Some farm life cycles appear very quickly, so that a few years or even months separate the initial construction and the final phase. In other cases, a heritage may remain for several centuries in a single stage of its life cycle. It is impossible to indicate the average time it takes for the life cycle of a farm to complete its revolution, but in the case of ordinary domestic buildings of traditional construction, a period of 60-100 years is usual. However, there are indications that, with the accelerated pace of technological development, this period will tend to shorten.

In the center of our oldest towns there are many examples of polygons that have gone through a series of life cycles, and successive buildings have been erected and rebuilt, but more common is the polygon that is already in some stages of its first cycle. . . A building reaches total obsolescence or dies when it is physically exhausted or when it is no longer economically worthwhile to keep it in use. In practice, the latter is often the determining factor, since the rate of physical obsolescence can be controlled through repairs and upgrades, provided there is the economic incentive to bear the cost. A special case is that of a building of great historical interest that may be preserved as a living fossil long after it was expected to perish.

While it is not possible to describe in detail the pattern of the life cycle of an estate, it is quite easy to indicate the main stages experienced by most estates from initial development to renovation, and to describe the main management problems of the estate. heritage corresponding to each stage. as follows

1) The predevelopment stage.
2) The newly developed stage.
3) The half-life stage.
4) The stage of old age.
5) The stage of total obsolescence.

The Pre-development stage

The site available for development may be one that has never been built before or has been cleared from its previous building. Land in this stage of expectation tends to be neglected as the owner restricts spending on its current use, whatever it may be, such as agriculture, market, gardening, parking, it should be noted that any investment in improvement should be amortized as soon as possible. how the development takes place. Consequently, sites awaiting development are often prey to nuisance and even when well fenced, they can be subject to dumping, intrusion, fly setting and other similar afflictions. When the pre-development stage is short, these difficulties are not serious, but when the length of this period is uncertain, effective land use and management may become impossible.

The stage of new development

When a farm is newly developed, it must be adapted to its use in all respects and therefore must not be affected by obsolescence. In practice, however, very few buildings, even when new, meet this standard. For example, imperfect planning, external changes that take place between the planning and construction stages, and perhaps small defects in construction, can introduce elements of obsolescence. However, the usefulness of a building when it is new is usually greater than at any later time. In the early years of life, obsolescence is likely to occur at a higher and more regular rate as the benefits of being new and modern are lost. This will largely be determined by the speed with which comparable newer, more modern buildings are built, forcing higher standards through competition. Occasionally, as in the case of speculative development that does not find an occupant, a new building may be outdated as soon as it is completed.

The half-life stage

This is normally the longest stage of the life cycle and can be extended to last almost permanently. It begins as soon as the advantages of being new and up-to-date are gone in the early stage of development and the building is established at its level of utility and long-term value. However, when the value of new buildings tends to be much higher than that of older properties, the incentive to increase the rate of renovation may lead to a shortening of the average mid-life period. During mid-life, physical deterioration is usually kept in check by proper maintenance and annual decrease in value due to alterations, additions, improvements, and perhaps conversions that may be significant enough to constitute a virtual replacement and a restart of the entire life cycle. .

The stage of old age

The end of middle age is marked when property begins to sink rapidly in the state. It shows outward signs of obsolescence, such as physical deterioration, poorer-than-design-class fit, outdated accessories and equipment, and its remaining life becomes predictable. Management problems at this stage are dominated by the short remaining life, which is typically less than fifteen (15) years. New investments to improve facilities or even to keep them in an efficient state for use are made more difficult as the increase in annual value that is likely to result is insufficient to provide a reasonable return on capital and a sinking fund to replace the existing property. capital sum for the end of the life of the investment. Consequently, the improvements and adaptations necessary for the maintenance of the heritage are first limited and then completely neglected. When this stage is reached, it is often the policy of a state to restrict all spending to a minimum and deplete existing assets awaiting development. In the case of leasing premises, it is also necessary to limit the granting of new leases so that the duration of their terms does not exceed the date on which the development is contemplated. Tenants with short-term interests pending development will generally have little incentive to maintain the property beyond lower standards of repair and physical condition, and may lead to other management issues related to its use and care.

total obsolescence

First, the stage of total obsolescence is reached when the old buildings and layout have little or no value as is. If all goes well, cleanup and redevelopment follow quickly, but there may be factors that prevent it. The first is that the site may be of insufficient value to justify demolishing the old structures and replacing them with something new. In other words, economic pressure may not be enough to drive renovation. Second, the redevelopment pattern may require changes to the size and shape of the site that cannot be secured in one. This comes about when comprehensive renovation is needed to meet modern traffic conditions and existing small development units need to be amalgamated for reconstruction purposes. In these circumstances, it is often necessary for individual obsolete buildings to remain until all areas are able to be fully cleared. Third, it happens that a building is totally worn out and, by contemporary standards, no longer fit for occupancy. But due to the lack of hosting, it still has usage and revenue. It therefore retains a value, sometimes high, and is not strictly obsolete from an economic point of view, although it is in social terms.