How to Acquire a Grave Site: Process and Options

Sometimes there comes a time when we want to be certain. For ourselves. For our loved ones. We want to know where it will be possible to stop, light a candle, stay for a while. A gravesite is just that space – simple, concrete, yet personal. Whether you are considering purchasing a place in advance or looking for a solution in a specific situation, there is no need to worry. There are many options. Each of them has its own reason and meaning.

What type of place to choose?

At most cemeteries, you can choose from several options according to your wishes and needs:

• Single or double grave – a classic place for storing a coffin, or multiple coffins stacked on top of each other.
• Urn grave – a smaller space designed to store one or more urns.
• Tomb – a brick structure, often with space for multiple family members.
• Columbarium – a series of small windows behind whose glass doors urns are stored.

Each kind of place has its own advantages. It just depends on what you like.

How to get a place?

Getting a grave site is usually done through a lease. The two most common ways are:

• Through the cemetery operator – for example, the Prague Cemetery Administration. Places for rent are usually published on the website, or you can find them by phone.
• Buying from the previous tenant – for example, through advertising. In this case, you also take over the existing tombstone and equipment.

In both cases, it is a good idea to first think about the location, i.e. the cemetery you have some connection to, and the type of place that makes sense to you.

What to expect

When purchasing a cemetery plot, you will typically encounter the following costs:

• One-time purchase price – if you are buying the site from a previous tenant.
• Rent – ​​usually for 10 years for graves, 5 years for urn graves, 20 years for tombs.
• Service fees – i.e. for cemetery maintenance, waste removal, etc.
• Grave decoration – monument, plaque, or modifications to an existing tombstone.
• Care of the grave– planting flowers, minor repairs, maintenance over time.

In some cases, you may also need to count with the cost of exhumation, for example if you do not want the remains of the person originally buried to remain in the grave. However, this is a very individual matter. In such a situation, we recommend that you contact the cemetery operator in advance.

When is the right time?

Some people are considering a grave site in connection with a specific death. Others want to have things prepared in advance. Both approaches are fine.

If you want to leave your loved ones an easy path – a place that will be cared for and prepared – it may be a good idea to start choosing a grave now. No pressure. No rush.

If you have any questions or just want to know what is possible without obligation, please contact us. At PEGAS we will explain everything to you, help you with the selection and administration. Sensitively, discreetly, with respect for your pace.