Preparing for death is a maudlin and macabre process, but there’s no reason not to give the process the attention and respect that it deserves. If you’re planning to erect a mausoleum, there are several things to consider. Read on to find out more.
1. Who’s it For?
Obviously, there’s a big difference between a mausoleum for just you, or even for you and your spouse, and for generations of family. You have to decide what’s within your budget while still maintaining your taste in styles.
2. What Kind of Mausoleum?
All mausoleums have the same basic concept: above-ground burial chambers. They can be for either urns, coffins, or both. Some of them are outside, such as a garden columbarium or even an ashes garden, while others are inside. These mausoleums can be either public or private, depending on where you decide to inter your loved ones. Obviously, interring them in an already-built public mausoleum would be less expensive than building a private one from scratch, but with a public one, you don’t get to choose the landscaping, style, design, or internal amenities.
3. Where?
You could erect your mausoleum on your own property, in a cemetery, or in a public memorial park. Your choice will be governed by both your budget and desire for privacy. For example, if your loved one was well-known and revered in the community, you might choose a public location whereas you would probably pick a private location if your loved one preferred privacy over public life. Cemeteries would likely restrict your design choices if they were quirky or out of the norm. These are all legitimate considerations when you’re picking a mausoleum.
4. What Will Go in the Mausoleum?
Will you install benches? Maybe it’ll be big and spacious, and you can install a fountain. Will you have mood lighting or natural lighting? Perhaps, you might want to hang your loved one’s favorite paintings with artistic lighting. Outside, you can make all sorts of decisions about landscaping, flowers, plants, sculptures, or anything else that you might deem appropriate within the policies of the public place where you build your mausoleum. Of course, if you build it on your own land, you can do anything you want within building codes.
5. Speaking of Building Codes…
You don’t just have to conform to building codes, however, Depending on where you live, you might have to secure building permits, talk to the requisite authorities about how to inter your loved ones’ remains within the law, find out about electrical and water codes, if applicable, and make sure that you know all of what you need to know before breaking ground. For example, you have to have proper ventilation and drainage, especially if you have a fountain or other such appliance inside.
Mausoleums aren’t “build-and-forget” structures. In addition to conforming to all building regulations, you also have to maintain the structure if it’s on your own land, which you should also figure into your budget.