House overlooking a graveyard. Would you buy?

[StarintheMorning]

Looking at a house in a lovely village. It hasn’t sold and now seems to be v good value, although it needs a fair bit of work. The only reason we can see for it not selling is that it is almost on a graveyard.

The church is beautiful Grade 1 listed, the churchyard is very well looked after. There is a small path between the house and the graveyard, which goes to the front door of the house. The church is right across the other side of the churchyard, although obviously the bells will be loud on a Sunday morning, but we have lived close to church bells before and loved it.

We would like it be our forever home, but there is a small possibility that we will need to move at retirement and I don’t want to buy something that will be difficult to sell.

As my son said, the neighbours will be quiet!

Yep defo, but I love spooky shit so it'd be right up my street!

I would buy! My nans house backs onto a graveyard and I always like to look out of a top window.

@StarintheMorning it’s not expensive, but we had to prove it was ‘ in perpetuity‘ therefore transferable to our buyers.

I believe some churches in the past dug out old documents to show that villagers had contributed in the past. Hopefully this doesn’t happen anymore.

I love living opposite a church, it’s reasonably quiet, the vicar has sermons in 3 different churches so there’s not a service in our village every week, but I’m not religious so do not attend.

100% yes
Peaceful and quite pleasant to look at and... quiet!

I find graveyards really tranquil. I would buy it!

I lived in a house by a church overlooking the graveyard. In fact, part of the house was below graveyard ground level, so coffins would have been just a couple of feet from the interior wall!

It was a lovely house in a super position and as I told visitors who felt creepy about it, "It's not the dead ones you have to watch out for."

Graveyards are also often a haven for wildlife. I totally LOVED that house!

I used to live next to a graveyard when my parents ran the town pub. Never bothered me at all and I used to go and bury my dead gerbils in it. I don’t remember any church services going on there just going to brownies in the church hall.

@Dragongirl10 wow envy envy

MARCIPEX...thanks, but unfortunately we are not allowed to dig anything or change the sire in any way...so my gardening passion is somewhat restricted!!! (although we have another space to tackle which is not restricted, currently lots of weeds)

site not sire!

If its your forever home you wont have to go far afterwards.

I lived in a house in my 20s that backed onto a graveyard, it was very peaceful, a really quiet garden, loved it. However I am much more aware of my own mortality now and if I opened my curtains every morning to my not so distant future (well I hope I have at least 30 years left!) I would find it too depressing.

Chancel liability is Anglican churches, so just check what type of church it is. You could get the seller to pay. We bought near a church before and the insurance was £12.

Also it's hugely unlikely that they would still qualify, any church in which the Tithes were sold, no longer has the ability to ask the non-landowner of the church.

Yes ! I love graveyards

The first house I bought was next to a graveyard. You could see graves from my bedroom window. Didn't bother me at all. I put it on the market 3 years later and had no problem selling.

Initial thought is definitely no. It would have the be a picture perfect village and house to make me consider it... and then only if it was a church that wasn’t used much (e.g. no current funerals, weddings etc)

I have a cemetery at the end of my road, I didn't give it a 2nd thought when I was buying my house. As pp have said, makes things quieter!

It would be a real plus point for me and to be honest would put the house to the very top of my viewing list. There not much I like more than an old churchyard.

I had a house overlooking church and graveyard and it used to be used as a morgue (100's of years ago!) didn't bother me one bit. Nice view of pretty church and really quiet!

I would. Is it a ‘used’ graveyard or an old one?

You won’t hear the bells (we lived next to a convent and were woken on day one with 6am bells).

We used to live in the centre of 3 churches which would ring together (plus the town clock) on a Sunday morning. I remember a guest staring shrieking ‘Jesus Christ is it a million o’clock or have we been invaded???’

I wouldnt be that keen tbh on being close to a graveyard, is it still in use?.
How visible is it from house and garden ?
As others have said at least the land would not be developed and it would be quiet.

Oh yes, it is still in use. You would look out on the grave stones from the front windows. There is literally just a footpath separating the house from the graveyard. The orientation of the house is really focused towards the back of the house though, as the back garden faces south.

It’s unlikely the graveyard will be built on. Lots of old Vicarages look out over graveyards and maintain desirable status. It will be quiet. I really cannot think of a major downside.

However grade 1 might be the reason. You cannot do anything much to it. What you might be able to do can result in a lengthy negotiation process with the Heritage planners. It might also be ultra expensive to maintain - lead down pipes, expensive replacement windows etc. That might have put people off if it needs some work or they wanted to change rooms around or extend.

My mums house is next to an old graveyard. It’s incredibly peaceful. There is a lovely owl that hoots at night. Developers are trying to build on half of it though (have been given permission).

Yes, I love graveyards.
Peaceful places for remembering loved ones, full of history.