
[00:02:02] So we're going to go one by one trying to explain each of them.
[00:02:06] Yeah.
[00:02:08] Detached dual occupancies are dwellings that don't share a common wall or a common floor.
[00:02:17] They are fully detached.
[00:02:19] It can be side by side or it can be one in front of the other, but they are detached.
[00:02:26] So if we have one side by side or one in front of the other, that also creates an older type of dual occupancy when one is in front of the other.
[00:02:35] Yeah.
[00:02:35] When one is in front of the other, it can only be approved via development application.
[00:02:42] Yeah.
[00:02:42] Which is important because the amount of people that ring and say, I want to do a detached dual occupancy, one at the front, one at the back, or keep the house at the front and do one at the back.
[00:02:52] And I want to do it CDC.
[00:02:53] Yes, we're not allowed.
[00:02:55] Yeah.
[00:02:55] So it is still a dual occupancy, but it must be approved via development application.
[00:03:03] Yeah.
[00:03:04] Now, when they are detached and they are either in front of the other or next to each other, they don't have to be the same.
[00:03:14] Yeah.
[00:03:14] We can have one white and we can have one black.
[00:03:17] We can have one modern and we can have another one coastal.
[00:03:22] Yeah.
[00:03:22] Okay.
[00:03:22] So the benefits of doing that is once the end product is there, they don't seem to be developed at the same time or being a dual occupancy from the beginning.
[00:03:35] Yeah.
[00:03:36] So that is when they are detached.
[00:03:38] It is important to note that for fire regulation, the separation of the two buildings requirement is 1.8 metres.
[00:03:48] However, under CDC, the minimum separation required is 3 metres.
[00:03:55] So side by side, facing the front.
[00:03:57] Yes.
[00:03:57] It needs to be minimum 3 metres separation.
[00:04:00] Yeah.
[00:04:00] If you go compliant development.
[00:04:02] Yeah.
[00:04:02] If we go DA, it's 1.8.
[00:04:04] Yeah.
[00:04:05] And in terms of just quickly jumping in there, so, and each council can vary too, can't it?
[00:04:11] For the house at the back, some councils won't allow it to be double-story.
[00:04:15] 2-story.
[00:04:16] Yes.
[00:04:16] Yes.
[00:04:16] So when, because it creates a block called a battle-axe block, the one that is at the back, meaning that you need to access through the driveway and come at the back.
[00:04:27] Many councils don't allow that dwelling to be 2-story.
[00:04:31] Yes.
[00:04:31] It needs to be single-story.
[00:04:32] And also, it is important to find that there are some councils that have minimum lot size for duplexes to be detached.
[00:04:43] Yes.
[00:04:44] For example, the Central Coast has, I think, 700 square metres minimum lot size for the duplexes to be detached.
[00:04:53] Otherwise, it needs to be attached.
[00:04:55] Now, it's a really important point to mention that the definition of attached doesn't mean the whole dwellings need to be attached.
[00:05:07] Yes.
[00:05:07] There is no definition of it needs to be 1 metre, 5 metre, 10 metre, the attachment.
[00:05:13] They need to be attached.
[00:05:14] So we can't attach them, let's say, only through the living areas or through the garage or only the laundries.
[00:05:22] Yeah.
[00:05:23] And everything else is detached.
[00:05:25] So that concept is called semi-detached.
[00:05:28] Yes.
[00:05:28] So they are attached but detached mostly.
[00:05:32] So that is another type of dual occupancy which is semi-detached.
[00:05:36] I'll just jump in.
[00:05:37] So from a resale point of view, the detached, they're beneficial because essentially you can do them,
[00:05:47] they can become almost like standalone houses.
[00:05:49] Yes.
[00:05:50] Which obviously attracts a better resale.
[00:05:53] Yes.
[00:05:53] However, I think that from the duplex buyer's perspective, one of the biggest concerns is feeling attached to somebody else.
[00:06:05] The technology has come like way ahead and there is a lot of covered areas in relation to noise transfer and all of that.
[00:06:16] But still, people is concerned about that.
[00:06:19] So when we can provide a dwelling that is semi-detached, meaning if we only attach it in the garage or in the laundry,
[00:06:29] it means we can then avoid that noise transmission.
[00:06:34] And the feeling that the buyer has in relation to the house is better because they feel like they are – and the look of the house looks like detached.
[00:06:45] We might just have them attached at the back for 1.8, 1.5 in the laundry and that's it.
[00:06:52] And because they are semi-detached, the separation between those two buildings is only 1.8.
[00:06:59] It's not the three meters that is required for the fully detached.
[00:07:03] Yeah.
[00:07:03] So that is a benefit if we want to have the fill but we don't have the space to give the three meters.
[00:07:10] Yeah.
[00:07:10] So, yeah, that is definitely better for the resale perspective in the case.
[00:07:17] Yeah.
[00:07:17] So that's for the semi –
[00:07:18] That is for the semi-detached.
[00:07:20] Yeah.
[00:07:21] There are other type of duplexes which most –
[00:07:26] this one is less common because of the building cost of it but it is when they share the floor.
[00:07:35] Yeah.
[00:07:35] So meaning you have one on top of the other.
[00:07:38] It's only two dwellings.
[00:07:39] Yep.
[00:07:41] They are class two.
[00:07:44] Yes.
[00:07:44] So the cost of the build is much dearer.
[00:07:48] Yeah.
[00:07:48] We require a lot of more consultants.
[00:07:52] The builder requires more certifications and things to get it built and approved.
[00:07:59] Yeah.
[00:07:59] And so essentially the builder, designer and a lot of the consultants have to have that class two.
[00:08:05] Yes.
[00:08:05] Registration.
[00:08:07] Yes.
[00:08:07] Yes.
[00:08:07] So that makes a cost of that build much more expensive.
[00:08:13] As we have said in other episodes, we are always under CDC.
[00:08:17] Not always but most of the time it's allowed to have basements.
[00:08:21] Yes.
[00:08:21] So we can also have a basement that the duplexes are sitting on.
[00:08:26] Yes.
[00:08:27] When the basement is an open car park, that also creates a different type of approval.
[00:08:34] Yep.
[00:08:34] And that makes it more expensive to build.
[00:08:37] So they are not as popular but that is another type of dual occupancy.
[00:08:43] Yep.
[00:08:43] So what's the time, sorry to jump in, but I think you hit a really good point because,
[00:08:50] look, often this is not a popular way of doing things with one dwelling on the bottom, one
[00:08:55] on the top.
[00:08:55] But do you want to run us through a scenario where that class two dual occupancy would be super beneficial?
[00:09:04] Yes.
[00:09:04] We did one only in the hundreds that we have done.
[00:09:09] We have only one, have done one.
[00:09:12] Yes.
[00:09:13] And the reason of that was the location.
[00:09:15] Yeah.
[00:09:16] It was in front of a seven-mile beach in Jervo.
[00:09:21] Yeah.
[00:09:21] So the client wanted to have a clear view from the beach.
[00:09:29] Yeah.
[00:09:29] A 180 degrees view and didn't want to cut it in half because needed to give to the other dwelling.
[00:09:37] So what was the best solution?
[00:09:39] Be able to have a single level duplex and have another one at the top.
[00:09:46] Yeah.
[00:09:47] That was what created a class two.
[00:09:50] Yeah.
[00:09:50] While also the one that was at the top had their double garage.
[00:09:54] So we ended up having to share part of the front to the ones that were going at the top.
[00:10:01] So I think that it is not as popular, but the solution is there based on the need.
[00:10:09] Yeah.
[00:10:09] So there's a place for it if needs like that arise, like especially views are probably one of the biggest ones, aren't they?
[00:10:17] Like if you've got 180 degree ocean views, sometimes having 13 metres width.
[00:10:22] It's worth.
[00:10:23] Which can give you a living area, whole living kitchen, dining, a fresco, master bedroom, maybe even another room of ocean.
[00:10:30] Whereas a, what, a six and a half duplex?
[00:10:33] It would be only the living.
[00:10:34] Just living.
[00:10:35] Yes.
[00:10:35] So definitely because it is a much more expensive approval and build.
[00:10:43] Many people doesn't go through that.
[00:10:45] Yeah.
[00:10:45] But then again, the location, certain times the price is not the only thing.
[00:10:50] The price of build is not the only thing that drives the development.
[00:10:54] Yeah.
[00:10:54] So you know that if you will have that unlimited view, that would pay for the build.
[00:11:00] So you need to get it.
[00:11:02] So yeah, that is, that is another, another type of duplex that, that is out there in case that somebody.
[00:11:11] And that can be done CDC or DA?
[00:11:14] Yes.
[00:11:14] Yeah.
[00:11:14] Yes.
[00:11:15] It can be CDC.
[00:11:17] There is one thing that you need to consider in the sense of the CDC and is that the rear balconies under CDC cannot be more than 12 square metres.
[00:11:32] Yep.
[00:11:32] And it cannot be higher than 4.5 metres above the ground.
[00:11:37] Yes.
[00:11:38] So it is no ideal when somebody wants an enormous balcony looking at the water, but there are ways around.
[00:11:48] Yeah.
[00:11:48] So you need to have a sunroom or a living area that opens into that balcony.
[00:11:57] But obviously that is included in the FSA.
[00:12:01] Yeah.
[00:12:01] So you will need to have that compensation of that.
[00:12:06] If you want a big balcony that is full width, we will need to go DA.
[00:12:11] Yep.
[00:12:12] Yep.
[00:12:13] So that, that is, you know, waving, waving which one is better.
[00:12:19] Yep.
[00:12:20] With the dual occupancies under CDC, detached or attached, we can have studios, but we cannot have granny flats.
[00:12:31] Yes.
[00:12:31] Under the same application.
[00:12:33] Yeah.
[00:12:33] So that is still a dual occupancy.
[00:12:37] And, but under CDC, you are not allowed to have another detached dwelling.
[00:12:46] Yep.
[00:12:46] So that is also something that people comes and say, okay, I want dual occupancies and granny flats.
[00:12:53] Depending on the site, you can do that through DA.
[00:12:58] That is another type of dual occupancy.
[00:13:01] You can go through DA for the two dwellings plus the two granny flats, or we can get studios.
[00:13:09] And the difference between granny flats and studios is the size.
[00:13:13] And in studios, you're not allowed to have a cooktop.
[00:13:17] And most of the times you cannot ensure it to be rented out.
[00:13:21] Yes.
[00:13:22] While you can do that in a granny flat.
[00:13:25] Yep.
[00:13:25] But once you build your dual occupancy under CDC, and if you have the minimum lot width, which is 12 meters, and the minimum lot size, then you can get the approval for a granny flat.
[00:13:39] Also via CDC, once the title has been issued.
[00:13:45] Yeah.
[00:13:46] Yep.
[00:13:47] That's very good.
[00:13:48] And look, what about, obviously it's a different type of dual occupancy based on the site.
[00:13:58] But what about reverse living?
[00:14:00] I know we were talking about that earlier this morning.
[00:14:05] It's not always popular, but there is a place for that.
[00:14:08] Have you?
[00:14:10] I'm loving reverse living lately.
[00:14:13] Because the reverse living is where we have the bedrooms in the ground floor, and we have the living area in the first floor.
[00:14:21] And if you have views, that's the way of capturing.
[00:14:24] Yeah.
[00:14:25] Yep.
[00:14:25] You cannot always see the ocean from the ground floor.
[00:14:31] Sometimes you can, but not always.
[00:14:33] Yeah.
[00:14:34] The skyman, or you might have a two-story building in front of you.
[00:14:41] So moving the living area fully to the first floor helps with that view.
[00:14:48] But also what happens if you have the north towards the street?
[00:14:53] Yeah.
[00:14:53] So that means you will have now your entertaining area, which is a balcony that acts as an alfresco.
[00:15:01] Yep.
[00:15:01] Full of light.
[00:15:02] So there is a lot of benefits on doing reverse living.
[00:15:08] And the main thing would be, under my advice as a designer, is have the stairs as close as possible to the entry and to the garage.
[00:15:21] Yeah.
[00:15:21] So that means once you get in with bags from shopping or people come to visit, you then move upstairs and it's a separate entertaining area.
[00:15:33] Yeah.
[00:15:33] It has a lot of benefits.
[00:15:34] We have been doing lately in the south coast, in, you know, Woonuna and the areas around the beach where we have the living area in the first floor and behind the kitchen and all of those services, we have the master bedroom.
[00:15:53] Yep.
[00:15:53] And why is that?
[00:15:55] Because both have ocean views.
[00:15:58] Yep.
[00:15:58] So it is very popular in areas where you have something to look at.
[00:16:05] Yes.
[00:16:06] That is when you say we call reverse living or when the living area in the ground floor will be extremely dark.
[00:16:15] Yeah.
[00:16:15] The sun is playing against us.
[00:16:18] Yeah.
[00:16:18] Exploring the reverse living is a great option.
[00:16:21] Yeah.
[00:16:21] Yeah.
[00:16:22] No, I think you nailed some really good thoughts there.
[00:16:24] And look, let's just push back, go reverse back a little bit to, obviously, we've been talking a lot about like either a knockdown site or a blank site for doing different scenarios of dual locks.
[00:16:38] And I think that's brilliant.
[00:16:39] What about, because obviously I think the beauty of this episode, it's to get investors, developers, builders to be creative when they're looking at sites to see, don't just look at it through lens of just a side by side duplex.
[00:16:53] When you look at a site, look at the potential of what can be done, what's going to be the best product, what product's going to work the best, what's going to be most suitable for the site from a solar point of view, like you just mentioned.
[00:17:06] But often a site is most valuable when there's a product you can keep on it.
[00:17:12] So can you just then go back to all those scenarios we just went through?
[00:17:18] Maybe we'll avoid the class two one.
[00:17:20] Yeah.
[00:17:21] That is not ideal.
[00:17:21] It could be done, but it would be a nightmare.
[00:17:23] Yeah.
[00:17:23] But let's just reverse back now and look at those scenarios like attach, semi-attach, detach, front side by side, and then front and back.
[00:17:35] Can you just run through those scenarios quickly from a point of actually finding a block of land with a house on it and then doing a dual lock with one more dwelling?
[00:17:44] I think that is the most profitable way of developing a duplex or starting.
[00:17:50] If you have a house that you can keep or do certain minor amendments to it and build a second one, that is a winner.
[00:18:00] There is no way of thinking in another way.
[00:18:03] So there are also many blocks that works in the sense of how the house that exists is located in relation to the block.
[00:18:12] But the ones that work the best are the corner blocks because many of the houses are towards one of the boundaries.
[00:18:24] So if we can keep that one and place a second one in the rear yard, first in the other street where the other one is not facing, it means we have now a dual occupancy.
[00:18:38] Even better, that can be approved under CDC.
[00:18:42] And it can be attached or it can be fully detached.
[00:18:47] The regulations of that changes based on the attachment.
[00:18:52] So the setbacks change if you attach them or detach them.
[00:18:56] But that is the best outcome.
[00:18:58] If you can find a corner block where you can leave the existing product and provide one at the back,
[00:19:05] it's pretty much that you will sell the house most likely for the price you bought the block and they have the block for the other duplex almost for free.
[00:19:15] So that is the best one.
[00:19:17] The other one would be to keep the existing house and provide a side access to a duplex or even a townhouse development at the back.
[00:19:29] To do that, you require at least three meters between the existing dwelling and the side boundary.
[00:19:38] Why is that?
[00:19:39] Because we need that right of courage to access the dwelling at the back or the dwellings at the back.
[00:19:46] That is also a very good outcome because you still leave the one at the front and you might be able to create two or one at the back, creating a duplex.
[00:19:58] And that's always the A, yeah?
[00:20:00] That is always the A.
[00:20:01] We don't have that option covered under CDC.
[00:20:07] So that is the only way.
[00:20:12] Obviously, if you want to have them side by side facing the street, that is possible only when the side will be wide enough that you can do that.
[00:20:23] Yeah.
[00:20:53] So that is a building that is attached and compliant with the fire regulations and the DCP or the CDC.
[00:21:01] So I think that if the dwellings are facing the street, 80%, 90% of the time, the easier way will be demolished.
[00:21:10] But if you have one at the front that has at least three meters or the potential to have the three meters, like it doesn't mean we cannot demolish part of the house, provide those three meters and allocate certain areas in a renovation that we will be doing to the front dwelling.
[00:21:27] That is also another option in case that the house at the front is in a good condition.
[00:21:33] Yeah.
[00:21:34] We can do certain amendments to allow for a driveway to have the right of courage to access the dwellings at the back.
[00:21:43] Yeah.
[00:21:44] I know one that comes to mind because I drive past it every now and then you did where it's interesting, like the numbers actually stacked up better to attach to an existing house.
[00:21:56] And that was lucky in the sense that where the house was built, there was a garage already with a double brick wall.
[00:22:02] So it just worked perfectly to attach another dwelling to that.
[00:22:07] But it's interesting when you run the numbers on just building that one dwelling then and attaching to the existing.
[00:22:13] The numbers stacked up way better than knocking that house down and doing three.
[00:22:16] Sometimes less is more.
[00:22:18] That was a really interesting project because the suburb that Duplex is at is not very expensive.
[00:22:32] So the original product would have been much more expensive than actually demolish a house that didn't have anything wrong.
[00:22:41] Yeah.
[00:22:42] So it was easier to say, OK, by coincidence, the wall was already fire rated.
[00:22:47] We if that wouldn't have been the case, we still could have just replaced the wall and add the fire requirements or add the fire requirements to the existing wall.
[00:22:58] But we have done that a lot in blocks where mostly corner blocks where we leave the house.
[00:23:05] Yeah.
[00:23:06] Because in a time where we need to save money in relation to why to remove something that is good to put something that is the same product or or let's just save money or help the environment or just don't demolish and always recreate.
[00:23:23] Leave it.
[00:23:23] Make many, maybe a small upgrade in the kitchen and in the bathroom.
[00:23:29] And you're going to get a good price for it and get a good price for the other.
[00:23:33] Or because of the analysis that we did before that most likely this house would be selling despite of the block being smaller for the same or similar price that you bought.
[00:23:43] You're now going to end up living in the other house with a mortgage of at least 50% of what you thought it would be because you own the site.
[00:23:53] So there is a lot of solutions around duplexes when you understand the different options of duplexes that are out there.
[00:24:01] The duplex is not only what we feel that is the massive, the long party wall that divides them.
[00:24:11] There is many more options.
[00:24:13] And everything that has, that is one title that will be divided into two independent dwellings is classified as a dual occupancy.
[00:24:22] Yep.
[00:24:23] Brilliant.
[00:24:23] Well, it's been a great episode and I'm sure at some point we'll be able to do episodes breaking some of these ones down into more detail.
[00:24:32] But look, if you, I'm sure you would have got a lot of value out of that.
[00:24:35] It's important as an investor or developer to educate yourself around the different types of dual locks that are available in the market because each of them have different advantages, disadvantages.
[00:24:45] So look, if you enjoyed this episode, I encourage you to like, share, subscribe, share it with family, friends, people that are passionate about investment.
[00:24:55] And look, if you've, if you want to get in touch with duplex building design and investigate what types of dual locks can be done, all the information will be in the show notes.
[00:25:05] So thanks for listening and we'll see you next week.