FENG SHUI SIMPLY
Buy or Sell Your House Faster With Feng Shui
By Cheryl Grace

Since purchasing a house will probably be one of the biggest financial investments you will ever make, it makes good sense to utilize a simple, time-proven approach. If you are in the market to buy a house, you want to find a home that will reflect your personality, provide your family with safety and comfort, and create a peaceful place away from the stress of the outside world. Most of us are already practice Feng Shui in some form or fashion; you may just not know it by this term.

The use of Feng Shui guidelines to purchase a home is increasing dramatically in the West as people discover that by paying close attention to your feelings and trusting your gut reactions you’ll find the perfect house that reflects your comfort zone. As you search for your dream house, trust your feelings if you feel anxious in a prospective house and you are unable to relax in the environment. Feng Shui is all about good balance of colors, shapes, textures and design elements that include finding a floor plan that has an easy flow throughout the home. Any structure with many tiny rooms, lots severe angles and shapes, and a choppy layout isn’t going to contribute to your comfort zone.

While there is probably no near perfect Feng Shui home unless you have the opportunity to build it from scratch on an ideal piece of land. You can avoid pitfalls and deal breakers if you use these Feng Shui tips when looking to purchase a home:

You have heard it from the mouths of every real estate agent when it comes to identifying what is one of the most important aspects of buying a house…location, location, location!

You have three main areas of focus; the overall land and the surrounding community, the actual home structure and design, and the individual rooms and floor plan.

The priority before you even consider going inside a home is to examine the land and near-by community. Think of it as spheres of influence. Drive around the neighborhood and community of nearby shops and restaurants that make up the personality and energy of the area.

Find out from the city or county planning department if there are any proposed developments in your area that will adversely affect your property or desirability of the area where your house sits.

Avoid any homes positioned close to churches, gravesites, or mortuaries since feng shui treats these sacred places with their due respect as they are symbols of memorial and funeral services, and final resting places. If you don’t want to hear the frequent sound of an ambulance or police cars in route, eliminate homes located near hospitals and police stations.

Once you have selected a house for its curb appeal and been a witness to neighborhood trends on weekdays verses weekends, take the time to observe the landscaping. Above all, look for mature, natural and abundant foliage. Trees around your home can increase its value by 15% or more.

Avoid having a view or be near water towers and large storage tanks. They can be unstable in hurricanes and should they break, can create havoc to anyone located nearby. Large satellite dishes can send negative energy toward a home and lower its value in the process.

Reject any home that direct end of a T intersection, or the direct approach of a cul-de-sac from the road.

It’s important observe the approach to the home and to always enter through the front door to see if the foyer is open and uncrowded, setting the tone for the rest of the house. Upon entering through the front door, stairs should not greet you as energy and prosperity descend down the stairs and out the front door! Look for lots of natural sunlight, combined with a floor plan that is spacious with easy traffic flow and room for both family activities and quiet time. In addition, a professional Feng Shui consultation will further help you identify hidden pitfalls in each room of the floor plan that could prevent you from experiencing peace and harmony.

It is no wonder that homes with good Feng Shui sell faster. If you are considering putting your house on the market, Feng Shui methods can be exactly what you need to get the job done…and quickly! Your goal is to emphasize the strong points and minimize the weak points by staging your home with the “buyers eyes”. Buyers want to visualize how their furniture, artwork and accessories will look like in this home. Surveys have reported that a home that is “staged” for sale sell two to three times faster and with a minimum of 3 percent more profit.

Therefore, it is important to follow these basic Feng Shui guidelines that rid your home of troublesome areas and instead, create a lasting and positive impression:

The first step is to eliminate clutter. The more you eliminate, the faster your house will sell. This is especially important in the kitchen. If the cook falls in love with the kitchen, you are on your way to a sale! Once the process of de-cluttering is complete, your home will feel lighter and spacious, and a potential buyer will be able to concentrate on the strong points of your home.

Staging a home for sale involves many things, including a good and thorough cleaning, inside and out. Your best allies are fresh air, natural sunlight, optimum lighting, and professionally cleaned carpets, tile, and windows.

Keep furniture, artwork and accessories to a minimum in order to create an easy flow of traffic.

Odors and aromas can actually kill a deal faster than you can imagine. Use fresh and simple scents, such as orange or vanilla, to eliminate persistent odors.

Keep family pets away from open house, or caged during any walk through. Not all people are pet lovers and you want perspective buyers to focus on your home’s architecture.

Feng shui teaches us how to savor our home, and to live intentionally surrounded only by what brings us joy, positive energy, and a sense of calm. Use Feng Shui as a fresh approach to achieve a quick and easy sale or to buy the home that assures you that family and relationships will thrive in your newly chosen surroundings. Even if you are not in the market to sell your home, consider using this philosophy to prepare your home for joyful living now.

Cheryl Grace is a nationally certified Feng Shui consultant and interior refiner. She teaches, writes and is available for speaking engagements on the subject of feng shui as a tool to reach your life potential and live in your ideal environment. To learn more about how a feng shui consultation can help you buy or sell a home quickly or help you create an environment that improves your health, relationships or career opportunities, contact Cheryl at (941) 400-3816 or visit www.ggRedecorating.com