Definition of "Replacement cost"

Mary  O Connell real estate agent

Written by

Mary O Connellelite badge icon

O Connell Properties

Are you thinking to yourself: What does replacement cost mean?

When someone in the Real Estate Market mentions Replacement Cost, they are talking about an evaluation of how much it would cost to build a completely identical new house to replace an old one. By completely identical, read as built with the same materials (or materials of equal quality), the same square footage and the same amount of bedrooms, bathrooms and whatever other types of rooms the preexisting house had. Included in this calculation is also the manpower required to build the new house on the place of the old one.

Why is this done? Well, determining the replacement value of an asset is mostly done for insurance reasons – like calculating the depreciation of the house over its useful life to cover any damage – but the so-called replacement cost approach can also be done by an Appraiser in order to help assert the Market Value of a house in volatile markets where the real estate market external factors are difficult to evaluate.

Real Estate Secrets:

Building a new house to replace the old one? There are a bunch of other terms you should look on our 
Glossary to guide you through this tiring process!

You know a difficult replacement cost to calculate? That of a trustworthy agent! Use The OFFICIAL Real Estate Directory® to find one!

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

To fulfill , complete, implement, perform, or carry out terms of an agreement including completing a signature on a contract and delivering a document to the intended party. ...

Legal contract in which the lender controls the pledged property being financed. The agreement describes the property and its location. Of default occurs, the lender may sell the ...

Multistory, nineteenth-century house featuring turrets, high chimney, and decorative trim. ...

The units are used as commercial offices. The purchaser of an office condominium owns the title to the individual office unit and not to the property. Maintenance fees are assessed to each ...

Real estate, home and life insurance use numerous ambiguous terms you should know because you can significantly benefit from them. Let’s discover what the word boot usually applies to ...

Same as term right of first refusal: Right of an individual to be offered something before it is offered to others. For example, a tenant whose apartment is going to be converted to a ...

A fully amortized mortgage necessitating periodic payments of both interest and principal. In the early years of the loan, the share of principal is smaller and the interest larger, a ...

An anticipatory breach of contract is the action that occurs when one party in the contract shows their intention to not fulfill their contractual obligations to the other party. The ...

Favorable occurrence providing a good chance for success, usually in financial terms. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions