Building a duplex / triplex. Thoughts?

[Scott Donahue]

Hey BP Community!

I'm in the middle of my first BRRRR, a SFR purchased at Sheriff's sale, and am looking to my next one! David Greene's book on BRRRR is amazing if you haven't read it yet.

I’m also thinking about moving into small multi-family. In my area (Indy) there aren’t very many duplexes / triplexes for sale so I’m considering building.

Love to hear your thoughts on:

- Build vs Buy

- Duplex/Triplex

- Building Considerations

- Rough construction costs

Cheers, Scott

[Joe Norman]

Awesome idea, but be sure to do your due diligence on local zoning and building regulations.  There are a lot of jurisdictions with NIMBY zoning restrictions that severely limit housing density.

Another option to look at is converting a SFH into a duplex. In Baltimore County, for example, it is fairly easy to legally convert a basement into a separate unit. Good luck!