Whether a death has taken a loved one in your family, or you’re advanced funeral planning for yourself, choosing the right funeral home is an important step in preparing for the eventuality we all must face. The following guide will provide you step-by-step guidance on how to identify a funeral home and cremation service in North Charleston, SC that will best meet your needs. Taking the time to go through the steps can save money, headache, and heartache in an already difficult time.
1. Understand Your Rights
As a consumer of funeral services, you have certain rights under the funeral rules of the Federal Trade Commission. You have the right to:
- Receive pricing by telephone.
- Get a copy of a published price list upon visit.
- Purchase only those goods and services wanted.
- Decline embalming services.
- Choose a container for cremation that is not a casket.
- Bring a casket or urn to the funeral home without added fees.
- Obtain a written statement of service choices before you pay.
2. Make a Funeral Budget
The cost of funeral care can vary from minimal to extravagant. You should decide what is affordable, considering your family’s financial situation. The best funeral budgets are always decided before you get into the shopping. This fixed dollar amount will help to guide your final decisions about goods and services.
3. Decide What’s Most Important
You should talk to family about any preferences they may have regarding final arrangements for your loved one, or for yourself if you are pre-need planning. Be sure to check whether any advance plans have already been made and paid for by checking personal records.
Think about what you want from the funeral experience. Where do you want services to be held? Are there any traditions of belief or customs that you wish to observe? Do you want a large commemorative gathering? A small celebration of life?
4. Choose Disposition Type
How you choose to disposition your physical remains or that of your deceased family member is a personal family matter. You can choose traditional funeral services with embalming, viewing, and casket burial in a cemetery. You can choose a cremation and ash scattering. Perhaps you wish to be buried in an ecologically friendly manner, allowing nature to reclaim the elements of the body in a simple green burial. You could also choose to donate remains to science or a medical school.
5. Locate Providers and Get Pricing
Prices will vary by provider. Call and obtain pricing from as many as five nearby funeral homes. Be certain they can help you with your preferred disposition type. Call and obtain prices. If needed, expand your search to nearby communities that offer the desired services. As you begin to get an idea of pricing and service offerings, narrow down your list to two or three funeral home and cremations providers in North Charleston, SC that interest you.
6. Visit Funeral Homes
An onsite visit of those homes you are interested in can be informative. You can get a feel for the place and ask any questions that you have. Visiting with the funeral director and staff can help you to evaluate compatibility. It’s also a good chance to look over any memorial product you may want to purchase. You can also check out the ambiance, floor space, seating, amenities, and technological support for live streaming options of service to any who may not be able to attend in person.
7. Get Quotes
During your funeral home visits, obtain a quote for your choice of services. Have them itemize the quote to break out the cost of each item, along with a total cost of funeral care. Don’t commit to any service order yet. Review the itemized statement in detail when you get home, comparing and contrasting the quote with other potential service providers.
8. Decide Who to Hire for Service
After carefully considering your funeral home options and attendant quotes, make a decision. Call the funeral home and let them know your plan. If the funeral is needed for a loved one who has already passed away, get further instructions about what the next steps are to engage and begin funeral care.
9. Write Down Future Plans
For those who are making advance funeral plans, it’s a good idea to immediately document any arrangement preferences and requirements. Make copies and give them to family members, friends, your attorney, a faith leader, etc.
Premier Funeral Home and Cremations Care in North Charleston, SC
When compassionate care and quality services matter, our professionals at McAlister-Smith Funeral & Cremation are the right choice. With over a century of experience caring for the families of our community, we understand the importance of funeral home and cremations support in North Charleston, SC. Visit us at 2501 Bees Ferry Rd, Charleston, SC 29414. Call today at (843) 722-8371.