Exactly What Are Duplexes And Multiplexes In The World Of Real Estate?

By: Gen Wright Click author's name for more of his/her articles

While searching for a new home, you may get confused by the whirl of confusion surrounding the words "duplex", "triplex", "quadruplex" and "multiplex". "Quintuplexes" have also made their appearance, but luckily they are not as common as the other ones.

The word "duplex" comes from the Latin "duo", meaning "two", and "plex", meaning "-fold". Therefore, it literally means "twofold". The prefixes "tri-", "quadru-", "quintu-" and "multi-" refer to "three", "four", "five" and "many" respectively, so "triplex" would mean threefold, and so on.

How do we relate this to real estate?

This can be done in two ways.

Firstly, a "duplex house" is a house that is divided into two apartments that share a wall. Each half is completely self-contained, with its own front entrance, back entrance, garage, balcony, kitchen, living space etc. At the most, the two apartments may share a common garden, or the garden space may be divided between two owners based on mutual agreement.

Similarly, a "multiplex housing" is a plot of land on which multiple apartments are constructed - in other words, your typical apartment housing. The number of apartments that can be built on the land can vary from 4 to 16 and more, depending on the size of the land, the target market, the promoter's budget and advanced economics that most buyers aren't too concerned with. The size of the apartments also varies tremendously, from tiny studios to large penthouses.

Moving on to the second way the word "duplex" is interpreted, a "duplex apartment" is an apartment that is split into two floors. "Triplex", "quadruplex" and the like refer to apartments comprised of three or four levels. The typical duplex has the living and dining areas on the lower floor, with the bedrooms and balcony on the upper. In addition to giving you more mileage for the same amount of land area, this arrangement also gives your bedroom some privacy that the traditional apartment setup does not allow. For people who frequently entertain business contacts, clients or guests they would not allow into the bedroom, this is definitely a great point in favor of the duplex.

Triplex, quadruplex and similar arrangements let you allot separate rooms for children, boarders, a home office or any other purpose you might fancy.

The single-floor apartment and the duplex sound as different as chalk and cheese, but there is a grey area between the two that has not been clearly explored yet. Some single-floor apartments come equipped with one separate room on a mezzanine floor, or an elevated terrace-like balcony. Usually the mezzanine is made necessary due to a garage or commercial space below it, but it can offer a cozy, attractive space that can be used as a child's room or a sitting-room.

Both the duplex house and the duplex apartment can become attractive compromises for people transitioning from living in a "home" to living in a "flat". The multiplex, on the other hand, is often much better organized in terms of maintenance, and having a common gym, swimming pool and other facilities that can be shared by the members. While planning your purchase, weigh the pros and cons of each option before deciding on what suits your needs and budget the best.