House and duplex on same property - How do I sell this?

[Stephen Bayard]

Several years ago, I bought a "unique" property that is a single family house and a duplex on the same lot (in a rural area).

Because of the low cost of the duplex rent, I've struggled to find reliable tenants to live there (although the tenants in the house have always been consistent). Plus, it has taken more money to fix up than I originally thought.

I tried to sell it last year, but I found it very difficult to sell. Part of the reason is that the SFD needed some fixing up (which has subsequently been done). But part of it was that the market for people who want a duplex on their property in that area is very small.

Feel free to offer any options I'm not thinking of, but my main question is this: Is there a relatively easy way to modify the duplex apartments so that they count as storage (or just not count as income-producing apartments) so that financing would be easier for a prospective buyer?

Like, could I wall off the showers to make it not rentable as apartments? 

I know that's probably a stretch, but I'm just trying to explore different options here.

[Thelonious Jones]

Can you get the property re-zone and split up the parcel? Sell as two different properties/parcels