Farra is a death administration assistant for UK families. Get step-by-step guidance for registering a death, applying for probate, notifying banks, and managing bereavement admin. From essential documents to practical checklists, Farra simplifies estate paperwork and funeral-related tasks so you can focus on what matters.
Yes. GOV.UK states plainly that "you can pay for a funeral director to arrange the funeral or do it yourself", and no statute requires the body of a person who has died to be taken to a funeral director's premises. Families can keep the person at home between the death and the funeral, and manage the arrangements themselves. The paperwork below describes England and Wales; burial and cremation in Scotland are governed by the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016 and the forms differ.
The idea that a body must immediately leave the home after death is a relatively modern assumption, driven largely by the professionalisation of the funeral industry over the past century. In many cultures and faith traditions, keeping the deceased at home is the norm. In the UK, the right to do so remains entirely intact — and a growing number of families are reclaiming this option as part of a more personal and meaningful farewell.
There is no legal obligation to use a funeral director. GOV.UK's guidance on arranging a funeral says you can either pay a funeral director or "do it yourself", and points people to their local council for burial plots and crematorium services. Once the death has been registered and the certificate for burial or cremation obtained, a family can manage every aspect of the funeral themselves — including keeping the person at home until the time of burial or cremation.
The legal position is as follows:
Important distinction:
If the death is notified to the coroner — under regulation 3 of the Notification of Deaths Regulations 2019 this includes deaths a doctor suspects were due to trauma or injury, neglect, or a medical treatment or procedure, and deaths where the attending practitioner cannot determine the cause — the coroner has authority over the body and may order a post-mortem before releasing it. There is no rule about deaths within a set number of days of surgery. Where a post-mortem is needed, the body is taken to a mortuary; once released, it can come home if the family wishes.
The most important practical consideration when keeping a body at home is temperature management. Natural decomposition begins immediately after death and accelerates with warmth. For families wishing to keep the deceased at home for several days, maintaining a cool environment is essential.
No government body publishes guidance on this, and the points below come from home-funeral organisations and practitioners rather than from an official standard. Treat them as practical experience.
Embalming is not a legal requirement and is not necessary if the body is kept cool. Many families choose not to embalm, particularly for natural or green funerals. Embalming involves the use of chemical preservatives and is carried out by a trained embalmer.
Whether or not a funeral director is involved, certain documents must be obtained before burial or cremation can take place.
For burial:
For cremation:
Families managing their own funeral arrangements can obtain all these documents directly. The register office issues the certificate for burial or cremation, and the crematorium provides the cremation application form.
A home funeral guide (sometimes called a death midwife or end-of-life doula in a funeral context) is an independent professional who supports families through the process of managing their own funeral arrangements. Unlike a funeral director, a home funeral guide does not take over — they advise, educate, and empower families to carry out the process themselves.
A home funeral guide can help with:
Home funeral guides are unregulated and set their own fees, and no published source collects them, so ask each practitioner directly what they charge and what it covers. The Good Funeral Guide (goodfuneralguide.co.uk) and the Natural Death Centre (naturaldeath.org.uk) both maintain directories of practitioners.
Washing and dressing the body of a loved one is an intimate and meaningful act that many families find deeply comforting. It is something that families have done throughout history and across most cultures. In most cases ordinary hygiene precautions are enough, as with any care task. Where the person had a serious infectious disease, different handling advice applies and there are legal powers to restrict what may be done with the body — the hospital, the GP or the registrar will tell you if that applies, so ask.
What families should know:
For families considering this option:
The Natural Death Centre offers a free helpline (01962 712 690) and extensive resources for families wishing to manage their own funeral arrangements. They can also provide referrals to home funeral guides and independent funeral directors who support family-led funerals.
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