Denver Tandem House, Tandem Home

[Kelly Sennholz]

I want to build a Tandem House on a property zoned for it. Seeking as much information as possible. Has someone done one yet? I hear they are rare so far. Zoning/permitting issues? Cost vs ADU? Highest and best use of property? Specific experience or insights? Builder familiar with it?

THANK YOU!!

[Kevin Dickson]

Kelly you are revealing my secret strategy!

I love this idea and have recently built several tandem houses.  The most common form (with garage underneath) can be seen at 2268 S Acoma, which is behind 2266 S Acoma.  Please don't bother the tenants.

Resale value is the main problem with them.  (Almost) Nobody wants a carriage house as their primary residence, but they make fantastic rentals.

I thought if I built one on a corner, the resale value would be as high as one side of a duplex unit.  I was wrong.  I built one on Harvard Avenue behind the original 1947 house.  It cost $380k to build, but I couldn't sell it for more than $495k, so I'm keeping it and renting it for $2600/month.  The half duplexes in the same neighborhood are selling for $600k.

Besides Landmarkk, the leading Tandem House architects in Denver are:

Becky Alexis (mainly NW Denver)

Niccolo Casewit

Brian Pearson (Denver and all Suburbs)

Kung Architecture