Skip to content
×
PRO
Pro Members Get Full Access!
Get off the sidelines and take action in real estate investing with BiggerPockets Pro. Our comprehensive suite of tools and resources minimize mistakes, support informed decisions, and propel you to success.
Advanced networking features
Market and Deal Finder tools
Property analysis calculators
Landlord Command Center
$0
TODAY
$69.00/month when billed monthly.
$32.50/month when billed annually.
7 day free trial. Cancel anytime
Already a Pro Member? Sign in here

Join Over 3 Million Real Estate Investors

Create a free BiggerPockets account to comment, participate, and connect with over 3 million real estate investors.
Use your real name
By signing up, you indicate that you agree to the BiggerPockets Terms & Conditions.
The community here is like my own little personal real estate army that I can depend upon to help me through ANY problems I come across.
Land & New Construction
All Forum Categories
Followed Discussions
Followed Categories
Followed People
Followed Locations
Market News & Data
General Info
Real Estate Strategies
Landlording & Rental Properties
Real Estate Professionals
Financial, Tax, & Legal
Real Estate Classifieds
Reviews & Feedback

Updated over 4 years ago,

User Stats

448
Posts
306
Votes
Matt Nico
306
Votes |
448
Posts

Post #4 - Turning a Central FL SFH into a Duplex (With Plans)

Matt Nico
Posted

Good morning Bigger Pockets,

This is the 4th installment of a series of posts I am doing to show the process on how to turn a Central Florida Single Family House effectively into a duplex. If you want to know more about the deal itself, I would say go back and see those other posts for how I structured the deal, and how I used seller financing to get in the property.

I have been answering a lot of newer-folks on the forums about people wanting to get into the Florida market, and they all want the same thing: A cheap Duplex, Triplex, or Quadplex. Let me explain why this wont work: 

In Central Florida, most of the homes are single family homes which are in an HOA. These homes all have conformity, which makes the ARV easier to figure out. The trade off is every home is the same in that particular development, and with minimum setbacks for buildings 5-10 feet, developers are allowed to jam houses in next to each other. This creates parking problems, and with already narrow streets and a small building lot to start with, building an ADU in the back or as a stand alone is a no-go. Building 2-units never happens. Only those with land have this ability. Which is tough because Florida is a swamp.

So for our intent and purposes as real estate investors in Central Florida.......They don't exist.


Great deals are usually made, not found.

So this past week, I finally finished up a brand new shower. Ripped out the Tub, redid the plumbing, and tiled the entire shower. The 2nd shower was also prepped while I was letting tile dry on the 1st shower.

In addition to construction, it was time for some paperwork...my wife and I created the building plans to take to the county early next week to get approved for the physical duplex construction. See the 4th picture below for the plans.

Tip: In Central Florida, ADU's are encouraged. The county (from calling and asking to a few different people) gives them out all the time. If detached, they must be in the rear of the property. If attached, they must not take up more than 900sf.

Happy Housing to everyone, let me know if you have any questions.

-Matt