Turning a SFH into a Duplex - What to look for?

[Evan Lagerloef]

Hi All,

I am looking for some advice on transferring a Single Family Home into a Duplex, mainly what I should be looking for, what to prepare for, and costs associated. I am still in the hunt for my first real estate deal so I do not have a lot of hands on experience.

Property - I recently viewed a 3/2 home that is around 1600-1700 sq ft (it says 1200 on the MLS but after walking the property and talking to the owner it seems larger). The owner of the home currently has the house set up as a makeshift duplex, living in a 1/1 and renting out the other portion as a 2/1. The only separation is basically a door that has locks on both sides (so it is not an official duplex). Electrical and water are not metered separately. The home is a concrete wall home (the inside walls are concrete as well) that was built in 1957 with a new roof replaced last year. The house is currently on septic but the house is located in an area where city is offering to set up city water for free. The house is in a medium density zone and there are a few cookie cutter duplexes down the street that look recently built.

Now that you have a little background, does anyone have experience with making this kind of transformation?

What are some red flags or other things I need to look out for?

What would it take to turn this into a duplex? What kind of codes do I need to look into?

What are some major costs associated with this kind of transfer?

I apologize if this question is a little vague or open ended, having never done something like this I am just trying to get a better grasp. Any advice is greatly appreciated!