NoVA townhouse (Burke, Fairfax: real estate, apartments, to rent)

[ssmssm]

Is it easy to find a townhouse in Burke/Kingstowne with kitchen area in the basement?

I am thinking to find such a townhouse, so that I can rent basement out.

Thanks.

[need_more_light]

I honestly believe that all these answers that you've been asking would be better answered by a real estate agent. You should interview a few or several or a hundred of them and choose the one you're most comfortable working with and go from there.

[kutra11]

I don't think a basement in the kitchen is common anywhere. You'd need to find a townhouse that had an in-law suite specifically built.

[snowdenscold]

Originally Posted by need_more_light

I honestly believe that all these answers that you've been asking would be better answered by a real estate agent. You should interview a few or several or a hundred of them and choose the one you're most comfortable working with and go from there.

Also, OP may want to consider consolidating all your questions into one or two threads. At a certain point, a dozen new threads in a week (all around a specific situation) is a little much. JMO.

[Mnseca]

I think the difficulty with a townhouse would be the HOA. They would probably frown on that.

[kww]

Originally Posted by ssmssm

Is it easy to find a townhouse in Burke/Kingstowne with kitchen area in the basement?

I am thinking to find such a townhouse, so that I can rent basement out.

Thanks.

Cant recall the last townhome I viewed that had a second kitchen in the basement, as most do not have the room for one (and living room space etc). Additionally, a lot of elevations do not allow for a legal bedroom, would make it difficult to rent out.

That doesn't even take into account the possible lack of permits from when the work was done, nor the quality of work. A lot of Northern Virginia (detached) homes have had basements finished over the years, some assumedly by the homeowner at the time (as the quality of work would lead one to think the County would never sign off)

[airjay75]

You did not say that this was your motivation, but if you have to rent out the basement in order to afford the TH or even a SFH, you're buying more house than you can afford. There's a reason HOA's will frown upon renting out your basement and there is a reason there are county ordinances regulating how many unrelated people can live in a SFH and the requirements to rent out the basement - in general, THs and SFHs are built to be "single family" dwellings, not "multi-family." Whether you try to do this in a TH or a SFH, be prepared for complaints from your neighbors and/or possible violations of HOA or county code rules. I'm not saying it can't be done legally, but it's not as easy as simply buying a property with a kitchen in the basement.

[Fredesch]

In Fairfax what you are considering would be illegal. I don't think you will find a townhouse like this or if you did you probably won't be able to finance it since it would have obviously unpermitted modifications which you could not get an exemption for. I believe the law in Fairfax concerning mother-in-law apartments is you have to show a need and name the relative that will live there. When they die or leave, you have to remove the mother-in-law apartment.

The justification the county gives in prohibiting apartments of any kind in SFH or Townhome communities is the sewers and parking are not adequate for them. The county also believes that allowing apartments in a SFH or Townhome community will lower property values. If you want more info on this subject I suggest you call Supervisor John Cook's office.

You also might look at townhomes near Strydenstricker.

[nyc2020]

i don't think i've ever seen a TH with a real kitchen, meaning a gas/electric range + sink. my parents' house had a little sink and i believe it was for a bar the previous owner had. instead of formally renting it out to a tenant, how about you call the person living there a roommate? college students from nova or gmu may be good candidates and they may not need to cook at home. in that case, this could work out...