“You don’t need to have a body embalmed. You don’t need to transport your person in a hearse,” she says. “You can totally do it yourself.”
Having since taken over diyfuneral.co.nz, the website that guided her through the process, she says the key is being organised.
“It’s a very steep learning curve, but [families] can do it.”
FDANZ chief executive Gillian Boyes says prices vary by region, with council costs and casket choice among the biggest factors.
This is where Boyes believes funeral directors can be useful.
“A lot of people are completely stricken with grief, and they can’t even tell you what colour flower they want sometimes,” she says.
Professionals will handle the process, from paperwork through to the funeral service, but Boyes advises being upfront about budget from the start.
“Always let your funeral director know what your constraints are,” she says.
“It’s no benefit to them to try and upsell you to a huge funeral if you genuinely can’t afford it.”
What am I legally required to do when someone dies?
New Zealand law requires a $35 cause of death certificate, and registration of the death within three days of the person being laid to rest. Everything else is a matter of choice.
Does the body need to be embalmed?
You do not need to pay to have the body embalmed. The regulations around the body concern how it is stored and transported. A mortician costs $700 to $1050 according to FDANZ, it’s an optional cost for families working to a budget or who want a more natural approach.
Keeping the body refrigerated at a funeral home is a cheaper option (around $100 a day), while some families opt to care for the body themselves.
This comes with its own considerations, Potter says.
“The minute that a person dies, all their natural systems, which normally keep the bacteria in balance, don’t operate anymore.”
Rates of decomposition depend on several factors, including how recently the person ate or drank, the kinds of medication they were on, and their proportions. Ice packs or Techni Ice can be used to keep the body cool.
“There’s going to be a little bit of smell, but it doesn’t mean that the body’s toxic or it’s infectious or it’s going to explode.”
In te ao Māori, the tūpāpaku (dead) is treated as tapu and cannot be left alone while their wairua (spirit) remains close by.
During a tangihanga, the tūpāpaku is typically kept in an open casket, at home or a marae, for several days, and it’s common for whānau pani (bereaved family) to wash and dress them.
Whānau pani are encouraged to openly express their maemae (grief) by speaking to and touching the tūpāpaku – hands are then washed to remove the tapu.
Potter believes being around a loved one’s body can be emotionally healthy.
“My own experience was that it was a complete honour and privilege to do all these things for Mum.”
Do I need a coffin?
Bodies need to be transported and buried in a container of some kind, but there is flexibility around what that looks like and no requirement to buy it through a funeral director.
Potter builds and sells her own caskets for as little as $400, while the lower threshold for cardboard caskets sits closer to $800. Prices tend to climb with the material; oak, rimu and mahogany finishes and custom interiors can push the price into the five-figure range.
Cardboard and wicker options are popular, cheaper choices.
For cremation, the body has to be in a rigid, leak-proof, combustible container such as a coffin, casket or shroud board. These cost $350 for a tray, less than the most basic casket.
A traditional hearse isn’t needed to transport the body either. Fergus Wheeler, who founded the Death Without Debt movement, sent his father off in a Toyota Corolla hatchback.
“It’s basically just about respecting the person who’s died,” he says.
Do I need to have a funeral service?
The service doesn’t have to follow any set formula. Boyes says many Kiwis now opt against a full funeral, with 23% choosing a no-service cremation, and 17% a private family farewell.
“You don’t have to have a traditional funeral, you could just have a gathering at home or in your sports club, you can do the catering. There’s lots of things you can do to make it affordable,” she says.
The cost of a no-service cremation is about $4700, and provides flexibility to arrange a gathering on your own terms and timeline.
But Wheeler cautions against forgoing a farewell altogether, as this can mean there is nothing to emotionally register the loss.
“Six months down the track, that has really big consequences.”
Cremation, burial or something greener?
In New Zealand, about 75% of people are cremated. It is also the cheapest option.
The cost is the same at all three of Auckland’s council crematoriums – $750 for an adult – but the additional costs of a medical referral and doctor’s fee bring it closer to $1000.
According to FDANZ, council burial costs in 2024 averaged between $1000 and $8000. Adult plots can cost as much as $5360 in Auckland, and as little as $1075 in Taupō. Typically, ongoing maintenance of the cemetery grounds is included in the plot price.
Interment costs about $430 to $1410, with extra fees if the burial is on a weekend or public holiday.
The grave can remain unmarked, as cemeteries maintain a register of plots on site, though many families choose to install a plaque or headstone. Prices depend on size, stone and engraving, starting from around $300 and reaching closer to $9000. A permit for installation is also required by some councils, adding $70 to $300.
Ecologically friendly options are increasing. Natural burial is already offered by some local councils for as low as $2500, placing the body in a shallow grave and biodegradable container so it can break down organically.
One Christchurch funeral home introduced a $5202 water cremation last year, using warm water and potassium hydroxide to mimic soil decomposition.
Donation to science is also a free option. The University of Auckland and University of Otago accept bodies for research and study, with prior registration required. The remains will typically be cremated and returned to the family within two years.
Do I need to pay a lawyer to make my will?
There’s no legal obligation to draw one up, but dying without one will leave your estate divided under the Wills Act 2007. This can lead to lengthy legal processes between your surviving relatives.
The Public Trust’s most basic will for singles without complex needs is priced at $69; individual wills run to $99, couple’s $165. Cheaper still, plenty of online services offer free will writing, although a document that has been incorrectly witnessed is at risk of being contested.
Boyes recommends at least writing your final wishes down ahead of time, if only to save your loved ones deciding on your behalf. “Even if you just say, I want to be buried or cremated,” she says. “But obviously the more you can put in there, the more helpful that is to the family.”