By Kerrie Kennedy

Contributing writer

What do you do when you need more space in the city? With prices for single-family homes reaching well over a million in many Chicago neighborhoods, you either make do with what you have, head to the suburbs—or buy a duplex condominium.

Whether you’re looking for extra space for your laundry, your guests, your pets, your office—or just your stuff—a duplex condominium can be the perfect solution.

Per square foot, duplex condominiums provide an excellent value for space-challenged Chicagoans. Whether it’s a duplex up, with the main living space on one floor and the bedrooms on the upper floor, or a duplex down, with a family room and extra bedrooms on the lower level, a two-level floor plan allows buyers to instantly double their living space.

“The idea of having two levels really appealed to us,” says Edgewater resident Richard Ventimiglia, who bought a duplex condominium with his partner approximately five years ago.

“We liked having the laundry centered away from the main floor,” he says. “And having a great room and media center downstairs allowed us to have a more formal living room upstairs.”

Baird & Warner real estate agent John Coleman says he usually suggests a duplex floor plan to buyers who need space but can’t quite afford a single-family home.

“They get turned on to the idea of 600 or more square feet,” he says, noting that duplexes often offer as much square footage as a single family home.

“I just put some buyers into this enormous 3,000-square-foot four-bedroom duplex,” he says. “They wanted more space and everything they looked at in their price point had a very common sort of floor plan. This place was a rare find.”

Up until recently, a duplex wasn’t even an option for buyers.

“The duplex is really a phenomenon of new construction,” Coleman says. “Developers realized that most people didn’t really want a garden unit so they started turning first floor units into duplexes.”

It’s been a win-win situation for both developers, who are selling “throw-away” space, and buyers, who are doubling their square footage without doubling the price. Per square foot, lower level space is usually a bargain.

Of course, there are drawbacks to buying lower-level space. While most duplex-downs are only part way underground (as opposed to a basement, which is entirely underground) they usually share some of the same problems as basements.

“For one thing, you almost always have a safety issue,” Coleman says, noting that many buyers worry about intruders climbing through lower-level windows. Depending on the neighborhood, many people just don’t feel safe living in a duplex down. Flooding is always a big concern—so is lack of natural light and inability to keep the space warm in the wintertime.

But savvy developers are addressing many of these problems by upgrading lower-level space with alarm systems, sump pumps, larger windows and—the ultimate luxury—radiant floor heating.

If you just don’t want to deal with lower-level living, a duplex up is always an option. Of course, you’ll probably end up trading one problem for another.

“The challenge with a penthouse duplex is that you have to deal with lots of stairs,” Coleman says. “And it will be more expensive than a duplex down.”

Penthouse duplexes in some buildings can command as much or more than a single-family home. Luckily, most duplex condominiums—especially duplex downs—are far less expensive. Often the price is similar to that of a townhouse. In fact, buyers looking for a duplex usually consider a townhouse as well.

According to Coleman, the two are very different animals. Unlike condominiums, for example, townhouses usually offer attached parking. They also offer more privacy than a condominium—and no foot traffic overhead.

But there are downsides.

“Modern townhomes are extremely vertical,” Coleman says, noting that the result is often a very narrow, “bowling-alley” kind of floor plan. Besides, says Coleman, homeowners with children or retirees usually don’t want to contend with four lights of stairs.

For many buyers, a duplex condominium is the answer, offering the space of a single-family home without the maintenance.

“Duplexes offer the conveniences and security of a condominium with the expanded space usually found in a townhome or single-family home,” Huzenis says.

Although Ventimiglia and his partner are thinking about trading their duplex in for a single family home, they have no regrets.

“The key thing with this particular duplex is that it has allowed us to have a separate area for our guests,” Ventimiglia says. “They have their own bathroom and sleeping area downstairs, and if they need to come up to the kitchen, they don’t have to walk by our bedroom. That’s really what sold us on this place.”

Duplexes around town

—5630 N. Wayne Ave. Just one duplex unit (the last unit in the building) remains in this highly successful gut rehab project in Andersonville. Priced at $499,000, the 2,700 square-foot duplex unit features three bedrooms, three baths and a lower level with radiant heat, a media room with wet bar, laundry and closets galore. The unit comes with two-car parking.

—Marquette Row. Duplex units in this new construction condominium at 676-693 N. Peoria feature floor-to-ceiling windows, white oak hardwood floors, oversized shower with body sprays, a fireplace with stone surround and upgraded kitchens. Base prices range from $349,900 to $589,900.

—3016 W. Belle Plaine. Remaining two-bedroom, two-bath duplex units in this walk-up apartment are priced at $229,900 and feature upgraded kitchens, hardwood flooring, natural stone baths and in-unit

washer/dryer.

—2916-2924 Berteau Condominiums. Only two duplex condominiums are available at this 10-unit vintage red brick building is located at 2916-2924 W. Berteau in Ravenswood. The two-bedroom duplexes feature two baths and a study and are priced at $269,900.

—The Yellowstone. Remaining two- and three-bedroom duplex condos in this 27-unit renovated vintage courtyard condominium at 1667-1673 W. Farwell in Rogers Park are base priced from $209,900 to $329,900. The development features a landscaped courtyard. All

of the condos have diagonal wood flooring, marble baths, storage lockers and rear decks.

—Paulina Ridge Court. Only two residences are available in this 43-unit vintage rehab condominium at 5909 N. Paulina in Ravenswood. The landscaped courtyard development features two-bedroom, two-bath duplexes priced up to $279,900.