Master the California Real Estate Exam with our comprehensive practice quiz. Get expert tips, detailed content review, and insider strategies to pass on your first try.

Practice this question and more.


When considering a major home improvement, the homeowner's primary concern about the house's value is based on the principle of:

  1. Substitution

  2. Contribution

  3. Balance

  4. Plottage

The correct answer is: Contribution

The correct answer is B Contribution. This principle considers the added value that a specific improvement will bring to the overall value of a home. It is important to note that other options, such as A: Substitution, C: Balance, and D: Plottage, may also impact the value of a home to some extent, but they are not as directly related to a specific improvement as Contribution is. For example, Substitution refers to the concept that a potential buyer may choose to purchase a different property with similar features instead of the one being considered, which can affect the value of the home. Balance refers to the idea that different features in a home should be in proportion to each other, but it does not necessarily consider the value of a specific improvement. Plottage, on the other hand, takes into account the added value that can come from combining adjacent properties, but it is not solely based on a single improvement. Ultimately, Contribution is the most appropriate concept to consider when evaluating the impact of a major home improvement on a home's value.