Duplex flat – pros and cons

A duplex flat is often described as a good compromise between an ordinary flat and a detached house. This solution has its pros and cons, though. Which of them prevail? Let's find out!

• What makes a duplex flat appealing?
• What puts us off?

What makes a duplex flat appealing?

The fashion for terraced houses stems, among other things, from the desire to have one's own piece of land. Besides a separate entrance, we also have a small garden or a garage. You will not find these elements in a duplex flat, however. So what makes us choose such flats?

First: price

A duplex flat will be cheaper than a house, both to buy and to run. We will pay less land tax for it, and we will not have to renovate the facade, the fence and so on. If the second level is in the attic, its price will often be correspondingly lower. The developer knows it is much harder to develop an attic so that it makes a profit, so it may try to sell the duplex flat at a reduced price.

Second: privacy

For a lower cost we obtain almost the same level of privacy as in a terraced house – a duplex flat is usually on the top floor of the building. Placing some of the rooms upstairs helps to draw a clear division between the space open to everyone (for example to guests at a birthday party or other gathering) and the private space. Downstairs there will usually be the living room, kitchen, dining room and toilet, while upstairs we will plan the bathroom, the bedroom and – for example – the children's rooms.

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Third: different design possibilities

I deliberately write "different" instead of "better", because it will not be an advantage for everyone. The stairs in the flat can be used as a modern bookshelf, or a spacious storage cupboard can be built underneath them. On the other hand, they take up a lot of space that we could otherwise use as we wished. It is similar with the attic – sloping ceilings open up plenty of possibilities at the expense of floor area. We can, however, use them creatively to gain extra storage space.

Fourth: functionality

Dividing the flat into upstairs and downstairs makes it possible to set aside space for a small office or study where no one will disturb us even when other members of the household are at home. It is similar if we work shifts – catching up on sleep after a night shift in a duplex flat will be much easier than in an ordinary one.

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What puts us off?

A duplex flat does, however, have a number of drawbacks that should not be underestimated. First, let us pay attention to how the seller calculated the area of the flat. Let us make sure that the stated value is the usable area, not the floor area – this matters in flats with sloping ceilings upstairs.

Stairs – an advantage and a drawback

Although we mentioned earlier that we can arrange the stairs in a functional and interesting way, we cannot overlook their drawbacks. The area that the stairs "take away" is quite large (although it depends on the type of stairs). Moreover, stairs require regular maintenance as they are used every day, and more than once a day. And while we are on the subject: climbing to the top floor of a residential building can be tiring for many of us (especially if the building has no lift), so what about when we also have to go up and down the stairs inside the flat anything from a few to a dozen or so times a day?

It is also worth thinking about this from a safety point of view – this applies especially to children and to the elderly and infirm.

Is a duplex flat a worthwhile alternative to a house or an ordinary flat? The decision is yours! If you are looking for such a home, however, contact us! We will gladly present our listings and advise you on choosing the right flat.

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