Funeral home across the street, OH NO!!!

[my3kids]

Are you zoned R-1, single family residential? I guess if the funeral director is in negotiations, he probably already knows the answer. A sale could hinge on a zoning change, and you would have a good argument on it changing the character of the neighborhood, possibility of hazardous contamination (from chemicals) and certainly traffic....residential streets are not generally designed to handle the load of traffic a funeral brings. A funeral home would need a large parking lot which can equal water runoff which your sewer system may or may not be able to handle. If it comes to a zoning hearing, I have some ideas of things which can be brought onto the table.

If the street is wide, the houses wide spread, it honestly wouldn't be the worst neighbor. The elderly man may think he has no other option, but if he hasn't talked to a real estate agent, he might be surprised at what price he could get from a buyer. You recently moved there, so people are coming into the neighborhood. I bet you can get someone into the house and not in a coffin.

 

[Grog]

We've had a funeral home just down the street from us (Less than a quarter mile) for the past few years. No one around here is really bothered by it. Like kylara said, you never really see the sad side of things. With ours, the traffic isn't a problem either, but that might be because the home has it's own parking lot (this was a purpose built funeral home). And before anyone asks, there is no zoning here (that I know of).

 

[HollyJoy]

I wouldn't like it!! I think it would be a bit creepy, not to mention that it may decrease the value of your property. Would you buy a house across the street from a Funeral Home?

 

[Desnik]

Thanks for all the opinions.

To answer a few questions, no I would not have bought this house, or any other if there was a funeral home directly across the street. My house is zoned R2, residential 2 family. None of the houses on my block are multifamily, all single and I'm not sure what their zoning is. From what I've been told none of us are commercially zoned. Not even the house across the street. But, supposedly the funeral home won't need commercial zoning. It does need a special zoning, apparently it isn't an issue. I know money is an issue because the house next door to the maybe soon to be funeral home just sold for $1,300,000 and that house is smaller. They would have to put a parking lot on the property. We live in a village and the houses are close together. I do have small kids, 6yo and 14mo, and I don't want them to have to see grief like that everyday. The thing is I don't know the guy well, we just moved here in Dec. I did ask him to think about making it a B&B or selling it as one. He didn't seem too interested in that. DH and I joked with him that he should just let us live there!!LOL I don't think he would've mentioned it if he really wasn't considering it. And if he didn't have a solid offer from this funeral company. They wouldn't make the offer unless they knew they could do what they wanted. I do know this owner and his family have been in this town since the 1800's and let's just say he knows people. He was also an attorny. We did tell him we wouldn't like the idea if it became a funeral home, but if the price is right, what's to stop him? I do know the town is very strict on zoning and they do not like to change what is in place. They won't allow any more multifamily homes so he can't split it up and make apartments out of it. I wouldn't want that either.

DH is ready to pack it up and move! I don't want to move again. I love this neighborhood and the schools. We've moved too much already. This just really stinks!

 

[Jockaroo]

I've experienced the funeral home as neighbor and wanted to give my views. My mother rented an apartment over 15 years ago. There is an alley way between her and the funeral home. Her situation is different since she rents and does not fear a depreciation of property value.

The funeral home staff are wonderful neighbors. The home owns two parking lots, one behind the apartment the other adjoining one side. The property is imaculately maintained. Parking is rarely an issue with their 2 lots. Two additional lots may be used since they are for 9-5 jobs and most visitation is during the evening.

My mom moved her while I was in college, so I understood the importance of keeping music low during visitation hours, etc. At my age I could understand death as a part of life and I was not bothered by the funeral home. I did not see greif and mourning as a part of my everyday life while I lived there. As I said, they were excellent neighbors.

My mom's neighbor hood has apartments, family homes (older), the funeral home, nursing home, veterinarian office, church, Japanese Restaurant, florist, Law offices and mental health facilities located within a two block radius. Our big gripe was the summer they moved the weekend prisoners to an abandoned school next to the funeral home. These were non-violent offenders who were housed here during jail construction. But this was the only place that women could find ex-husbands to try to get child support. This was an ugly summer. Recently all the neighbors banded together to prevent a methodone clinic from being built in the area. My mom said she would move if the clinic came. The funeral home owner was instrumental in keeping this from happening.

So as an adult, being near a funeral home would not bother me. This is a respectable business. As a child one of my friend's father was a mortician, so I don't think this would bother me for young people either. As a property owner I would not want my investment to lose money.

 

[Octoberbride03]

You'd be surprised. Frankly, where i come from there was more than 1 funeral home in mostly residential neighborhoods, and the value of the surrounding homes did not decrease, and if they went up for sale, sold quickly.

Would I buy a home across from a funeral home? Absolutely, if it had everything i was looking for and handled traffic for viewings in a reasonable manner, I'd buy it.

It may seem morbid to have 1 nearby. But quite honestly, most viewings do take place night or at mid-morning hours. They don't normally interfere with rush-hour and like another poster said, are generally quiet affairs unless a local celebrity died or someone, like a firefighter who is given a big ceremonial sendoff. And you'd be amazed at what they can do with an old house without compromising its structural integrity.

If it were me being asked, all I'd want would be a thorough traffic study. As long as the area can handle the traffic, then I'd stay. Except for the sign out front, it just another house in the neighborhood.

Course death has always been a part of my life even though no one in my family worked for a funeral home. I can honestly claim to have lived in cemetary as a child. My dad and his family spent their whole lives living in the same cemetary till they grew up and married. My late GD was caretaker of Laurel Hill in East Falls, Philly for decades.

Good luck

 

[Crissup]

For the past 27 years, I've lived just a couple of hundred feet from a cemetary (neighbor's house in between) and one block south of a funeral home. Other than the rare "special" funeral, such as a cop who was shot on duty, stuff like that, I can't say I even remember any funeral processions. That's how little I pay attention to that stuff. The cemetary has always been the quietest neighbors and have put up with all of our parties and such through the years without complaint.

 

[slo]

**BUMMER**

I would absolutly, positively, not like this at all. I have respect for those that have passed away - but to witness this everyday???? No Thanks!!!! I would have to move.

 

[Pop Daddy]

it would be alright with me

 

[Pin Wizard]

Aaaaauuuggghh! I would be out of there NOW! I get the heebie jeebies just driving past a funeral home on the way to DS's school.

 

[Disney Doll]

I live across the street from a cemetery, so a funeral home wouldn't bother me unless the neighborhood could not adequately handle traffic. Death doesn't bother me, doesn't give me the heebie jeebies or anything else. It's part of life. I actually feel kind of bad for all you guys who are so afraid of death...you're in for a tough run!

An FYI...there was a large house for sale not far from mine, on a fairly busy street, across the street from a local college. The house went up for sale, a funeral home was one of the possibilities, the neighbors fought long and hard against and won. They didn't put a funeral home there.

They put an 8 story high college dorm instead.

Whic would you rather have?

 

[Grog]

They put an 8 story high college dorm instead.

I'll bet the people that voted against the funeral home are regreting that decision... probably reget it even more on Friday and Saturday nights

 

[ripleysmom]

To be honest I don't think it would be bother me.

 

[Planogirl]

It wouldn't bother me. I think that the people attending funerals would be inside virtually all of the time and the cars would likely be out of sight. The townhomes that are due to be built one street over from us bother me far worse.

 

[Laura]

The only thing that would bother me is the possibility of bad traffic. But otherwise I wouldn't mind.

 

[TerriP]

It wouldn't bother me at all to live next to/across the street from a funeral home. Death is just as natural as birth...it does not creep me out anymore than any other part of life (in fact, giving birth scares me A LOT more than dying does!! <lol>).

I could think of a lot worse neighbors to have...prison, bar, strip club, Republican National Committee Headquarters (JUST KIDDING!), etc...

 

[Desnik]

Let me just say that I don't fear death or care or think about it much. For me that is less of an issue. For my husband that's an issue and for me kids it's an issue. My big issue is traffic and the value of my home. The fact is most people wouldn't buy a house across the street from a funeral home. If I were to sell in the future with that across the street, it would be much harder to sell. I would probably make less money too. I would never live near a cemetary, not beause of dead people, but for the depreciation of the house. Location, location, location!! It's the most important in realestate. Sure you get the occasional person who doesn't care what they live next to. I just don't know if I see myself in this or any house forever and resale value is very important to me. The street is very busy to begin with because our street is a short cut to the highway. It is a 2 lane road, 30mph.

My neighbors seem to be divided. It's weird, the younger families with kids are dead against it. The older people who have lived here for years seem to not care. We all are worried about the traffic.
What about the chemicals and the sewers?

 

[Microcell]

Originally posted by SugarBear
You don't have to worry about noisy neighbors.

My biggest worry would be traffic.

Now that is funny!

Can you buy it? Rent one or the other out and you get to choose your neighbors!

 

[caitycaity]

i don't think it would bother me unless there were traffic concerns.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Have you spoken with a realtor about the actual affect on the value of your property, or are you just making assumptions? Maybe it's not as bad as you think.

I definitely understand concerns about property values. I've been watching that "Designed to Sell" show on HGTV, and I'm amazed at the things that DO affect property values. Personally tho, for me, it wouldn't be that big a deal having the funeral home itself across the street. Traffic would bother me, but we live out in the boonies to avoid traffic from many different types of businesses, and traffic does occasionally affect us from funeral processions if we happen to be going that way.

I actually think I feel more comfortable about the whole funeral home thing after watching "Family Plots"...it all seems so much more "matter-of-fact".