Buying a Home? Look for these Feng Shui Features.

When you’re in the market for a new a home your biggest priorities are usually price and location.  Next, the floor plan of the home and the feeling you get when you walk in will be deciding factors.  Have you ever experienced that feeling of  “ahhh!” when you enter a space?  It’s an intrinsic feeling you get when an environment feels nurturing.  It’s a great indicator that the house has good Feng Shui.    

Here are six features to look for when you’re in the market for a new home that will create good Feng Shui:

1.  Where is the home located in relation to the street? Avoid buying a home on a T-junction.  When a home is on a T-junction it gets bombarded with traffic energy coming towards it.  The result can be increased arguments and conflict at home.  If the home sits back a good distance from the street or if there is landscaping between the street and the home it alleviates the negative effects.

2.  Does the front door face the street?  Look for a home a with front door facing forward, not to the side, and which isn’t blocked.  The  front door is important in Feng Shui because it is the primary pathway for energy.   A front door which enjoys a clear pathway can receive energy- also referred to as “qi” – and the home will be healthier.  Avoid having large trees directly in front of the door which block qi.

3.  Is the floor plan practical and functional? Practicality almost always indicates good Feng Shui.  Some minor oddities are endearing, but things that make you scratch your head and say “what were they thinking?” are almost always a sign of bad Feng Shui.  Trust your instinct.  If it’s impractical and feels awkward to you it can likely cause problems in your home due to unbalanced energy.

4.  Does the home have good flow?  Open floor plans are preferable because they allow  qi within your home to circulate.  If the floor plan is compartmentalized ensure that rooms have windows so you create good qi pathways.

5.  Do you feel comfortable with the way the home sits on the lot?  Having a steep hill six feet behind you can cause you to feel claustrophobic.  Conversly, if the home sits on top of a hill you may feel exposed and unsupported.  It’s best to look for a flat lot that comfortably fits the home.   When home is grounded and securely placed on the lot, you’ll feel the same. 

6.  What type of driveway does the home have?  Is it circular?  Don’t buy a home with a circular driveway unless you plan infrequent use.  If you use a circular driveway often, the coming and going of the vehicles create a disturbance of energy in the front of your home which can cause conflict inside your  home.

Feng Shui 101- Does the Home You’re Buying Have Good Feng Shui?

Take note of the following features when selecting a home.  Of course, no home is perfect, so don’t worry if not all of these conditions are met. 

Interior Features

Interior features like rounded corners on walls, organic shapes, an open floor plan, and lots of natural light contribute to good Feng Shui.  In Feng Shui, energy (qi) flow is vital.  If you’ve ever gone into an attic with no ventilation odds are you didn’t feel like staying long because of the stale air.  It’s important to your well-being to have healthy, flowing energy in your home.  An open floor plan allows for circulation of qi.  Rounded corners allows qi to flow easier than sharp angles.  And abundant natural light alleviates qi from stagnating.  Too much or too little natural light in the home causes discomfort because instinctively people feel that the home is not balanced.

Location

Neighborhoods with well-maintained homes, meandering street traffic, and varied topography are desirable because they indicate good energy in the area.   Look for a home that’s situated on the lot in the form of an armchair. It’s best to have the front yard open and without obstructions so you can receive qi; and a hill, fence or trees in back of the house to gather qi;  and support on the left and right side of the house – usually in the form of neighboring homes.

Street Traffic

Streets that are straight carrying fast traffic are not good for residential areas.  In short, people don’t like to live on highways.  Feng Shui principles explain why.  Too much noise and rushing qi outside create an imbalance inside and negate relaxation.  Winding streets are best because qi moves slowly and accumulates in front of the home, then gently flows into the home.   When the street traffic is too fast qi rushes by and can’t enter your home and the chaotic qi from the street beats against the home.

Proportion

Proportion is also important in Feng Shui. A hill behind your home is a desirable feature, but if it’s only six feet from the back door it’s not. Instead of gathering qi, the hill can make you feel claustrophobic and can constrict your opportunities in life. A home should also be well-situated on a symmetrical lot.  When a home is too close to the street or when it is situated on an unevenly shaped lot the balance of qi will be uneven and can affect relaxation as well as prosperity.

Floor Plan

Fundamentally, the goal of Feng Shui is balancing yin and yang energies. Yang corresponds to movement and light.  Yin corresponds to the opposite – quietness and dark.  Correctly balancing yin and yang creates comfort.  Quiet rooms, like bedrooms, should be located in the quieter, yin areas of a home.  Most of the time, the quieter area is the back of the house.   Active areas like the kitchen and family room should be together.  Does it feel odd to you when a bedroom is located next to the kitchen?  Or when a bedroom is adjacent to a garage?  This is because of the nature of the rooms – the kitchen and garage are active areas and the bedroom is quiet area.  When the floor plan seems awkward or impractical it’s because rooms aren’t arranged according to their function.

Avoid these Features

Features in opposition to Feng Shui principles include stairways facing the front door, low ceilings, irregularly shaped rooms, rooms over garages, and spiral staircases.  These features tend to cause negative circulation of qi.  Of course, remember that no home is perfect and all homes have some negative Feng Shui aspects.  Trust the feeling you get when you’re inside  the home.  If you feel at ease and comfortable, you’re most likely experiencing good Feng Shui.

Buying a New Home? Ten Feng Shui Guidelines to help to choose a great home.

1.    Look for the surrounding area to give you the “armchair” form. Your home should feel like it is sitting nestled in the seat of a nice comfy armchair with support in the back, strong arms on each side, and a level seat, with the area in front open and unobstructed.

2.     The house should not be located too high above the street or too low below the street.

3.    Streets that have light traffic which moves slowly are preferable to high traffic areas.  And look for gently winding streets to bring energy to you easier than straight streets do.

4.     It is preferable not to have a house on a  “T” junction.

5.    The master bedroom is best located in the back of the house and on the ground floor.

 6.    The house will be more likely to enjoy prosperity if it has an open floor plan which allows plenty of area for circulation.

 7.    To avoid conflict between parents and children, it is best to avoid having their respective bedroom doors facing each other.

8.     The house will bring more joy if it is light and bright with plenty of windows.

 9.    It is better for prosperity not to have a staircase directly facing the front door.

 10.  A curved walkway to the front door rather than a straight path is desirable.  Avoid homes with trees blocking the front door.

Feng Shui adds balance to your life.

Before

After

If you’re conscious of living in harmony with your enviroment and enjoying a healthy, balanced livestyle odds are you’ve heard of Feng Shui.  Using Feng Shui principles in your home will help you feel comfortable, relaxed, and balanced.  Feng Shui not only helps you feel great but applying the principles at your home or office will help create a balanced and comfortable space.

The ancient Chinese, originators of Feng Shui over 6,000 years ago, developed systems of arranging their homes to harness the most powerful energy flow for success in their lives. For example, such choices as location of your house, its orientation on the lot, floor plan, wall color, furniture arrangement, and accessories directly affect the energy flow of your space; thus, they will either support you or cause discomfort and stress.

When an environment has “bad Feng Shui” it makes you feel uncomfortable or uneasy. When a space has “good Feng Shui,” the environment appeals to the senses and feels comfortable, balanced and inviting.

Here are five tips for creating a healthy,  balanced home:

1. Trees and plants in the yard should be healthy and well cared for.  The front yard should be maintained in good order, clean and neat.
2. There should be a clear, clean, obvious pathway winding to the front door.
3. The right balance of natural light in a room is an important first step in creating a well-balanced and healthy room.
4. Energy should be encouraged to circulate slowly throughout the house.  Stagnant energy is not healthful.  Clutter, too much furniture, or furniture that is too large for a room will obstruct energy flow.  Energy needs clear pathways so it can meander through every room of the house.
5. Generally, less is more in accessorizing and decorating your home.

And rest assured, a space can always become more balanced using Feng Shui.

Feng Shui 101 – Why is it best to have your bedroom in back of your home?

Feng Shui involves more than most people realize.  Traditional Feng Shui examines different aspects of your home and one of the most important details is your floor plan.

So why is it best to have your bedroom at the back of your home?  It’s because it follows the most basic of Feng Shui Principles – the principal of Yin and Yang. (See Yin/Yang Page for more info).  Yin and yang are the two opposing universal forces which balance each other.  This is an important aspect of Feng Shui and here’s why.

Ying corresponds to stillness and tranquil energy.  Yang corresponds to activity and moving energy.  In your home, rooms that should be more yin are the rooms you want to relax in -bedrooms, reading, and mediation areas.  Usually, the back of the house is quieter because it is shielded from the street activity and it will naturally be more yin.   Wherever the quietest, least active areas are in your home will have yin energy.

What if your bedroom faces the street?  That’s okay.  In Feng Shui, there are lots of ways to make a space work better.  When you can’t change the floorplan, do what you can do — decorate to create more yin energy.  That includes:

• Installing light-blocking cellular shades
• Hanging heavy-weight curtains (velvet is a good choice)
• Using subdued patterns on bedding and in artwork
• Adding an area rug to ground the energy
• Keeping fire colors to a minimum.  Fire colors are red, orange, pink and purple.
• Adding “white noise” to quiet the space

When you walk into your bedroom or meditation area, you want to be able to drop the stress in your shoulders and feel relaxed.  The more yin energy the room exudes, the easier you’ll be able to do so.