Feng Shui

Buying a home is a stressful experience. So much rides on a new home because this is where you relax, have fun, sleep, eat; in short, it’s the place central to so much of your life. Plus, you also way a home that you find pleasing on many levels: aesthetically, financially, and spatially. It can be very stressful, because you want to be sure that you are purchasing a home that will benefit you, rather than burden you. But, how can you be sure you are not making a mistake?

Arm yourself with knowledge

Well, the truth is, you can�t. But, you can be armed with knowledge so that you will feel confident about your decision. The information provided here can help keep you on track so that you remember to weigh the positive and negative points about the space in an objective manner, rather than getting carried away by a single feature of the house that you just love (a beautiful kitchen, nice yard, pretty fireplace, etc.), to the point that you overlook the negatives of the house, and thus, make a poor decision.

Look at the space with �feng shui eyes�

When you are looking at a house � or any space for that matter � and considering whether to buy it, it helps to look at it with �feng shui eyes.� You will want to do this once you have considered all the other objective aspects of the house, such as square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, living areas, location, price, etc. The next step is to run down a checklist of the subjective feng shui considerations that will help you make a feng shui assessment.

Check the comprehensive list provided below for some of the most common feng shui problems in houses. Even if you aren�t house hunting, this list can give you some important information that might be very revealing about the house you are already in!

Exterior

 Street: Cul-de-sac, dead end or T-junction?

Topography. Is lot flat or sloped? Avoid yards that slope down toward the rear. Select home with rise at the rear.

Landscape. Is there a tree or pole directly in front of the front door? Dead trees or shrubs? Dead lawn?

Garage. Is it ahead of the house or front door?

Neighbors. Is this house smaller than houses on either side? Do neighbors� houses have sharp angles pointing at this house?

Views & proximity. Can you see or is it close to church, temple or other house of worship? Can you see or is it close to funeral home, cemetery, hospital, police station, sewage treatment, abandoned building or run-down house?

Water. Is water, lake, river, ocean at the back of house or too close to front?

Lot. Regular or irregular-shaped? House sits too close to the front of lot?

Paths. Driveway ends at house instead of garage? Walkways end straight at door?

Interior

Style. Split or bi-level or center hall colonial?

Front. Front door lines up with back door? Does front door face stairway?

Structure. Overhead or exposed beams? Ceilings too high or are they low and slanted? Skylights over sleeping areas or kitchen? Foundation cracks or problems? Serious plumbing or electrical problems?

Entrance. See toilet/bathroom door from the entrance? See the kitchen/stove from the front door? See the dining room from the front door? See the bedroom from front door?

Toilets. Located in NW, SW, center, or corners of the house? Bedroom, dining area or kitchen located under or over toilet?

Staircases. Spiral staircase? Staircase interrupted with landings? Staircase stops at front door? Split or scissor-style staircase?

Hallways. Too long? Divide the house into two sections? Too dark?

Bedrooms. Over garage? Over bathroom or laundry? Have empty space below, i.e., patio area?

Fireplace. In the NW sector or corner of house?

Major locations. Problems with or missing sections in NW (man), SW (woman)? Bathroom, laundry, kitchen in center location?

Odor. Smells musty, smoky, putrid?

Subjective Considerations

Appeal. Does this house appeal to you? Do you like it? How does it �feel� to you?

Signs. Do children misbehave or cry in the house? Children are more sensitive to negative energy before we are. Is there a nice breeze? Are birds chirping outdoors? Click for information on feng shui signs.

First sight. What do you see first upon entering home from back and rear doors that will most likely be used to enter the house after returning home? First sight should be pleasant. First sight from entry doors should not be bathroom, laundry, or kitchen.

Enlist a professional

Still not perfectly confident that this is the home for you? Well, a home is a MAJOR purchase and we must always consider that important point. Most people take a used car to their mechanic before buying it � and its purchase isn�t as important as a house. So, if you�re still confused or just want to proceed with the sale in confidence, why not talk to a feng shui specialist about looking about the prospective house?

A professional feng shui consultant should be able to tell you what you can expect from this location, such as good financial or business opportunities. Or, maybe you�ll find out that buying this house means your health will suffer, you�ll discover an afflicted portion of the house, such as a toilet in the SW sector. Give serious consideration to hiring a professional.

�Kathryn Weber
Publisher, The Red Lotus Letter
www.redlotusletter.com