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

Accurate measurement of land for the purpose of determining the boundaries of its perimeter, its contours, and area. Survey are generally required by banks and other lending institutions as ...

How much of an investment made in real estate has been recovered expressed in dollars or in percentage terms. ...

If you’re in the business of purchasing properties, maybe as a real estate investor, you might be wondering what is cost segregation. Well, first of all, it’s a study that deals ...

Net return rate earned on an equity investment in real estate after deducing any interest costs and taxes. ...

The Exclusive Right to Sell Listing is a type of Listing where the Listing Broker/Agent wins his/her commission even if he/she wasn’t directly responsible for the sale.Let’s ...

person's behavior partly genetic and partly learned through experience over time. Some people have good personal traits while others have poor ones. ...

The best atrium definition is that of a room with a roof open displaying the sky, but as with most things architecture (or even art) the atrium definition has changed with the passing of ...

Primary business district of a city or urbanized area having the areas major governmental offices, professional, and retail businesses represented. ...

Individual engaged in selling a product or service. The product may be an investment in real estate. In some instances, state law may require licensing to safeguard the public by requiring ...

Popular Real Estate Questions