Repair or Replace Calculator
Compare repairing an item against replacing it on a cost-per-year basis, including the running cost savings a newer replacement delivers.
💼 Are you a real estate agent or broker? Send this calculator to your buyers on your own branded listing page — every enquiry comes straight to your WhatsApp. Create free agent page →A repair is cheaper today and a replacement lasts longer, so comparing the two prices directly answers nothing. The comparison that works is cost per year of life bought — the amount divided by the years it delivers.
Running cost belongs in it too. A modern boiler, pump or appliance frequently uses substantially less energy, and across fifteen years that saving can exceed the difference in purchase price entirely.
The calculation
Repair cost per year = repair cost ÷ the extra years it buys. Replacement cost per year = (replacement cost − running savings over its life) ÷ its life. Whichever is lower is the cheaper choice per year of service.
Worked example
A 400 repair buying three more years costs 133 a year. A 2,200 replacement lasting fifteen years is 147 a year on price alone — so repairing looks better. But if the new unit saves 120 a year in running costs, that is 1,800 over its life, bringing the replacement to about 27 a year and making it decisively cheaper.
Where the arithmetic stops helping
Reliability, the cost of a failure at the worst moment, and whether parts are still available all matter and none appear here. An item that has already been repaired twice is telling you something the cost-per-year figure cannot.
Turn a calculation into an enquiry
Buyers who run these numbers are ready to talk. Give every listing its own page with your photo, phone and WhatsApp on it — leads land straight on your phone.
Create your free property pageFrequently asked questions
How do I estimate the extra life a repair buys?
Ask the engineer what failed and why. A single worn component on an otherwise sound unit can buy years; a failure caused by general age usually means the next one is close behind, and the honest answer is one or two years.
Should I include installation in the replacement cost?
Yes, along with any associated work such as pipework, electrical changes or making good. Installation frequently costs as much as the unit, and leaving it out systematically favours replacement.
What if I might move soon?
Then the years of life you actually benefit from are fewer, which favours repair. Weigh that against how a buyer or surveyor will view an ageing system, since it can appear as a price reduction at sale instead.