Even though funerals have primarily been held at funeral homes now for decades, there are still people who would prefer to have an intimate service in their home when a loved one passes away. A long time ago, home funerals were just the tradition. Family members actually prepared the body of the deceased before the service, and then the deceased was removed from the home for burial. If having a funeral at home is something you are considering while planning your own funeral and burial arrangements, there are a few things that you should know beforehand.
Most states do still allow people to choose a home funeral.
All states have their own laws and regulations regarding home funerals, burial, and how deceased individuals must be transported. Therefore, it is a good idea to talk to a funeral director in your area to find out about what laws are present that could interfere with you having the funeral at home. Even though most states do still allow people to choose to have a home funeral, it is best to know all the details amount what local laws will allow.
Home funerals can save money but not as much as you may think.
If the primary reason you want to have the funeral at home is to save money on funeral cost, you should know that having a funeral at home can still come along with a list of expenses. For example, you will still have to pay someone to come to the home to prepare the body if this is not something that you are comfortable with having your family members handle. Furthermore, you will still have to pay someone to have your body transported from your home to the burial site or crematorium.
There are some situations when a home funeral is not a practical idea.
Even though home funerals can work for some people, they are not the best solution for every individual. having a home funeral is actually a lot of work. If this is an arrangement that you are making for yourself, you will have to talk to your immediate family members to make sure they are comfortable with the things that are involved in a home funeral, like preparing your body and filling out the death certificate. It can actually take several people to successfully carry out a home funeral. If your family is not comfortable with the idea, or if you do not have a lot of people that you can rely on, it is best to stick with the traditional funeral service.
