Definition of "Capital expenditure"

Song Hong real estate agent

Written by

Song Hongelite badge icon

Rebate Realty Usa

The capital expenditure definition is an evaluation method of investments that a company of any kind, including real estate developments, makes to maintain or upgrade tangible assets. These tangible assets are financial outlays that improve or sustain the company’s scope of operations and increase the full value of the property. 

Some of the Capital Expenditures in real estate

Capital expenditures in real estate include investments that increase the value of the property. Installing an innovative solar roof is seen as capital expenditure, a new swimming pool for your tenants or vacationers can also increase the value, intense renovations, a new spa, a new gym, etc. Capital expenditures are not seen as losses from profit but investments in the property.

What Does Capital Expenditures Tell Investors?

When investors look at real estate investments, they consider the property’s net operating income (NOI), telling them how profitable the property can be. The reason they look at it is that from NOI, they can see what the margin of profit is once the operating expenses (OPEX) are subtracted. Once they have the capital expenditure (CapEx) potential, what can go to investments, they see the property’s potential to grow.

The CapEx also tells real estate investors how much they actually invest. While the full potential of investment would be the NOI, any company that wants to succeed needs an actual profit. But this is where it can get tricky. It is the investor’s decision how much they are willing to finance in the CapEx.

Something that might help investors differentiate CapEx from OPEX is that OPEX is deductible expenses while CapEx is mentioned in the balance sheet, not in the income statement. CapEx might also appear in the real estate property’s cash-flow statement as investments and is often cited as PP&E (property, plant, and equipment). From the cash-flow statement, an investor can see previous investments in the property and check if investment grew or decreased.

The Formula for calculating Capital Expenditures:

Besides adding all the costs of investments, CapEx has a formula.

Capital Expenditures = PP&E Costs + Current Depreciation

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Real Estate Terms

Stairs or porch by the front door of the house. ...

initial plaster used on a lathe. ...

The meaning of topography defines the science of mapping a specific region’s physical features. In short, the topography describes an area’s characteristics, such as its ...

“What is Situs?”, you ask.Situs is a word in Latin that basically means the site or location where something exists or originates. Like most words in latin, situs is usually ...

What does Act of God mean? Acts of God or “force majeure” is typically how an insurance policy classifies peril situations that could not be prevented or defended by men. ...

An arm’s-length transaction is a business deal, or transaction where the seller and buyer act independently of each other without influence on the other party. What sets these types ...

Interest rate that exceeds the rate on the old loan but in less than the rate on new loans. It is usually offered by the lender to encourage home buyers to refinance existing, low interest ...

Figure or value which is the starting point in computing gain or loss, depreciation, depletion, and amortization. ...

Cash payment to a lender so as to lower the interest rate on a loan a borrower must incur. The lower rate may apply for all or a part of the loan term. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions