Everything costs more these days — groceries, insurance, property taxes — and wages haven't kept up. You've got more house than you need, but downsizing would cost more than it saves.
The space you already own could be the answer. A basement, a garage, a spare floor — turned into a small unit that brings in $400 to $1,800+ a month, without buying another property or taking on a new mortgage.
I'm Elizabeth — a real estate investor since 1999, and I see space differently. I have an eye for what a house can be: what to spend money on, and where to save. For the last 10 years, I've lived in two single-family homes that I creatively designed so someone else paid most of my mortgage — while giving them a space to get excited about.
Once a month I go live on Zoom for about an hour to walk through the ten things that turn a space into rent. Plain language, a real Q&A, no pressure. Join from anywhere in the world. Just $27.
The creative strategist behind Duplex by Design — and I came to this work first as a homeowner.
Years ago, I began rethinking my own home because I wanted it to help pay for the life I wanted to live. I created a private, independent living space within my home that generated income while allowing me to keep my own privacy and lifestyle. I've since done it again in a very different home, which taught me something important: there isn't one formula. The best solution starts with the homeowner, the house, and what they want their life to look like.
I've been investing in real estate since 1999 — buying, renovating, renting, and operating vacation rentals. I've lived in both the DC area and Western North Carolina, and I'm comfortable working with homeowners in any part of the country. I've spent much of my career as an educator, international speaker, and consultant, with educational programs purchased by more than 4,000 students.
But what I bring to Duplex by Design is something that's harder to put on a résumé:
I see possibilities.
I can walk through a home and start wondering: What if the entrance went here? Could this become its own living space? What if we added a small deck? Could this unused room generate income? How could we give two households privacy without making either one feel like they're living in leftover space?
That's the part I love.
I'm not an architect, contractor, or engineer — and I don't pretend to be. I'm the person you bring in before you spend thousands of dollars, when you need someone to look at your home with fresh eyes, ask good questions, and help you imagine what might be possible.
Because sometimes the answer isn't a bigger house, a smaller house, or another house.
Sometimes the answer is already within the home you own.
These aren't features I sell — they're the lens I look through every time I walk into a home.
A second unit only works if no one feels like they're living in someone else's leftover space. I'm always asking: how do two households each get their own entrance, their own quiet, their own life — under one roof?
I love the puzzle. A wall that moves, a door that appears where there wasn't one, a tankless heater tucked behind a plant. The best solutions aren't the most expensive ones — they're the most inventive.
I design vacation rentals, so I think about how a space feels the moment you walk in. A rental unit should be somewhere a tenant is glad to return to — warm, considered, and genuinely livable. That's what makes it rent.
I walk through your space with fresh eyes and show you exactly where a second unit could live — in plain language, no jargon.
A basement or garage turned into a small unit can bring in $400–$1,800+ a month — without buying another property or a new mortgage.
I think of houses as homes first. The space has to work for your life before it works for a tenant — that's always where we start.
Know what's possible before you hire a contractor or spend a dime. The fresh-eyes step that saves homeowners from guessing.
It's a conversation, not a construction project. I'm the fresh-eyes step that comes first — before architects, before contractors, before you spend anything. Most of the time, the potential is already there. You just need someone to point at it.
Drag to see the same space — before and after
After
BeforeFor illustrative purposes — not to scale.
Share a few details — basements, garages, bonus rooms, a spare floor. I've spotted potential in all of it over the years.
I think through your layout with fresh eyes and point out where a second unit could live — the entrance, the corner, the space you stopped noticing.
I share what I see in plain language — where a unit might go, what it could feel like, and a rough sense of what it could earn. No guarantees, just my take.
No plans, no permits from me — just a clear idea you can sit with, or hand to your own contractor someday. No pressure, ever.
Attics, spare rooms, the corner you stopped seeing — anywhere a person could live privately and well. Here's what that can look like when the space is loved, not just used.
Sloped ceilings and awkward angles are exactly where a second unit loves to hide. A bed tucked into the low side, a kitchenette along the wall, and built-ins that turn every odd corner into storage — an attic becomes a whole little apartment of its own.
A bed, a soaking tub by the window, and a wall of storage — that's a home when it's done with care. The spaces that work hardest are the ones nobody was using at all. Small doesn't mean less; it means thought through.
For illustrative purposes — not to scale.
Once a month, I sit down live with a small group of homeowners and walk through the ten essentials — the things that have to be true for a corner of your home to become a space a tenant would happily pay for. Not a checklist of expensive renovations; the honest basics that make a place livable, private, and worth renting. About an hour, plain language, plenty of time for your questions.
$27 is my introductory price for 2026. It goes up to $47 in 2027, and may rise further after that — so now's the most affordable time to come along. If you can't make it live, you'll get the recording.
Slide the numbers to fit your space and your budget — from a light-touch refresh to a fuller build. The rent's what comes in, the HELOC payment's what it costs, and the difference is what stays in your pocket each month.
Figures are illustrative — a rough sketch, not a quote. The interest-only payment keeps your monthly cost low; you'd repay the build cost from your home's added value when you sell. Real numbers depend on your space, your area, and your costs. I'll share what I've seen, not a guarantee.
The workshop gives you the lay of the land. If you'd like my eyes on your actual home, here are two ways we can go deeper together — just you and me, or a small group of homeowners figuring it out alongside each other.
$80 per hour · on Zoom
You walk me through your space — photos, a video, or a screen share — and I look at it with fresh eyes. We talk through where a second unit could live, what it might earn, and the honest trade-offs for your home and your life. One hour, just the two of us.
Stripe checkout link coming soon
Small group · on Zoom
A handful of homeowners, each working through their own space, with me guiding the conversation. You get fresh eyes on your home — and the bonus of hearing other people's questions and "aha" moments. Warmer than a webinar, more affordable than 1:1.
Stripe checkout link coming soon
Not sure which fits? Start with the $27 workshop — we'll figure out the next step together.
I help you see the potential in your existing space for a second unit. I don't draw architectural plans, pull permits, or build anything — I'm the fresh-eyes step that comes first, so you know what's possible before you spend money.
No plans, no permits, no construction. I'm a creative guide, not a contractor or an architect. Once you can see the potential, you bring in your own pros — or just enjoy knowing what your home could do someday.
An architect draws the plans. I help you decide whether it's even worth hiring one. Most homeowners aren't sure their space can work as a second unit at all — that's the question I answer first, in plain language, before you pay anyone.
A small one- or two-person unit might rent for anywhere from $400 to $1,800 or more a month — it depends a lot on the area. I can share what I've seen work, but your real numbers depend on your space, your area, and your costs — I won't promise a figure I can't stand behind.
Not at all. The workshop is live on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere — across the country or overseas. I've lived in both the DC area and Western North Carolina, and I'm comfortable working with homeowners in any part of the country. The ten things that make a space rentable are the same anywhere. If you're far away, reach out anyway — I'll be honest about whether I can help.
$27 is my introductory price for 2026. It goes up to $47 in 2027, and may rise further after that. I'd rather be honest about that up front than surprise you later — and right now is the most affordable time to come along.
You'll get a confirmation email with the join link right after checkout. Then on the first Tuesday of the month we go live — about an hour walking through the ten things that turn a space into rent, with time for your questions. If you can't make it, you'll get the recording. I read every registration myself.
Drop your name and email — just a couple of details, no pressure. I'll send a note when the next workshop opens, and you can decide then.
Ready now? Save your seat for the live workshop — $27
