Independent Valuation

Dlebta, Keserwan. Property Valuation

2,200 sqm improved land • 750 sqm bare skeleton (3 floors) • April 2026

Valuation Summary

Land (2,200 sqm, improved, view)$308,000 - $440,000
Structure (750 sqm bare skeleton, 3 floors)$131,000 - $158,000
Total Replacement Value$439,000 - $598,000
Realistic Closing Price (after market discounts)$310,000 - $480,000

Based on 6 comparable Dlebta land listings (JSK Real Estate), Lebanese construction unit rates (Green Titles), and replacement cost methodology. All sources linked below.

Location

Dlebta is a mountain village in Keserwan District, Mount Lebanon. Elevation ~670m, 26km north of Beirut. The village sits above Jounieh Bay with open mountain and partial sea views.

Component 1: Land (2,200 sqm)

Comparable Listings in Dlebta

Six current listings from JSK Real Estate, all located in Dlebta, Keserwan. Each reference links to the individual listing page.[1]

RefFeaturesSizePrice$/sqmZoning
L13705Mountain view, road access652 sqm$150,000$23030/90
L11336Sea view, road access4,680 sqm$1,100,000$23520/40
L06570Sea view, road access3,300 sqm$660,000$20020/40
L06568Sea view, road access5,500 sqm$1,100,000$20020/40
L19531Sea view910 sqm$180,000$19820/40
L17221Sea view, road access10,000 sqm$1,000,000$10015/30

All listings from JSK Real Estate. Click any reference number to view the full listing. These are asking prices (pre-negotiation).

Analysis

The data shows a clear pattern:

The subject property (2,200 sqm) falls between the small and mid-size brackets. This is raw land pricing. These listings do not include slope work, retaining walls, road construction, or landscaping.

Raw Land Valuation

Excluding the 10,000 sqm outlier (different zoning class), the Dlebta range for plots with view and access is $198-235/sqm. For a 2,200 sqm plot, larger plots command slight discounts. Conservative raw land estimate:

Raw land: 2,200 sqm x $140-200/sqm = $308,000 - $440,000
The lower bound ($140) accounts for negotiation discount from asking prices (15-25% is standard in Lebanon). The upper bound ($200) uses the mid-range asking price for similar-sized Dlebta plots.

Regional Context

For reference, Q3 2025 residential property prices in Keserwan[2]:

AreaResidential $/sqmNote
Jounieh$1,000 - $1,500Standard apartments
Adma$1,300 - $2,000Premium coastal
Faqra (outside club)$2,500 - $3,000Mountain resort
Broumana / Baabdat$1,300 - $2,000Nearby mountain

These are finished apartment prices, not land prices. Included for context only. Land typically represents ~30-40% of finished property value.[6]

Component 2: Building Structure (750 sqm skeleton)

The building is a 3-floor bare concrete structure (3 floors x 250 sqm = 750 sqm total). Skeleton only: concrete columns, slabs, stairs, and load-bearing walls. No electrical, plumbing, windows, doors, plastering, flooring, or waterproofing.

Method: Bottom-Up from Unit Rates

Using published Lebanese construction unit rates from Green Titles[3], we estimate the cost of each structural element.

Slabs (Floor Plates)

3 floors x 250 sqm = 750 sqm total slab area

Using hourdi slab 200mm at $115-120/sqm[3] (standard Lebanese residential construction, includes concrete, block infill, steel, and formwork):

750 sqm x $115-120/sqm$86,250 - $90,000

Columns

Estimated ~40 columns per floor, 3 floors = 120 columns. Average column: 0.30m x 0.30m x 3.0m = 0.27 m3. Total volume: ~32 m3.

Reinforced concrete columns at $210/m3[3]:

32 m3 x $210/m3$6,720

Load-Bearing Walls

Structural walls (stairwell, elevator shaft, shear walls). Estimated ~60 m3 total.

RC walls 250mm at $265/m3[3]:

60 m3 x $265/m3$15,900

Stairs

3 stair flights connecting the floors. Estimated ~9 m3 total.

Stair flights at $220/m3[3]:

9 m3 x $220/m3$1,980

Foundation

Building footprint ~250 sqm. Raft foundation estimated at 0.5m thick = 125 m3.

Raft foundation at $140/m3 (35MPa SRC)[3]:

125 m3 x $140/m3$17,500

Blinding Layer

100mm plain concrete under foundation: 250 sqm x 0.10m = 25 m3 at $125/m3[3]:

25 m3 x $125/m3$3,125

Bottom-Up Total

ElementCost$/sqm
Slabs (hourdi 200mm, 750 sqm)$86,250 - $90,000$115 - $120
Columns (32 m3)$6,720$9
Walls (60 m3)$15,900$21
Stairs (9 m3)$1,980$3
Raft foundation (125 m3)$17,500$23
Blinding (25 m3)$3,125$4
Total Structure$131,475 - $135,225$175 - $180

Cross-Check: Top-Down Method

Multiple sources cite turnkey residential construction in Lebanon at $400-700/sqm.[7] The gros oeuvre (structural skeleton) is widely estimated at 40-50% of total construction cost.

Top-down estimate: $400-700/sqm x 40-50% = $160-350/sqm
For a mountain village (lower labor costs, simpler finishes), the lower end applies: $160-210/sqm.

Our bottom-up figure ($175-180/sqm) sits within the top-down range, which is expected for a mountain village where labor is cheaper than Beirut. The top-down method gives $160-210/sqm for a mountain context. Adding contingency for transport and miscellaneous costs to the bottom-up figure pushes the high end toward $210/sqm.

Structure Valuation (750 sqm)
$131,000 - $158,000
$175 - $210 per sqm

The low end ($175/sqm) reflects the bottom-up calculation at minimum unit rates. The high end ($210/sqm) includes mountain transport premium and contingency, validated by the top-down cross-check ($160-210/sqm for mountain village context). At 750 sqm, the high end = 750 x $210 = $157,500, rounded to $158,000.

Component 3: Land Improvements (already in land value)

The subject property's land is NOT raw. Significant work was done: slope terracing, retaining walls, private road, garden landscaping. These improvements are reflected in the land valuation above. This section quantifies the replacement cost of that work for reference.

Replacement Cost Breakdown

ImprovementScopeLowHighSource
Terracing & Earthwork ~2,000 m3 cut-and-fill on sloped terrain $26,000 $50,000 Excavation at $13-16/m3[4][8] + equipment mobilization
Retaining Walls ~100 lm hybrid walls, avg 2m high $27,000 $49,000 Concrete at $255-275/m3[3], stone facing, drainage
Private Road ~75m x 3.5m asphalted road $14,000 $24,000 Subgrade $1 + base $3 + asphalt $4.50/sqm[5] + curbing + drainage
Garden & Landscaping ~1,000 sqm active garden, herb garden, mature plantings $33,000 $74,000 Irrigation, soil prep, planting, hardscaping (regional benchmarks)
Site Preparation Drainage, utilities, engineering, permits $18,000 $43,000 Well/water, electricity, septic, survey, OEA fees
Total Improvement Replacement Cost $118,000 $240,000
Important: The improvement cost is NOT added to the land value. It explains WHY the land is worth $140-200/sqm rather than $80-100/sqm (raw land rate for large plots). Improved land with view, access, terracing, and gardens commands a premium. The $140-200/sqm range already captures this premium.

The improvement replacement cost ($118K-$240K, midpoint ~$180K) divided by 2,200 sqm = $54-109/sqm premium over raw land. This is consistent with the ~$40-100/sqm difference observed between the 10,000 sqm raw plot ($100/sqm) and the improved mid-size plots ($200-235/sqm) in the comparables table.

Total Property Valuation

ComponentLowMidHigh
Land (2,200 sqm, improved, with view) $308,000 $374,000 $440,000
Structure (750 sqm bare skeleton, 3 floors) $131,000 $145,000 $158,000
Total Property Value $439,000 $519,000 $598,000

Market Reality Adjustments

Two factors push the actual transaction price below the replacement cost sum:

  1. Skeleton discount (10-15%). Bare skeleton buildings are harder to sell than either raw land or finished property. A buyer still needs to invest significantly to finish the building ($300-400/sqm for completion). Most buyers prefer raw land (cheaper entry) or finished homes (move-in ready). Skeleton is the least liquid category.
  2. Lebanon negotiation gap (15-25%). The asking-to-closing spread in the current Lebanese market is wide. Cash transactions typically close 15-25% below asking.

Applying a combined 20-30% discount from the component valuation:

Realistic Transaction Range
$310,000 - $480,000
After skeleton liquidity discount and negotiation margin

Sources