Negative equity property bequesthed in Will

[Deleted User]

Millie_Millsters wrote: »

I lost my Husband 16 months ago and the best advice I was given (by the coroner) was to get a few quotes for his funeral.

I was a really hard thing to do at the time ( I felt a real cheapskate!) but there was a difference of well over £1000 between the top and bottom quotes. The big chain wanted £1000 deposit up front too, whereas the local family firm I went with were happy to send the whole bill direct to his bank for payment.

Too late for you, I know, but hopefully my post will save someone else a few quid.

So sorry to hear of your loss.

I must admit, it never occurred to me to 'shop around' ... that's good advice.
I was surprised to discover that the firm I used which I'd assumed to be a family firm was actually owned by the Co-op! There's no mention of it in the firm's name, or in any of their adverts in the local paper. (I only found out when the undertaker asked me whether or not I had a Co-op loyalty card!)

One 'tip' that the undertaker gave me though, was to order the flowers and book the wake myself. Funeral directors invariably use the strap-line: "don't worry, you can leave all the arrangements to us" ... which, to a grieving relative sounds ideal: but if you do leave all the arrangements to them, they add on a large charge in addition to the actual cost of things like the flowers/wake. (NB: Apparently he only gave me this advice because Mum's was the last funeral he was arranging before retiring!)