Strange trend of buying houses next to...cemeteries

Mr. Tran Van Nhan (Hoang Mai, Hanoi ) shared that a week ago he paid to buy a house in Ngu Nhac (Thanh Tri ward, Hoang Mai district). The owner has been selling this house for a whole year but there are still no buyers even though the price is much cheaper than the market price.

The reason is because the back of the house is adjacent to a large cemetery. However, when building, the owner covered up the "cemetery view" so normally almost no one can detect this.

“ I intend to buy a house to live in long term, not to buy and sell, so the house only needs to be of good quality and cheap. As for the location near the cemetery, I am not too concerned because in Hanoi there are many high-end projects next to cemeteries, even located on relocated cemetery land, ” said Mr. Nhan.

According to Mr. Nhan, only investors and speculators are interested in locations next to cemeteries because they will have difficulty selling later and may be forced to lower their prices. As for buyers with real housing needs, there are many ways to limit the view of cemeteries as well as take measures with feng shui meaning to relieve psychological concerns.

Many people still buy houses and live normally next to large graves or cemeteries. (Photo: Minh Duc).

Like Mr. Nhan, Ms. Ha Nguyet Nga (Dong Da district, Hanoi) shared that she had just bought a 40m2 house on Nam Du street (Hoang Mai, Hanoi) - this location is near a large cemetery. Ms. Nga shared that real estate near cemeteries is one of the sensitive issues and is often difficult to sell. But because of that, these houses all have much lower prices than other locations. Therefore, there are still people willing to buy because of the bargain price.

In addition, explaining the purchase of a house in Nam Du, Ms. Nga said that according to the planning, the cemetery next to the house she just bought will be relocated to make way for the road, at that time the price of her house will increase, and she will definitely make a profit.

“ Everyone is hesitant to buy land next to a cemetery, but land cannot grow and reproduce, so when land resources are limited and scarce, there are still people who buy to avoid skyrocketing prices on the market. And if you live there for a long time, you will get used to it and no longer pay too much attention to the location. Moreover, if the cemetery has a relocation plan, you can buy it for investment or even buy it to live in, but then sell it for sure to make a big profit ,” said Ms. Nga.

In fact, many urban areas and high-end housing projects in Hanoi are also in the situation of "living with the cemetery" such as Nam Thang Long urban areas, Viet Hung, Phap Van-Tu Hiep, Van Quan-Yen Phuc, Mo Lao...

Ciputra, one of the luxury urban areas in Hanoi, also has a large cemetery right next to the project. To limit visibility, the investor built a wall as high as the second floor of the villas.

“ Although located next to the cemetery, the prices in these urban areas are not cheap, showing that housing next to the cemetery in Hanoi is no longer strange and is not discriminated against as before ,” Ms. Nga shared.

Mr. Tran Minh Hung, a real estate broker in Hoang Mai district, also said that many people even look to buy real estate near cemeteries to do business such as incense and votive offerings...

" It sounds absurd, but many customers accept buying houses near cemeteries because the price is cheap and they can do business ," said Mr. Hung.

In addition, Mr. Hung has recently seen many investors buying and selling or buying land near cemeteries to wait for the price to increase and then sell for profit. Households now have tap water to use, so they no longer have to worry about the water source being unsafe.

Real estate experts say that according to traditional Vietnamese customs, there are often village cemeteries next to villages and communes for the convenience of caring for and burning incense for deceased relatives. These cemeteries are often small, scattered and currently do not accept new burials, so they do not affect people's lives or cause pollution.

As for the large cemeteries today, they are all well-planned, hygienic, and ensure a living environment. Therefore, people's views on buying houses near cemeteries have gradually changed.

The concept of a house next to "a place for the dead" is increasingly accepted by people. (Photo: Minh Duc).

Sharing about this trend, Professor Dang Hung Vo - former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment - said that, scientifically speaking, real estate projects near or overlooking cemeteries have no impact.

“ Many large cemeteries such as Van Dien and Mai Dich cemeteries, for example, have many houses looking into them. Are they all “problematic”? Therefore, in principle, there is no general rule that affirms that looking out onto a cemetery is bad, ” Mr. Vo stated his opinion.

Mr. Vo gave an example of a cemetery in the West, which is the church yard. Next to the church, people build and level everything, only have a tombstone and plant grass as if there is no grave there. Some places also plan cemeteries into parks or memorial areas for people to visit.

In addition, in the past, many people were afraid that the water source near the cemetery would be polluted, but now all households use clean water from the Da River, not from underground wells in the area, so it cannot be polluted.

Chau Anh

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