In general, residing beside graveyards and cemeteries is considered ‘bad' Feng Shui because on a very practical level, the area is literally home to decomposing bodies. As a result, there could be a significant visual turn-off and ‘creep' element for some viewers..
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Does living near a cemetery affect property value?
Glenn Green, a real estate agent with Harcourts in New Plymouth, recently sold a four-bedroom property that overlooks St Lukes cemetery: “Honestly, the sale happened just as swiftly as any other house.”
With a typical price of $478,000, the streets near St Lukes Lawn Cemetery are less expensive compared to the rest of the area.
Those who live near cemeteries can rest assured that their views will remain mostly unobstructed by the construction of new homes or businesses. Green felt that this might be a selling point.
When people aren't interested in the property, they don't come to view it. There is no middle ground when it comes to cemeteries.
“I've never seen a property be negatively impacted by it in my time.” It's been an unexpected benefit.
Bolton St, Easdale St, and Kinross St, all near the Bolton St Cemetery in Wellington, all had median house values much higher than the $1.34 million median price of the suburb.
Old Karori Rd ($1.2m), Standen St ($960K), and Rosehaugh Ave ($940K) near Karori Cemetery all have median values greater than the $917,0000 average for the neighborhood.
In Wellington's cemeteries, perhaps too many students are using them for film or picture shoots since they lack the tranquility. In general, properties near Auckland cemeteries were more expensive than those in the rest of the city.
If a home is near a cemetery, it doesn't appear to effect its value, but it may limit the number of people who are interested in buying it.
A smaller pool of potential buyers may be less interested in a house if it is located near a cemetery, according to Real Estate Institute of New Zealand CEO Bindi Norwell. “While we have no indication that living near a cemetery impacts the median price of a property, what it does impact is demand,” she added (REINZ).
Because of their religious beliefs, some people have a problem with living close to a cemetery; others prefer the wide open spaces, where they can go for a walk with their dog, exercise, or simply enjoy the view from their back door.
Is it scary to live near a cemetery?
Buyers may be reminded of the 1982 horror film “Poltergeist” if they see a home for sale adjacent to a cemetery. At the end of the film, it is revealed that the haunted house of the protagonist is built on property that was once a graveyard and the developer moved the headstones, but neglected to relocate the dead..
Even if buyers aren't concerned about the presence of evil spirits, they may still be put off by the proximity of a cemetery to their new home. These homes can offer a lot of advantages to its residents, as well. Residents of former caretakers' residences in the cemetery have joked that they now live in their own own gated community.
This is one of the best things about living next to a cemetery: you have a lot of neighbors, but they're quite quiet. Jeanne Sagar, writing for the National Association of Realtors, notes that buyers are often astonished to find themselves living next door to noisy or disrespectful people. A cemetery is a tranquil place to live because the deceased like to stay to themselves.
If the cemetery is active, you'll still need to be prepared for some activity. Noise from lawn mowers and other maintenance equipment will also be included in this category.
Visitors may also stop by cemeteries during regular business hours to pay their respects. Veterans' graves are marked with flags by family members and community groups, who pay tribute to their fallen comrades. There are also tour groups that come to see famous graves and take rubbings of headstones in larger cemeteries, according to Leslie Mann, writing for Chicago Tribune.
There will be no after-hours access to the cemetery for these visitors. Even if there are no trees or shrubs to separate the cemetery from the property, buyers may feel that they have a lower level of privacy.
Is cemetery a health risk?
Toxic substances may be released into air and water by the corroding or degrading metals used to make coffins. It is possible that these chemicals will seep into the surrounding soil and water. Only a few studies have been done around the world, and none in South Africa, on the mineral contamination potential of cemeteries. Researchers are trying to find out if burial practices alter the mineral content of cemetery soils. Mineral concentrations of soils within the Zandfontein Cemetery (Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa) were compared to those off-site and in areas with high burial burdens vs those with less burials in order to draw conclusions. ICP-AES was used to evaluate soil samples from both on and off-site locations for 31 minerals. Zandfontein Cemetery soils had higher mineral concentrations than those outside the cemetery. Soil samples in various cemetery blocks also have increased metal contents. Excess metals from burial practices are likely anthropogenic and could be harmful to the environment and human health. Boreholes near the cemetery should have their water quality closely monitored.
Is it good luck to live near a cemetery?
Homebuyers who purchase properties near cemeteries should be aware that they may have a negative impact on the home selling process. A cemetery isn't necessarily bad for the value of your home, but it does have the ability to do so. People's personal beliefs and superstitions play a large role in this. Many individuals find it inappropriate to reside close to a cemetery. Having a cemetery in the neighborhood can make it more difficult to sell a home to a potential buyer.
Having a cemetery nearby doesn't truly effect the value of your home; rather, it reduces the number of potential buyers. Why do you think this is? There are less purchasers interested in acquiring properties near cemeteries in India and Asia because of cultural considerations. As an example, in China, people only visit graves once a year, on Qingming (Tomb-Sweeping Day), believing that it harms their homes' feng shui and brings bad luck. There are comparable ideas held by Indians as well. Buying habits are heavily influenced by Hinduism and Vaastu. As an example, Indian parents raised an eyebrow when the Beaverton School District proposed to build a new elementary school across the road from Bethany Presbyterian Cemetery. It's advisable to avoid cemeteries in their opinion. Muslims, on the other hand, believe in the existence of Jinn or Ghoul and are frightened of them.
According to Redfin, a house near a cemetery may be on the market for up to 48 days before a buyer is found. However, it may be able to command a higher price. Redfin conducted a study in 2013 and found that properties near cemeteries tend to be smaller but slightly more expensive. Cemeteries, after all, are a source of oxygen because to their abundance of trees and foliage. There are also safe spaces where you can go for a stroll or engage in any other form of physical activity if you don't have access to a home gym. Toussaint Day in other places is marked by the lighting of thousands of candles in graveyards, creating an ethereal scene for a few hours, which is a fitting tribute to those who have passed on.
Another perk of cemeteries is that the area is unlikely to alter in the foreseeable future.. Cemeteries serve as a barrier or, much better, a time-blocking device. People who desire a sense of permanence and security won't be bothered by the proximity of a cemetery to their homes here.
What is it like living near a cemetery?
“Cemeteries make peaceful neighbors,” as the saying goes. The majority of the year, cemeteries are rather peaceful, save for the occasional funeral procession, earth movers, or curious visitors. A peaceful and calm environment may be found here, especially if you're fed up with the typical commotion or unruly neighbors' noisy activities.
It's also ideal for those who are fascinated by the significance of cemeteries in local history and culture.
Are houses next to cemeteries haunted?
When it comes to ghosts, according to the cemetery association's Fells, they aren't any more likely to trouble you because you choose to live near a cemetery than if you want to live farther away.
Are cemetery plots a good investment?
Cemetery plots can be purchased in the same way as houses. You do some research, select a decent location, and then make a decision about where you want to be laid to rest. However, what if you decide to move or change your mind about where you wish to spend eternity and decide to sell that plot? For a peek at the graveyard real estate market, check out Planet Money podcaster Stacey Vanek Smith's piece.
By way of STACEY VANEK SMITH, BYLINE: I'm STACEY VANEK SMITH. STACEY VANE Licensed funeral director Amber Carvaly is at your service. Just a few years old is her company, Undertaking LA. It's a new company. Amber, on the other hand, is a relatively young employee in this industry. Early in her adulthood. She's a tad stale, to put it mildly. The length of her red hair makes her look like a flaming redhead.
It was at Pierce Brothers Memorial Park in Los Angeles when I met Amber. The price of a 6-by-8-foot plot here is comparable to the price of a home. This is some of the most expensive real estate on the planet, per square foot. And that's because of a highly renowned person that lives there.
This is a picture of Marilyn Monroe. The grave of Marilyn Monroe is a plain white marble slab. Except for the kiss marks, it's almost too easy.
A simple square stone with her name and a dozen fresh lipstick kisses is all that is needed to mark Marilyn Monroe's grave in the mausoleum wall. In contrast to the surrounding rocks, it shines out.
There is a rumor that because of all the kiss marks, it turned pink. CARVALY: I don't know if this is a fable or a myth, but I've heard it.
I think she's in good company, VANEK SMITH Also buried here are Hugh Hefner, Rodney Dangerfield, Natalie Wood and Truman Capote. There are extremely few people who have access to this location. You need to know a guy to obtain a plot here.
Vasek Smith: Baron has two plots near Marilyn for $600,000 each. The property he owns here isn't his most expensive. He's selling a crypt across town for over a million dollars.
Family names the size of motorway signs adorn the 18-foot-high ceilings and marble floors of CHU.
In areas like Los Angeles and New York, where the population is always on the rise and space is at a premium, Baron, a cemetery real estate expert with 15 years of experience, believes that cemetery site prices virtually always go up. Baron thinks graveyard real estate is a great investment.. There is a constant downward trend in supply and a constant upward trend in demand. Once a person enters a cemetery, they are unlikely to depart. Starting at $1,500, cemetery plots can be purchased in even the most affordable places.
A gravesite plot, according to Undertaking LA's Amber Carvaly, is almost always the most expensive element of a funeral or burial. Cremation is becoming a more popular alternative for her clientele, who are increasingly choosing to skip this step entirely. She, on the other hand, believes that the need for graveyard space will never diminish. They will always play a role in her business, she believes.
In my opinion, this is the one area where I feel everything is universal. Standing on the brink of the water is akin to this feeling. Basically, they're great locations to hang out and relax.
VANEK SMITH: And they will continue to be paid for. NPR's Stacey Vanek Smith is reporting on this story.
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Is it bad to live near crematorium?
Vaastu dictates that the location of the building should not be near any of these things: wedding halls, hospitals, courts, factories, or graveyards. There isn't much to like about a plot of land with a Southern side street. Consult your vaastu expert if you have any further questions.
Why are cemeteries bad for the environment?
Those who choose to reside in a certain place leave a permanent imprint on it. Even after they've died, a person can cause a lot of damage to the environment.
The average death rate for 48.7 percent of the approximately 2.6 million people who died in the United States in 2013 is as follows: The deceased was taken care of by a mortician at one of around 19,000 funeral homes. It was necessary to embalm the body after it had been cleaned, disinfected, massaged, and posed. For their funeral service, they were given a full makeover, including hair styling tools, clothing, and make-up.
There was a hearse or other vehicle used to convey the body to a cemetery after the funeral was over. The casket was lowered into a grave dug by a backhoe and shovel-wielding laborers, and the family bid them farewell. As a result, the casket lay in a liner structure that was designed to preserve the grave from collapsing: either a concrete box within the grave or a plastic, metal, or concrete structure with no bottom. Time and anaerobic decay were left to do their work in the grave.
Of course, there are numerous variations on this concept. Jewish burial traditions, for example, call for unadorned wooden caskets. A standard-issue funeral including viewing and burial costs roughly $7,100. Those who don't like the expense can opt for less expensive accoutrements. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, 45.4% of Americans chose cremation over burial.
From embalming chemicals that drain into groundwater to transportation emissions, each after-death procedure has its own set of environmental implications Carbon dioxide and mercury are released into the atmosphere by many cremation establishments that lack contemporary filtration equipment. Cemeteries themselves incur an environmental cost: Many depend on fertilizers and enormous amounts of water to maintain that trimmed, mowed look.
Space crunch comes next. Cemetery owners have been searching for fresh locations and ways to reposition their dead for ages. It's only going to get worse: As the Baby Boomer generation dies, some towns are scrambling to buy up more land. Is it possible to plan a funeral in the future that can accommodate a higher number of mourners while still protecting the planet?
According to Kimberley Campbell, so. Ramsey Creek Preserve near Westminster, South Carolina, is a huge landscape of meadows, Appalachian woodlands, and calm trails. She assists with the management of the preserve. More than 500 tombs are buried in the park, which is home to a variety of native plants and woodland critters.
According to Campbell, “If people think they're in a graveyard, we've messed up.” Despite the fact that Ramsey Creek is recognized as a “green cemetery,” Campbell argues that it's much more than that. According to her, “the whole process of modern dying appears to deny decomposition and prevent people from returning to the soil.”
Her team organizes graves that appear more like those of 1816 than 2016, so that the dead might be as close to the soil as possible. There is no bulldozer in sight when it comes to digging graves. Dry ice is used to preserve the bodies and they are buried in modest boxes or basic shrouds in the earth. Traditional headstones and lawnmowers are absent from this cemetery, and it's impossible to determine where the graves arerough-hewn stones are the only markers. Restoring the land and financing local non-profits are two of the goals of the funerals.
There is a rising trend for environmentally friendly burials, and Ramsey Creek and other conservation cemeteries are part of it. According to the Green Burial Council's executive director Kate Kalanick, this is becoming more popular for both financial and environmental grounds. For her organization, she certifies funeral homes, cemeteries, and suppliers in order to reduce the environmental impact of death while also providing innovative ways to safeguard the natural environment. As she puts it, “We're not inventing the wheel here.”. Death is returning to the way it was in the past.
Biodegradable coffins, pre-burial preservation using plant-based embalming fluid, dry ice, or refrigeration are all part of the Green Burial Council's list of priorities. The council examines everything from harmful chemicals to shipping distances and wood suppliers in an effort to promote the most environmentally friendly funerals. Traditional cemeteries that allow vault-free funerals with biodegradable caskets and no embalming can be approved as hybrid facilities. To qualify as natural or conservation burial grounds, cemeteries must meet stringent requirements on issues including energy use and trash management.
Protesters are concerned that decomposing bodies would contaminate groundwater or be dug up by wild animals, according to Kalanick. Those concerns are bogus. Dead bodies can get up close and personal with dirt without damaging the water supply in well-located facilities.
Putting bodies in holes and walking away isn't enough, she adds. For example, Kalanick points out the slow decomposition of remains encased in metals, woods, and concrete. When remains are buried in concrete boxes that impede natural decomposition processes, “you go through fewer stages of terrible steps this way,” she explains, visibly shuddering as she thinks of the things bodies go through when they're pushed in concrete boxes.
There is no way to estimate the number of green funerals or their environmental impact at this time. If you're an advocate like Kalanick, Campbell, or urban planners looking for more environmentally friendly ways to bury the dead, there's no reason to hold back.
By intertwining the deceased with the dirt in which they are buried, Campbell sees green burials as an opportunity for the dead to literally produce life. She asks, “How do you want your death to affect the people around you?” “It's possible that your death will bring something wonderful into the world.”
Do cemeteries have germs?
There has been an increase in the number of informal settlements around graves in several developing nations due to rapid urbanization. Graveyards can get contaminated by surface runoff from informal pit latrines since many of these settlements lack basic sanitation services like toilets. Due to the lack of waste management services and the lack of access control at many cemeteries, some people dump rubbish at cemeteries as well.
Because of this, many cemetery grounds have gotten contaminated with human waste, including diseases like E. coli, as a result of poor sanitation. Additionally, because cemeteries are often uninhabited, many animals find a home there. E. coli can also be found in the feces of these animals, which further contaminates the environment. For E. coli and other bacteria in similar conditions, decomposing remains can be a food supply as well.
Using E. coli as an indicator organism, we conducted study in South Africa to see if cemeteries could serve as reservoirs for antibiotic-resistant human diseases.
The study was conducted in three Cape Flats cemeteries (Maitland, Delft, and Welmoed) in Cape Town. This was due to encroachment of informal settlements with poor infrastructure, waste management, and vandalism of cemetery walls that allowed unauthorised access. In this place, the Maitland Cemetery has water at a depth of less than two meters below the surface (the same depth as coffins). Seawater intrusion is also a problem in the area, especially as the sea level rises. E. coli thrives in moist conditions like these.
To determine whether these E. coli strains were capable of causing sickness in people, we isolated E. coli from the water samples obtained from borehole and surface water at these cemeteries. They were also tested for their resistance to drugs routinely used in the treatment of human infections.
A 100ml sample of surface water contained as many as 2,400 E. coli cells in some situations. 100 milliliters of water intended for human consumption should have no E. coli bacteria at all. E. coli should not exceed 575 cells in 100ml of water for partial contact or 235 cells in 100ml of water for full-body contact activities. At lesser amounts, E. coli was found in some of the borehole water samples.
E. coli collected in this study included 42 percent of the genes that allow them to infect humans, according to our findings.
More than two-thirds of the E. coli strains obtained were resistant to at least one of the medications tested, with 72% of those resistant to more than three drugs. There were four isolates that were resistant to all eight of the antibiotics that were examined.
There were several microorganisms that were capable of causing human disease, and many that had developed a resistance to antibiotics.