Why do homes near cemeteries sell for more?

Looking for a home with quiet neighbors and little chance for future development? It may be time to open up your search to include homes near a cemetery. But you shouldn’t expect a discount: a study by Redfin showed that homes closest to cemeteries actually have a higher price tag than those further away.

Pricing of homes near cemeteries

In the study* the site looked into data on homes less than 50 feet and up to 1,000 yards away from a cemetery. The company found that homes located within 50 feet of a cemetery were usually smaller, but had a higher price by square foot than those further away.

Days on market of homes near cemeteries

Unsurprisingly, the homes nearest to the cemetery stayed on the market the longest, at 48 days. Homes further out sold faster, but only by about 10 days — homes within 1,000 feet of a cemetery were only on the market for an average of 39 days.

Are homes near cemeteries haunted?

One reason buyers may take longer to bite on cemetery-adjacent homes? It’s possible they believe these homes are haunted. In a separate study** sixty-one percent of homebuyer respondents said that a house may be haunted if there is a cemetery on the home’s grounds. While this wouldn’t necessarily deter them from purchasing the home, the respondents did rate their exact haunted house deal-breakers:

• 75 percent of buyers wouldn’t buy a home with reported levitating objects
• 63 percent would be turned off by ghost sightings
• 34 percent would go running if they felt unexplained warm or cold spots on the property

What does it all mean?

A home near a cemetery doesn’t seem to be a bad investment, as it can be worth more per square foot than other nearby homes. However, buyers should know that it may take their cemetery-adjacent home longer to sell — and they may be asked to field questions about the home’s paranormal activity from buyers or haunted house looky-loos once it comes time to sell.

In short, buying a home near a cemetery may seem like a grave mistake... but for the right owner, it can be a good investment.

Looking for a new home?

Whether you’re open to a house near a quiet cemetery or prefer to live in the middle of downtown Minneapolis, we can help. Our 2,300 REALTORS® have helped buyers find every type of property on the market, and they can help you too. Call, email or chat to get started.

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*Homes near cemeteries study

**Haunted house survey