Cemetery property can be an investment, as well as a final resting place. If you have cemetery property and need extra cash for an emergency, or perhaps you’ve decided you’d like your plot to be elsewhere, you can sell your cemetery property. Since cemetery property is tangible property, there are a few things you should take note of before attempting to sell your property. It doesn’t have to be difficult to do, and you can have extra cash if you’re looking to sell it.
Contact the cemetery where you own plots. You will want to ask for a sales representative or transfer agent, letting them know you are interested in selling your cemetery property. You will need to get “change of ownership” forms mailed to you in order to fill out the proper paperwork. Some cemeteries have specific things you need to do in order to fulfill the transfer process. You’ll want to talk to them about their own personal rules and regulations before making any changes.
Find out about transfer-of-ownership fees. Some cemeteries will require a deed-transfer fee, which can run between $10 and $200. Some also require a document called a “quit claim,” and you’ll need to know if that is also part of their regulations.
Find a professional site online. Many online sites offer free services to sell your property. You’ll still need to talk with the transfer agent to get change-of-ownership forms, but you can have the rest of the details handled by someone else. Some are free and charge a final fee upon sale, and some charge only a one-time registration fee. You’ll want to find out which and how much the individual listing business charges before you commit.
Set your price. Find out the comparable amount for your plot(s), including any fees that you had to pay that take away from your final amount of profit. Do research on similar plots that are for sale in your area so you can see if your price is equivalent to other prices listed. You don’t want to undersell or charge too much.
Describe your cemetery property. Whether you’re listing an ad in the classifieds or going with a broker, you will want to describe your property, including location and size.
Respectfully contact people who deal with funeral and burial situations, such as a members of the clergy, funeral directors or nursing homes. Sometimes, your property can sell better if a person is in need of it right then. This is optional and can be a very delicate situation, but your cemetery property can sell much faster to a family that needs it immediately rather then an ad that someone might look at, but not feel that they need at the present time.