After losing a loved one, the last step you’re likely to take is get quotes on funerals to bargain over funeral costs. Losing someone can impact your overall body and even your thoughts. Additionally, you’re not likely to be in a frame of mind to receive a large invoice.
A run-of-the-mill hypothesis has been that you show your loved ones better respect when you spend more on their funeral. But times have changed. Wise spending does mean a cheaper send-off. Whether you’re considering many individuals or a few dearest/nearest people – the unique way you use to say goodbye is what matters. The saved monies can then be put towards a reception/wake, memorial service or put into a charity.
If you plan to arrange the cheapest possible funeral, but very importantly still retain a fully dignified funeral then a low-cost undertaker can assist you. An inexpensive funeral is also the way to follow if you want to save money and still retain the event to be respectful, dignified, and personal.
Many people are totally unaware of low-cost undertakers. This is mainly due to the small number of them and the powerful, often dominant marketing from a few large companies which gains a lot of attention. By getting different quotes on funerals from these lower cost undertakers, you can be assured that you are receiving lower costs.
There is of course nothing wrong with using an undertaker you may have used in the past and had good service from. The point of this article is to inform the reader that there are low-cost quality alternatives which many would prefer to use if made aware of. Funeral poverty in the UK is a major problem.
Even when handling something complicated/precious as losing someone special, the challenging time of selecting an undertaker mostly comes down to assurance/trust. Whereas some years ago, the market had fewer funeral directors who focused primarily on their local places, nowadays, the market has a significant percentage of them. This option can be a benefit for a few people. However, it also complicates searching for a low-cost undertaker.
Quotes on funerals
As with all services, we mainly link brand awareness with trust. It’s a straightforward timesaver for products and services that we hope will deliver the exceptional outcomes we need. Most importantly, most people are more out of time when required to arrange the funeral program within a few weeks.
Here, most people will presumably go for a highly known brand instead of spending much of their time looking for an unknown name. This is a common easy way out for many distressed and busy people. Family pressure of wanting to get the funeral ‘sorted’ quickly is another reason for many people not shopping around, and ultimately paying far too much. Shopping around for quotes on funerals from lower cost undertakers is important if you are like many on a tight budget.
Generally, most of us are after a trustable and cheaper solution that will deliver quality service with the respect & dignity we deserve.
So, why choose low-cost undertakers, and what are the cheapest funerals? This informative article aims to help you save money.
How much are funeral costs?
This is where quotes on funerals can vary tremendously based on the alternatives you select. For many the costs are often not straightforward to understand. Basic cremation funeral prices stand at approximately £3000-£4000+ between the different parts of the UK. As per 2020 prices, a burial will cost approximately £5000+. However, the overall price is likely to be considerably more due to extras such as catering for the reception/wake, flowers, and headstones. If you were to use low-cost undertakers the above prices would be significantly less.
The funeral director’s charges mainly include the costs for the items/services they offer, like vehicles and the coffin. They also involve the payments (disbursements) forwarded to third parties, like the cemetery, doctors, and a minister. Furthermore, keep in mind that third-party costs or disbursements are applicable if you select burial or cremation.
Funeral costs
As per the government update, funeral costs have increased by over three times over the last ten years. As per the Competition & Markets Authority report – CMA, funeral cost increases do not seem justified since they have not led to quality improvements. On average, cremation costs have increased by 84 per cent and funeral director costs by 68 per cent over the last ten years.
As already mentioned, few individuals shop around for funerals. Saving cash seldom occupies the priority list in the highly billed emotional situation experienced after losing someone special. But does this indicate that family members and partners are left to handle high costs?
The Guardian ‘Pricey Goodbye? The cheapest and most expensive places to die revealed’, pointed out that councils had increased the burial costs far more than how the wage or inflation rate increases. Besides this, research shows that most funeral directors can charge 40-60% more than low-cost undertakers. Fees are often less as low-cost undertakers have lower overheads, which can be passed onto their customers. Further information from The Guardian can be seen by visting funeral overcharging. As can be sen from the articles and figures, shopping around for quotes on funerals is important when saving funeral expenses.
Shopping around for quotes on funerals is one of the most straightforward steps to take if you want to conduct an inexpensive funeral. However finding low-cost undertakers is not easy.
In reaction to the increasing costs, many companies are battling for honest funeral pricing. For instance, The Competition and Markets Authority have made changes to the funeral industry whereby they have made undertakers produce a standard price list which must be displayed at their premises and online.
Likewise, you should not use an undertaker on the fundamental point of cost alone. You have to trust the company and work hand-in-hand to offer the funeral that suits you and all your family members. If a specific undertaker does not meet all your needs, don’t feel restricted to move on and find the best one. This is another benefit of shopping around for different quotes on funerals
Usually a funeral director will collect the deceased’s body, but it’s not a must to use that undertaker. Again, if nothing has been underwritten, you can decide to use a different low-cost provider.
The most significant price paid is the professional funeral service costs, which cover the undertaker picking up the deceased’s body within working hours, working with third parties, washing, body preparation, refrigeration, dressing, pallbearer hiring, and driving from their premises to the deceased’s home and then on to the cemetery/crematorium. Note that the costs can or may not feature the hearse costs.
Previously, the funeral businesses worked under family-owned companies that would work for entire communities. This setup still works in some small towns. However, the larger organisations have been purchasing out family-operated companies, mainly when family members retire. This can be confusing to many customers as they still think that they are dealing with an independent company, as the same business name is still used.
Many people do not realise that what they thought was an independent undertaker is in fact owned by one the big companies until they get a quotation. Low-cost independent and independent undertakers are smaller privately-operated companies.
Often when one of the larger companies purchase independent undertakers, they use the family name’s and, generally, their reputation. A significant percentage of customers go to undertakers with family-related identities because they believe they support local independent firms or want to position their confidence in family-operated organisations.
Unfortunately, a large number of us are not willing to talk about and arrange for death practicalities, a topic soaked in taboo. We avoid conversations until we outsource an undertaker when the right time comes. Only a small percentage of individuals know the last wishes of their loved ones, and rarely are they positioning funeral arrangements at the uppermost side of their agenda.
This point of view has stimulated several trials to start death conversations. For instance, one is identified as death cafes – common areas where individuals meet and converse about their own loss of life over a coffee. Nevertheless, little has been settled to handle the funeral arrangement practicalities.
Different views exist – like having the ashes thumbed into vinyl records launched into space or made into fireworks. If you’re an eco-minded individual, the excellent choice is a woodland funeral in a compostable coffin made from materials such as willow, rattan or bamboo. Visit eco-friendly coffins for further details on different coffin materials.
Do-It-Yourself funeral
Next, there exist cost-effective views. Some take additional steps, including arranging home burials, roping help from family members and colleagues without seeking advice from funeral directors. Family members can furnish the service location and the coffin with flowers/drawings, create their own casket and use a personal car as the hearse. Additionally natural woodland burials are becoming increasingly popular.
A funeral director is not vital for burials, but they can eliminate the unavoidable challenge of handling it on your own.
More about quotes on funerals
Here, we’ll consider two lost-cost undertakers that offer services from the UK’s South East region. However, they cover large areas extending much further afield than the southeast.
Farewill and The Funeral Market cover all the UK with direct cremation services.
When making inquiries, consider asking for a written price or email. You’ll remain clear about the final cost when shopping around through this. These written price lists or emails can also save irrelevant telephone calls to the funeral directors if you fail to inquire or note something down whenever contacting them by telephone.
Direct Cremations
Some individuals prefer the direct cremation process as a low-cost funeral or cheap cremation. Although this is probably the cheapest paid funeral, it does not mean that you’ll get a cheap low quality service. It means you’ll get a fully noble, dignified inexpensive funeral. For example, the popular very successful singer David Bowie had a direct cremation.
The basic inexpensive ‘Direct Cremations’ are where the deceased is picked up, and later, a simple casket is used to take the deceased to the crematorium. Also, you can request the ashes to be delivered to your home at a future date if you wish. Currently, the service costs around £1000.
Many different people from all walks are attracted to a direct cremation as it is such a simple direct funeral in which there is no service, or mourners. Hence it is very easy to organise an inexpensive funeral. As with other funerals direct cremations costs can vary so again it is a good idea to gain different quotes on funerals.
Saving on funeral expenses
All undertakers can also organise celebrants, vicars, humanity, and other spokespersons to conduct the services to ensure the deceased’s family members enjoy the peace of mind they deserve. However, you would be best advised to book directly to save money.
Some cases involve family members and colleagues travelling in limousines behind the hearses. You can also save money by requesting guests to travel personally to the cemetery/crematorium. Therefore, a limousine will be of no use. You only need a hearse to transport the coffin.
Why use low-cost independent funeral undertakers
Low-cost, independent undertakers are as already mentioned smaller-sized than the large chains. However, this doesn’t mean that they offer compromised services. In fact, the opposite remains true in several cases. Because they are not restricted by often rigid company guidelines more common in larger-sized chains, they are typically ready to take additional requests.
This means the service offered by them can often be more tailored to help suit your needs. Mostly the individual who assisted you will attend the funeral. It’s an uplifting experience to have familiar faces offering support & guidance on that day.
Conclusion
Always shop around for quotes on funerals as generally, low-cost, independent funeral undertakers can perform the same standard of funeral care and in some cases better due to being more flexible than many of their larger competitors. This means that your loved one’s funeral could be more distinctive, displaying their wishes & identity. These undertakers can work with you to organise funerals that can be significantly cheaper.