Category: Dual Occupancy Designs

Dual occupancy homes are excellent properties to invest in, whether you are purchasing or building. If you are building, then you are at an advantage because you can customise your property according to your intention. With dual occupancy homes, the design potential is huge and can repay your investment in our services by producing impressive rental and sale returns.

Dual occupancy homes are two dwellings on a single lot within the boundaries. Each dwelling has its amenities, yard and entrance. Often, owners treat them as two completely separate properties, allowing them to either sell or rent one of the dwellings.

Renting one of the dwellings is a popular option for many Australians as it offers them a stream of income and is an affordable way to enter the property market industry in Sydney. Dual occupancy homes are becoming extremely popular in Australia for this very reason. As the market becomes saturated with similar properties, renters become spoiled for choice, making it pertinent that your dwelling stands out from the other options.

To attract renters, property owners who are designing and building their dual occupancy home should focus on creating value for prospective renters. This means going further than attractive furnishings, but instead incorporating useful and practical features that renters view as a bonus. Additionally, these features also increase the rental value of your dwelling, making it more likely that you will secure an above market rental price for the dwelling.

In this article, we’ll identify four elements that our team at ES Design may suggest when designing the floor plan of your dual occupancy home. This list is not exhaustive as our team’s final recommendations are dependent on your needs, wants and budget and council requirements.

4 ideas to make your dual occupancy home more attractive to renters

Separate car garages

Separate car garages for each dwelling in your dual occupancy home are an almost guaranteed way of increasing your rental value and attracting renters. Most renters with a car either struggle with street parking or pay an additional fee for parking in another building. In Sydney, parking is a coveted privilege, making this feature attractive to most young professionals who work/live in the city and own a car.

Skylight

Though Australia is home to some of the biggest houses in the world (according to realestate.com.au), it is inevitable for both dwellings in a dual occupancy home to feel small. A skylight directly in the sun’s path does not just provide natural light throughout the home, but it illuminates dark spaces and connects both storeys of the dwelling, making it feel a lot bigger than its reality.

Den

Though the pandemic is not a major factor in Australia, a significant portion of Sydney’s population works from home or studies at home. This has increased the relevance and importance of a designated home office space. Our team always recommends including a den in your home because it makes the space sound larger as well as appear larger.
The carved out extra space is perfect for adding a home office, play area for kids or really, anything that the renter needs. While a den is not as expensive as constructing an extra bedroom, it allows the property owner to ask for a higher price because of the value it represents.

Ensure living spaces have windows

Windows in specific rooms are attractive to renters for a number of reasons. Sydney is home to beautiful weather for the majority of the year. With windows, a renter can take advantage of natural light and natural ventilation, allowing them to benefit from sustainability and subsequently, cost-effectiveness.

If your property is located in a scenic area of Sydney, then our designers will position windows and rooms (living room and kitchen are high-traffic areas) so that residents can take full advantage of views and the scenery around them.
There is not much that beats the value that a well-positioned window can bring.

At ES Design, we work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you want from your property. We know how important the design and layout of a project is and the costs of running it, especially if your livelihood depends on it, and thus, will work to ensure that we provide you with the best advice and guidance possible so that your development potential is maximised.

To find out more about our services, call us on 0460 000 000.

Dual occupancy designs are two homes on one block of land. While it may be perplexing to some, dual occupancy designs are becoming increasingly popular among investors and young couples who view it as a cost-efficient method of owning a home while also earning income (through the rental of one home). The main advantage of dual occupancy homes is that it can pay for itself – an attractive feature for many people who consider the option of purchasing or building one.

There are several beautiful dual occupancy homes on the market in Sydney. Alternatively, if you’re a property developer or simply prefer to customise your property, you also have the option of building your own dual occupancy home. With this option, there are a few tips that you should keep in mind that will impact the overall feasibility of your project, its future earning potential and the quality of your home. These tips will also lead to a much smoother design and build process, ensuring that you get exactly the property that you envisioned.

5 tips for designing and building your dual occupancy home

#1 Determine exactly what you want from your home’s design

The best advice that our team can give you is to ensure that you figure out exactly what you want before you submit your final design plans. Though you may be certain about wanting a dual occupancy home, you may not know the number of bedrooms you need, where you need them located or whether you want your property to contain sustainable elements.
Not knowing your design needs is normal, however, to ensure that your final design reflects your needs, you must finalise your family’s requirements. An easy and foolproof way to achieve this is by hiring ES Design. Our team will guide you through your options and help you determine exactly what you need from the design. They will bear in mind your budget as well as your immediate needs and lead you through your short-term and long-term goals.

#2 Use the services of an all-inclusive design company like ES Design

ES Design does more than prepare your design documents, they manage your entire Development Application (DA) process. Anyone in construction and property development knows that the NSW DA process can be intimidating and complex. With ES Design’s guidance, you won’t only have access to expert preparation of your designs and plans, but you’ll also be able to benefit from the proper preparation of your application.

As certain certificates and approvals are needed before you begin to construct (e.g. DA approval), it helps to have one company, like ES Design, as the singular point of contact and in control of the entire process. We promise that we will give you the best possible chance of having your development application approved.

#3 Understand the budget required

Building a house will always be expensive. The specifics of your design is what will determine the exact cost of your project. This is why understanding your needs and working with your budget is important from the initial stages. Bear in mind that your budget will determine how large your kitchen can be, whether you can include a pool and the number of bathrooms you have in your home, among other details. ES Design will work with your budget and find partners who are upfront with costs and transparent with their processes. .

#4 Research and then buy your land

One of the biggest challenges that developers, investors and homeowners create for themselves is when they purchase land before doing their research. Your surroundings give your project context and usually contains many determining factors like the slope of the land, orientation and of course, council restrictions. We highly recommend that you research these factors before committing to the purchase of a piece of land.

#5 Be smart with your floor plan and facade

The way you design your dual occupancy home’s floor plan and facade affects its suitability on the market and ultimately, your property’s earning potential. This is particularly important for developers/investors and homeowners who will use the second dwelling as a form of income or for profit. Premium fixtures and fittings, open floor plans as well as popular sustainable and functional features like double-glazing and solar lighting will make your property more attractive.

At ES Design, we work with you to ensure that you get exactly what you want from your property. We know how important a building design and renovation project is, especially if your livelihood depends on it, and thus, will work to ensure that we provide you with the best advice and guidance possible so that your development potential is maximised. To find out more about our services, call us on 0460 000 000.

If you’ve made the exciting decision to construct a dual occupancy home, then you most definitely will want to ensure that the large investment you are about to make pays off. But, just how do you guarantee that your dual occupancy home will be designed and constructed in both aesthetically pleasing and valuable ways? You invest in dual occupancy design services. Dual occupancy design services ensure that the future plans and your intention for the property are realised in your design. Furthermore, it gives you an avenue to flesh out your future plans and determine what you need from your dual occupancy home. 

What is a dual occupancy home?

For many, the construction of a dual occupancy home is more than just a residence for themselves, it’s an investment for life. According to the New South Wales Government, a detached dual property home is a property that has two detached dwellings on one lot of land, but that does not include a secondary dwelling. A dual occupancy (attached) means 2 dwellings on one lot of land that are attached to each other but does not include a secondary dwelling 

Is a dual occupancy home design right for you?

Now that you know exactly what a dual occupancy home is, how do you know if it’s right for you? Generally, dual occupancy home designs are suited for almost anyone because of its high rental and resale value. In short, it’s a brilliant investment. Specifically, here’s who is most likely to benefit from a dual occupancy home:

• Families
• People in search of affordable options
• Families searching for an option to accommodate multiple generations
• First-home buyers
• First-home buyers
• Developers and investors searching to benefit from increased rental demand and a booming housing market
• Young couples who want a home that’s larger than an apartment but smaller than an entire house.

As you can see, a wide variety of people can benefit from a dual occupancy home, making its design even more important. Let’s discuss why you should consider investing in a dual occupancy design.

Reasons to invest in dual occupancy design for your Sydney home

Maximise your space

Remember that you are essentially two residences on one plot of land. It’s important for the comfort of yourself and the other occupants that you maximise your space, including all the necessary amenities. Maximising your land’s space does not mean building as much as possible on your land – bigger is not always better. Instead, it means finding the right balance on your property and ensuring, according to whatever your needs may be, that it is reflected in the design of your dual occupancy home.

Figure out what you need from a dual occupancy home

Even though a dual occupancy home is an excellent investment, many people do not exactly know what they want or need the residence to be. Here are some reasons that you may be designing your dual occupancy home:

• Live and rent the other residence
• Sell or, possibly live with the intention to sell within a few years
• Rent both residences
• Live and utilise the other residence for aging parents or grown offspring

The above reasons require different elements in your dual occupancy home which is why it is important that you know exactly what you want your home to be. A dual occupancy design team will be able to guide you through your wants and future plans and design a home that best suits you.

Accommodate special needs in your home

Depending on what you want your home to be, you may require specific elements. For example, if you intend for your home to also house your ailing parents then you may want one portion of the residence to be accessible. Accessibility in homes can be complex as many different elements need to be altered in order to accommodate an impaired or elderly person. A dual occupancy team will be able to draft a design plan according to these special needs, ensuring that you incorporate exactly what you need.

Increase your property’s value

Lastly, design services for dual occupancy homes significantly increase the value of a property. This is especially true if you let us know that your future plans involve selling or renting the property. After a design team’s experience with thousands of projects, they will know exactly how to design your dual occupancy home according to market trends and demographics that will enable you to maximise your earning potential.

At ES Design, our team will work with you to ensure that every measure is taken to guarantee the success of your dream home. With personalised attention and advice from a team with decades of experience, rest easy knowing that your luxury home design will reflect your personality, needs and requirements.  To find out more about our services, call us on 0460 000 000.