How To Choose A Funeral Home

During the Civil War, funeral homes were used in the preservation and shipment of those who died. Today, funeral homes have become a part of a nation and undertakers, which are also known as morticians and funeral directors, now require full time commitments rather than a side job.

When funeral homes became part of life and death, only a few families and individuals owned one. During this time, a person wanting to hire the place or service of a funeral home will only pay a few hundred dollars.

While most homes, cemeteries or crematories are owned and managed by larger corporations today, only a few, personalized homes can be found. Unfortunately, the rise of corporations in the business of funerals became more focused on earning, instead of providing the needs of their clients.

Things To Consider

When shopping around for homes, make sure that a personnel of the home will answer your queries either by phone or in person. The funeral home should give you an updated list of all the fees involved in a certain service.

In order to guarantee that the funeral home is reputable, ask for a pricelist for urns, caskets and outer containers. Majority of honest funeral homes gives you a catalog with prices for you to think about at home.

When a funeral home claims that their caskets and outer containers are "sealed", "protected", "gasketed" or implies that the remains will be preserved by rubber seals, never believe them. Be aware that there is no way to keep the remains preserved.

Funeral homes should not tell you that a casket is needed for a cremation. In addition, they should inform you about certain alternative containers. In fact, any consumer has the right and option to buy a casket from other sources he or she wishes. Funeral homes should also stick to their determined fees, nor charge for other fees when you buy from another source.

Where To Find One

You can find a home by asking for recommendations from your friends, families and other trusted people in your life. If they can't direct you to a reputable funeral home, search the yellow pages and inquire with each service on the phone or in person.

Make sure you have acquired a price list from all your choices. Once you've interviewed each funeral home, make a comparison considering prices, professionalism, location and options about the caskets, outer containers, cemetery plots or cremations. This way, you can arrive at the most low-cost and professional home that offers many options.