Raleigh 1 Acre Lot - No HOA - Subdivide + ADU

[Kristin Haug]

Hello friends!

I'm trying to get creative on a home purchase in Raleigh. I'm looking at a single family house on a 1 acre lot in an area with no HOA. The house itself is built close to the right side of the lot, leaving the left side (approx half acre) free and clear. To offset the price of the house purchase, I'm wondering if it's possible to subdivide the lot and sell the vacant lot. Anyone happen to know if this is possible here and what I would need to do to make it happen?

Appreciate any insights- thanks so much!


Bonus: I'm also keen on building an ADU at some point - attached or detached (eg tiny home 1 bed studio) and wondering if anyone knows the permitting process or if these are being approved in Raleigh in non-HOA areas for affordable housing.

Thanks all and cheers!

Kristin

[Greg Bensley]

Hey Kristin,

It all depends on the required frontage feet of a lot in the city or county code. I would reach out to them and explain the situation to see if it's doable. The rest of the process just involves getting a surveyor out to the property to walk the property lines and see how it can be divided if possible based on the frontage feet. 

[Justin Hammerle]

@Kristin Haug - you need to look into the underlying zoning to see what the min lot and frontage requirements are.  Assuming all are met, you should be able to subdivide.  I would connect with a local civil engineer who can assist you with analyzing your property to see if its possible.  They will ultimately have to draft the submission to the municipality for approval.

[Chris Martin]

Since the parcel already has a single-family house, most likely zoning will not be an issue since ADUs are allowed in zoning districts: R-1, R-2, R-4, R-6, R-10, RX, OX, NX, DX, and CX. I don't think that the city will permit dividing a parcel without going through all the subdivision overhead. I looked at this for a parcel in the city limits, but only for about 3 minutes. Here's the text I used. Lots of overhead. 

You can browse the main Raleigh ADU page where there are links to the FAQ page that covers the significant 'top level' questions like allowed zoning, setbacks, etc. The city also has a fast-track program with 'pre-reviewed' plans that will meet building code compliance. I have no idea what the fees are, but I'd look at what all the soft costs are before digging in too deeply.