There is a rule of thumb that states, "First cost is only 20% of the operating cost of a building over the life of the building." It is a term I like to call the "iceberg factor" because 80% of the building cost (e.g., liabilities) lies below the surface of the water. It is this danger that can impact long-term investment and also reduce the life of the building infrastructure.
Now, some people will want to debate the 20% value, which is fine, but the point of the iceberg factor is that first cost is only the beginning of a good investment or bad investment. How the building holds up and performs over its estimated useful service life will depend on a lot of issues beginning with commitment and ownership.