[Petstorejunkie]

I'm considering a piece of land that has a condemned home, and a few outbuildings, but also has a small cemetery in the front yard. The cemetery kind of creeps me out, but the rest of the property has so much potential (and is in the BEST location) that I'm still tempted.
Would a cemetery sway you?

[RainyDayRide]

Sure would..... very quiet neighbors.

[Donkerbruin]

I wouldn't mind it. I think old cemeteries are cool anyway.

[thatmoody]

Absolutely. I live right next to an older cemetery, and LOVE it! It's very quiet, and I love walking through it. Plus I've gotten to know the caretakers and they're very nice people (this one is associated with an old catholic church, and a very nice couple does the grounds maintenance - I've given them a jump start on their truck when they needed it and know they would help me if I needed something around my house, too). As for a private graveyard, I think that would be kind of neat!

[luvmytbs]

I've seen several of those around here. I think it's cool.
Wouldn't mind it at all.

[Liberty]

Wouldn't bother me a bit. I find cemeteries quite peaceful, especially old ones.

[Noctis]

Heck, I'd think it was pretty cool! Built in Halloween decorations The only concern I would have is if the area was prone to flooding and any erosion issues with the disturbed ground could occur (depends a lot on how OLD the graveyard is too)

[Adamantane]

I think there are some state laws that come into play with cemeteries, even private ones. Not sure what the impact is or whether there are restrictions on what you can do with land nearby, but that would be worth looking into.

Cemetery plots being as pricey as they are, if there's room, that could come in handy for you and your family assuming you're planning to stick around the place for a long while

[Emryss]

I would - without hesitation - if I liked the property.

[bits619]

My aunt's farm has a family plot in the backyard. It's not huge, maybe 12 or so headstones, and the newest one is decades old. It's surrounded by a wrought iron fence and has a large oak tree. The land is a total of 80 acres, and though the graveyard is near the house it doesn't take up much usable space. It kinda creeped me out when I was a kid, staying there in the summers, especially after she installed a hot tub on the back porch about 100 feet from the plot! But now I think it's actually fascinating. I love to wander around and 'visit' with my aunt's relatives whom i never met.

[Windsor1]

I also love old cemeteries, but have to admit that having it in the front yard would give me pause . . .

On the one hand I wouldn't want it "in my face" all the time. On the other, maybe it's one of those things that after a period of time, you don't even think twice about.

[Wayside]

I'd love it, and if the rest of the property was what I was looking for, I'd absolutely buy it.

[horsetales]

We looked at and seriously considered a property with there was a small (tiny) church cemetary off to a side and the church had access thru the farm. I told my DH, it was so tempting and if he said the wrong thing, I knew where I could hide the body Didn't bother either of us

[JanM]

First of all, I bet with today's regulations that you couldn't have new burials. Second, I would want to know if there are any relatives left that might want to try to use the remaining plots. For reasons I won't go into, there are places that were family or other old cemeteries, the land is now not privately owned, and is restricted access. It happens occasionally that a hurse shows up, with some relatives, and they are quite pissed off that they can't bury Uncle Fred on the cheap in the location they owned or used (in a lot of cases didn't actually own), and legal whining and newspaper articles result. Want to get a lot of flack? Try being the meanie not letting a family bury someone in their former family grave plot.

Third-it wouldn't bother me, but I would fence it in as a matter of respect, and to avoid problems from the ground collapsing.

[Marshfield]

We did. Our old farmhouse came with the family plot.

[merrygoround]

Far better than empty glass bottle hurling roisterers, with howling coon hounds!!

They are soo quiet and mannerly.

[charismaryllis]

With JanM's caveats, I'd think it would be fine. I'd feel compelled to keep it maintained (not in a bad way); I hate to see cemeteries in disrepair.

[MistyBlue]

I almost did right before we bought this place.

Lovely charming as heck old traditional New England style saltbox colonial. Gorgeous acreage. Had a picturesque pond in the backyard and while I was walking the property I waded through the reeds/tall grass around the pond and smacked into a tombstone. Moved around and found a few more. Old as heck, barely readable anymore. Surprised me, didn;t turn me off though.

I would have bought the property except that too much of the acreage was pond or too wet for horses and the "charming originality" translated into "when I walk on the second floor I can see the first floor through the boards." That and the lack of insulation and the few updates turning out to be non-permit and badly done meant the place was a money pit for us. Would have taken $75k minimum to insulate and repair the house to regular living status. Blew our budget.

However I did try to make it work on paper despite the big issues and mainly because of the cemetary. Why? I felt awful that the original builders/owners of the house didn't have either their property or their gravesites respected. If our budget had been bigger and that pond was smaller, I'd have made it work simply to return that house to the way it should be and to mow and clean up that cemetary, give it an honorable look.

To me a cemetary has history. Unless it's like Pet Cemetary...if buried shit comes back to life and is murderous that will affect the property value.

[suz]

wouldn't bother me int he least if it were no longer being actively used.
i'd put up a vintage iron fence and keep a few sheep to keep it mowed down.

[horsefaerie]

Absolutely! How cool is that?