How to Choose a Cemetery Plot
By M. Kotch
Source: Flickr.com
Recent trends have shown that when it comes to planning a funeral, many people are choosing their final resting places ahead of time. Why? Reasons vary from a desire to spare loved ones the need to make difficult decisions to curbing costs, to being near other family members to having the final say in resting place.
So how does one begin the process of choosing a cemetery plot? The first step is to approach it with the same attention you’d heed to any other major decision in your life. Obviously the subject of choosing a cemetery plot is emotionally loaded. However, that does not mean that you should approach this choice with any less research (such as background checking or cost comparing) that you would conduct when purchasing a home, for example. While it may sound difficult at first, taking the time to research ahead of time can save you and your family difficulties down the road. Here’s where to start:
1. Location, Location, Location. Do you want to be buried near home, a distant location or in a cemetery where other loved ones are laid to rest? Decide on the region, town or specific cemetery of final resting place.
2. Don’t Skip the Research. If you haven’t worked with the specific cemetery you’ve chosen before, check out the business by asking for recommendations, investigating their status with the Better Business Bureau and walking around the premises to see how they maintain their grounds and take care of older plots. Are the gravestones clean, the grass trimmed and trash removed? Lastly, do a simple Web search on the business to find out what comes up on the first few results pages—an unresolved dispute, rave reviews or other important information can often be discovered this way.
3. Traditional or Green Burial. Many cemeteries offer both kinds of burial while others offer only one or the other. Traditionally, vaults are needed to secure the plot for burial. Otherwise a green cemetery burial can involve liners or nothing more than a simple wood box, biodegradable urn and the earth beneath. The Green Burial Council’s Web site offers a list of green cemeteries across the U.S.
4. What Is Your Budget? Some will purchase plots in historical cemeteries with extravagant monuments. Others want nothing more than a simple plot and gravestone to mark the burial place. Plots range in price from a few hundred to several thousand dollars; pre-planning a cemetery plot purchase can be one way to secure a plot in a desired location. Also, don’t forget to account for maintenance. Some cemeteries charge a fee for periodic cleaning and tending to the grounds while others leave that responsibility to family members.
5. How Do You Want to Mark the Gravesite? These days, headstones can be made of stone, glass or even automated to communicate with visitors via cell phones. A final resting place can also be marked with a tree or engraved rock. Decide which marker is right for you, then check with the cemetery to make sure that it doesn’t violate any of their rules or regulations.
6. Cost Cutting Tip: Consider a Pre-Owned Plot. Pre-owned plots are often mistaken for previously occupied, which may not be the case. Pre-owned plots for sale can just mean that the owner has chosen a different resting place and would like to sell his/her plot for another location—without it ever being used.
