Would you buy a house backing onto a cemetery?

[Olinguito]

We're house hunting at the moment and like the look of a house that backs onto a cemetery. There is a substantial garden wall and high trees on the other side blocking the view of graves. The back garden has the advantages of being quiet and not overlooked.. However, would the proximity of a cemetery put you off, and do you think it would be difficult to sell in future?

It would be a positive for me, although I’d visit at different times to make sure it’s not the hangout joint for local ne’er-do-wells.

Make sure you pay for an in-depth survey. My mum lived in an end terrace next door to a cemetery and the house had subsidence, presumably because there was huge oak trees in close proximity.

Other than structural concerns it wouldn't bother me at all.

We do have a house that backs onto a cemetery! It was a big positive for that very reason- and is what swung it for an identical house a street over we were also looking at - we look out at green space and a peaceful atmosphere! Quite special for a busy and built up town like ours. I like it very much. Not worried about a zombie apocalypse because we already have a plan- chuck our older cat at them then run. She's a tortoiseshell and relishes a good scrap. They'd have no chance.

I walk home through the cemetery at night- often on my own- and I just relish the peace and quiet. I see foxes and squirrels and sometimes a bat if I am really lucky. It's such a contrast to the busy road and noise just a few streets over.

Some posters have asked whether it’s a quiet cemetery or the kind groups of teens go and drink in at night. It might be wise to drive by the cemetery at night, on a Friday or Saturday, before buying the house, and seeing if anyone appears to be, well, up and moving. And being slightly anti-social. In a non-zombie way.

Yes I would.

I’ve got a long list of things I avoid in houses including renovation projects, busy roads, noisy roads, rural areas, areas liable to flooding & new build developments.

But backing onto cemeteries is not on the list. I don’t believe in ghosts or zombie apocalypses.

It depends on the actual cemetery for me @Olinguito

Does it still have burial ports available? Is it an older cemetery or a new one? Are there parking facilities at the cemetery?
We have a beautiful cemetery in our small town with some really lovely houses overlooking it. I completely discounted one when we were house hunting though as they’ve recently extended the cemetery and it’s very limited for parking so on days where there is a burial service everyone attending the graveside parks around the residential streets beside it and walks up. The place becomes a bit chaotic.

It wouldn't bother me at all. I think there are many positives!

I find cemeteries serene and beautiful. You won't have any noise either

It wouldn’t bother me at all unless it had a reputation for being a hangout for homeless people or rowdy gangs meeting up. I know one cemetery where this happens and it’s unsafe to walk through in daylight.

@Olinguito This should have said burial plots obviously 😂

I should also have said, the actual cemetery being there wouldn’t be an issue for me though. I actually quite like a cemetery 😳😂

That would be my concern, but the rest of it wouldn't bother me.

Wouldn’t put me off at all. Peaceful and quiet. It won’t be difficult to sell! I’d love it.

I’d think it was a positive. Less chance of it being built on. Is the boundary secure though? Because any public access at the back increases your chance of burglary if not.

I'd be fine with it. I lived opposite one once, nice and quiet (although the church bells rang hourly, including through the night, but I got used to that more easily than loud neighbours) and no houses across the road.

This was a few years ago in a reasonable seized town and I was never aware of anyone hanging round the graveyard/anti social behaviour etc.

You’ve never seen The Night of the Living Dead (1985)? That’s exactly what happens

I would love to live by a cemetery. I find them so peaceful and, as others have said, often they have open views. However I would be worried it would be hard to sell on as some people don't like them.

Ha ha.
I do live next to a graveyard and DSD had one of these.
It's fine, quiet, the cats love it. Lots of hidey places and mice in the long grass.

I once worked nights in an office which was in the middle of a cemetary and it was lovely and quiet. It is more afraid of the living I am than the dead.

It would be a massive positive for me.

I wouldn't mind if it was an old churchyard with graves but I'd be less keen if it was a cemetery which is currently still accepting burials. Would you have hearses and funeral traffic drive past your house etc?

When I see a hearse it reminds me of family losses and tough funerals I've been to so although I'm not at all spooked by 'the dead', I don't think I'd want sadness and reminders of loss in close proximity to my home.

I'd be ok with an old churchyard though that wasn't in active use.

Sure it’s not overlooked? 👻

It wouldn't put me off at all.
I would find it nostalgic to be honest as I was one of those teens that hung out in the cemetery.
Not drinking though, usually eating fish and chips and chatting. Then oddly tidying up my great grandparents graves and checking the graves of my more distant ancestors, we've always lived here so I have graves of relatives going back to the 1700s which my friends found fascinating.
In short, no I'd love to live by the cemetery I would find it very calming.

We lived next door to one for ages. It was lovely. So so quiet , and we got lots of birds and wildlife coming over the wall to our garden. No one visiting us cared apart from one dreadfully silly woman who I met at baby class who kept theatrically shivering (and it worked as a good sign not to be friends with her!)

It wouldn't be an issue for me. Best neighbours ever.

Both houses I have bought were very close to cemeteries, the first a house away, and the second literally backing onto it. No issues either time and I like the fact that no housing development would pop up.

The only slight issue with the second was that as it was a very large cemetery there were foxes. But I actually liked this.