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

Structures added to framing to increase overall strength and stability. Various types of bracing include cables, rods, struts, ties, shores, additional framing, etc. ...

Reducing real estate investment risk by acquiring diversified holdings. ...

A home seller and a home buyer agreed upon a fair market value and the deal is off to closing the sale. One of the next steps is running a title search. But what is a title ...

(1) The interest rate used to convert future receipts or payments in connection with real estate property to their present value. The cost of capital is used as the discount rate under the ...

Area that is located between a rural and urban area. ...

An interest rate charged on a loan that exceeds the legal maximum interest rate within the state. It is illegal to do so. The maximum interest rate may depend on the type of lender and ...

Federal program in which the U.S. government subsidizes much of the rent paid by low-income people. It applies to rentals of privately owned apartments. ...

What is Novation?  What is the definition of novation? Jointly agreeing to provide an equivalent legal obligation or debt for a previous one. Persons to the contract can also be ...

The person named in a deed who acquires ownership. ...

Popular Real Estate Questions