Below is a list of items to consider when contemplating installing a columbarium. These points are a reference and the order may change slightly depending on your need or organization. At Kyber we are here to guide you through all the steps to ensure you are comfortable and pleased with the result. These points are what to consider and we will help tailor and further expand the requirements depending on your need.
- Need – determine if there is a want in your area
- Committee – depending on your organization you may want to form a committee to oversee the columbarium selection etc.
- Location – find a few spaces within your location that may be suitable for a columbarium
- Design – you will want a design that fits within your budget and aesthetic
- Budget – need to know what you’ll need to budget for
- Presentation – a presentation may help to show the plan moving forward
- Financing – are you able to pay for the columbarium in full or will you require financing
- Marketing – you will need to begin selling the idea even before installation
- Construction – what is required and how will this be done
- Maintenance – what to needs to be looked after moving forward
Need
Is a columbarium right for us? With cremation rates increasing, the need for alternatives for the final resting place of cremated remains is growing. Your community is looking for options and you need to be aware of how you can better serve and lead them. A columbarium is a prominent option within the available alternatives.
Committee
Depending on your organizational structure you may look to have a group from your organization to oversee the selection of a columbarium. This group may have several members or only 1 or 2. A few voices is helpful to get a better understanding of what your community may desire. If you can obtain members that have some technical knowledge it may be of a great help as well. This knowledge could be in construction, sales and marketing or many other backgrounds that can be of assistance. Our recommendation would be to keep the committee on the smaller side so that consensus is easier as well as availability of the members.
Location
Where to place a columbarium? Whether you are looking large scale or small, location is always a determining factor in the success of any project. While a columbarium or columbaria garden can be placed in almost any area you do still want to ensure it can be seen and offers a serene environment. The availability of space to expand is always something that should be considered.
Design
Selecting the design or style of the units is paramount to its success. You want to have a columbarium that suits the site and feel of the location. Perhaps the design can tie it in with nearby buildings or local architecture. Size and number of niches is very important as well. This will depend on your community and the need. Phasing in a columbarium garden is a great way to lessen the initial financial impact while giving you the flexibility to grow as demand dictates. Options are a huge part of the design success as well. You want to have different selections within the area so that people can see the value of what they choose. The selected columbarium supplier must be able to offer you unique and personalized designs that fit within your community, not simply offering you designs from a catalogue.
Budget
Always a huge part to any project, you will need to determine the $ available for this endeavor. Costs to be considered will be design, marketing and construction. The price per niche for you and then the price per niche you will charge have a great bearing on budget. You may be looking to only cover costs and have the niches as more of a service to your community. Your thoughts may be to generate revenue that will help the whole site into the future. Whatever your need, the budget needs to be realistic and consider the ongoing costs associated with this project.
Presentation
Once you have, locations, design and budget ideas it is a good idea to put together a presentation to your community. A presentation will help you with buy in for the project before moving too far along. It will also help gauge interest or at the very least get people talking and considering the option. This may simply be a design layout showing what you propose or may have most if not all the details to be considered. Depending on who the presentation is for will dictate how much detail you will require.
Financing
This will depend on the situation of your business. You may have the money on hand to cover all costs or you may require some type of financing to get things off the ground or a bit of both. Whatever your circumstance showing the projected return on investment will be an important process to go through to see the viability of the development.
Marketing
Important to the overall success, marketing will once again vary depending on circumstance. Many businesses choose to market and pre-sell in advance of commencing construction, while others will use the construction as one of their marketing tools. Key to this is making people aware of what is happening, what the options will be and what the final appearance will be. Whether phasing in or doing it all at once a visual layout of the completed area will pay dividends.
Construction
The day is finally here, all the work of selecting, budgeting and design has come together, and shovels are going in the ground. Depending on the scale this may include starting the foundations and other flat work or simply clearing the site so the columbarium can be placed. It may be quick or take several months to complete. Whatever the requirement your columbarium supplier should be coordinating with you and the contractor.
Maintenance
This will be one of the considerations for ongoing costs. The columbarium should have no maintenance except for the occasional cleaning of the dust etc. from the outside of it. The real maintenance will be for the site, clearing snow (if required), lawn trimming, weeding and planting the gardens or flower beds. Ensuring the area looks clean and tidy and the foundation and walkways are clear and in a good state of repair. Appearance will affect the marketability and enjoyment of the site. Your community will certainly notice and normally advise you if they are displeased.
These are all items to consider when deciding if a columbarium is right for your community. Please contact Kyber Columbarium and Consulting for more details and a more customized approach to your columbarium needs.