How to Sell Cemetery Property

While cemetery property is generally bought to serve as a final resting place, it can also turn out to be an investment if you decide to sell it. If you decide you’d rather be buried elsewhere, or find yourself facing an emergency where you need extra cash, you can put your cemetery property up for sale, and there are a number of ways to go about this.

Contact the cemetery

If you are planning on selling your cemetery property, contact the cemetery where you own plots. Let them know you are looking to sell your property, and request a transfer agent or sales representative. Every cemetery has specific rules and regulations when it comes to this – find out if they require you to do certain things in order to complete the transfer process. Most cemeteries will also mail you a “change of ownership” along with other paperwork, all of which needs to be filled in.

You will also need to look into whether the cemetery has any transfer-of-ownership fees or deed-transfer fees – these can be anything between $10 and $200. Some may also have regulations that require you to provide a document known as a “quit claim”, so make sure you check up on all the documents the cemetery requires, in order to make the selling process as smooth as possible.

Advertise through a professional website

You can also advertize your cemetery property through a professional real estate website, many of which allow you to post and advertize your property free of charge, while others may charge a one-time registration fee or a final fee upon sale. If you are considering an individual listing business, find out how much it charges before you commit to anything.

Obtaining the change-of-ownership forms from the transfer agent is still required but you can have the rest of the sale handled by someone else. When selling by yourself as opposed to through the cemetery, you need to set a price for your plot. Research the prices of similar plots in the same cemetery, to get an idea about how much you should charge. If you are serious about selling, you will not want to set too high or low a price, so potential buyers take you seriously. You will also need to write a description of your plot in your advertisement (location, size, etc), and upload photos, if possible.

Sell directly by contacting the clergy, funeral directors or nursing homes

Another way to sell a cemetery plot is by selling directly to a buyer. Contact individuals and organizations that deal with burials and funerals, such as certain clergy members, nursing homes, or funeral directors. All these individuals and organizations will be able to put you into direct contact with someone who is in need of a cemetery plot right then, and you can sell directly to a buyer who is in need. It may be a delicate situation which needs to be handled properly, but is a quick and easy way to sell cemetery property.