Simple Direct Funerals

Do not let the cost of saying goodbye add to your grief.

Simple Direct Funerals

Cremations and Burials Services for Nelson and Tasman

Arranging a Funeral DOES NOT need to be
Complicated, Expensive, or Overwhelming.

Reduce Your Stress & Anxiety

Simple funeral arrangements that cover all your legal and person requirements.  Without the complication and experience of traditional funeral homes.

Low Price with Full Service

Whether you want a direct cremation or a full funeral service, we try and make arranging a funeral as easy for you as possible.  

Our family could not recommend Simple Direct Funerals highly enough for everything that was done to help us with my Mother’s passing from the preparation and support in hospice through to her beautiful funeral service. Owen was amazing guiding us through our most difficult time with kindness and respect. There were no over inflated prices or hidden costs as with other funeral homes, 100% honest. Owen went above and beyond to help us follow my Mother’s wishes during the Christmas, new year period being the most tricky time to organise a funeral. We recommend Simple Direct to all families that are preparing for the loss of a loved one.

Making Funerals a Little Easier

I started Simple Direct Funerals to provide an alternative for families who wanted a simple-to-arrange funeral with minimal stress.  The difference from other funeral homes is our low-key, efficient service that makes planning a funeral less daunting, complicated and expensive.

My focus is on providing:

  • well run, low-cost funerals
  • no pressure to spend more
  • a simple process for families
  • respectful dignified farewells
  • minimal stress for families

With a lifetime dedicated to community service, you can expect professional, caring and honest service.

SDF Owen Haring

 
… providing affordability without compromising service.
What Makes Us Different From Other Funeral Homes?
Personal Relaxed Approach

Helping individuals feel at ease during a stressful and challenging time is arguably our greatest strength.

Unlike many funeral homes, we maintain a more relaxed and casual demeanor while remaining entirely professional.

Families find our approach less intimidating, yet compassionate and supportive. Our goal is to make addressing death and funerals more natural, rather than a daunting, unfamiliar experience.

Have Only Low Prices

A distinction we have is that our prices are capped. There is no way to keep increasing costs for families, so there is absolutely no concern about escalating expenses.

Sometimes Funeral Homes may advertise low-cost funerals; they may even establish websites promoting this. However, the main reason for this is to attract people in the door.

There are various techniques that Funeral Homes use to encourage people to spend more.

Easiest Arrangements

Our arrangements are among the easiest for families to manage in New Zealand.

Often, families don’t even know where to begin when organizing a funeral. Funeral homes typically have many questions and forms that need to be completed.

This can be a tactic that allows funeral homes to add extra services, as there is much happening and agreeing is simply easier.

While our arrangements are much simpler, the cremation or burial remains dignified and respectful. This process enables families to focus on what is truly important during that time.

Dignity Without the Expense

Funerals can be incredibly expensive. Spending as much money as you can afford—or even more—is often seen as a way to show how much you cared for the person.

Even the simplest cremation can be more costly than you might expect, as funeral homes will charge as much as they can.

We strive to ensure that even the most basic funeral remains meaningful for the family. Often, these funerals can hold greater significance for families, and it doesn’t imply they can’t have something more formal at a later date.

Competent & Caring

Our background is not in the funeral industry; rather, it has primarily focused on community engagement and providing personal support to individuals and families. As a result, we naturally prioritize the needs and well-being of families during these challenging times. We believe this experience allows us to offer a more compassionate and understanding approach to families arranging funeral services.

We limit our actions concerning the deceased to ensure a respectful and dignified process. For example, we do not embalm the individual, but we can redress them to ensure they are presented in a manner that honors their memory.

We take great care to guarantee that our handling of the deceased, from the moment we first meet them until the time of cremation or burial, is conducted with the utmost respect and sensitivity.

Our goal is to provide a service that is both respectful to the deceased and supportive to the grieving family, ensuring that each step is taken with care and consideration.

5 Star Reviews

From the very beginning, the idea of creating SDF has been driven by how families value and need our unique service. This is why we prioritize people, rather than becoming lost in the complexity and confusion often associated with funerals.

While we are by no means perfect, we strive to enhance and refine our services. We consider any suggestions from families that we should address. Our reputation is not only about affordable funerals; it is also about the quality of service we provide.

I encourage all our families to provide feedback and write a review. I’m proud that our Google Reviews consistently place us as #1 in Nelson Tasman.

Five Star Google Reviews

Key Points from Testimonials about Owen and Simple Direct Funerals

Compassionate and Caring Service

Owen is consistently praised for his kindness, humour, and emotional support during difficult times, helping families feel comforted and respected.

Professionalism and Efficiency

Testimonials highlight Owen’s promptness, clear communication, and ability to handle arrangements seamlessly, alleviating stress for grieving families.

Affordability and Transparency

Owen provides services that are simple, affordable, and free of hidden costs, making them accessible for families across various financial situations.

Personalized and Detail-Oriented Support

Owen goes above and beyond by accommodating specific requests, offering personalized options like urns and plaques, and ensuring that families’ wishes are honoured.

High Customer Satisfaction

Families express deep gratitude for Owen’s services, frequently recommending him and Simple Direct Funerals for their compassionate and straightforward approach.

Free Booklet Download

A helpful print-at-home booklet that you can fill out and then “forget” until it’s needed.  It is yours to keep.

Briefly outlines the funeral process, and gives you all the relevant information needed for a funeral and Death Certificate.

Download useful funeral information. This is a link if you would like your to record and keep your own records.

File and Forget booklet
PDF Version
File and Forget booklet
Word Version
trees that count
Every funeral allows us to donate a native tree, leaving a lasting legacy.
SDF Shop
SDF Shop
What Makes Us Different #5 Reviews
Arranging a Funeral with Less Stress
Cheap Funerals
Making your funeral “easier” for your family
1980s life
Shopping vs Shutting Shop
The case for the coffin – beyond the box
Spirituality and Death
Planning a Funeral
Why SDF?
In the beginning…
Euthanasia at Funeral Homes?
What do you do series #3
Free Funerals
Family Friendly Funerals – What does this mean?
Funerals DON’T need to be Complicated
Low-cost and Respectful
What do you do series
What do you need to do when someone dies?
Funeral homes trying to give me a bad name
The Cremation Process
What Makes Us Different #2 Low Prices
Our Differences – #1 Relaxed Style
The heartbreak of dying young
Deciding Which Funeral Home to Use
15 Things Funeral Homes don’t want you to know
It’s a dog’s life
Coping with Loss – a pathway
Budget Blowouts
When my Facebook got hacked
How much should a funeral cost?
More than just low-costs
How Involved should you get with a funeral?
Googling the most asked questions on funerals
5 things you don’t need to worry about…
TV News
What do you do after someone has died?
Cost of Living!! – What about the cost of Dying?
5 Year Anniversary serving Nelson Tasman
Man Flu
Google Reviews
What Makes Us Different #3 Easy Arrangements
Embalming: Is it essential?
The Cost of Dying
Affordable funerals doesn’t mean second rate
Service Regardless of Price
Big Business
What Makes Us Different #4 Simple Dignity
Overcoming the Fear of Funerals
Talking Funerals
2024 Review
20 Things Funeral Homes Don’t Want You to Know
No one wants to phone a funeral home
Facing Fears
SDF – Being affordable doesn’t mean being nasty
What is a Dignified Farewell?
Caring for the Deceased
10 Things you don’t need to do
A Different Kind of Christmas
What happens to a body after it dies?
Funeral Homes Advertising Low Cost Funerals
Talking about Mortality
I was 20 when my dad died
DIY Funeral
The year that was 2022
The Coroner
Fearing Death
Funeral Wishes
Low-Cost Funerals
The five stages of Grief
How Hard is a DIY Funeral?
Personal reflections on what Maori funerals teach us
Behind the scenes of SDF
Have you heard of MAiD?
Cowboy Operators – Not Here
Starting a Small Business
Burial or Cremation?
I stopped watching the news and I like it
Personalise Memories
Save hundreds if not thousands of dollars
When Less is More
What do you do series #5 Family Relationships
What do you do series #4
Choosing a funeral home
The Good Life
The Political Circus
15 Things – updated – Funeral Home Secrets
Your Funeral Your Way
Why does Click-Bait work?
Facing Uncertainty
Traditional Funeral
The cost of dying is going to give me a heart attack
DIY Funerals
What do you do series #2
3 Things To Save You Thousands in Funeral Costs
The Rite Funeral For You…
Seven things that make us unique
How to Save on Funeral Costs
Prepaying Funerals
Direct Cremation – Yes/No?