Ingrid's Inner Sanctum
An ounce of prevention... Wise real estate decisions
By Ingrid HauckSpring is in full swing, and so is the Great Canadian Migration. I'm not talking about the return of the birds and butterflies; rather it is the time when many of us succumb to the "let's move" bug. As soon as the snow recedes, out come the "For Sale" signs. And I'm drawn, as if on automatic pilot, towards the weekend's plethora of "Open Houses." And how often what may start as curiosity results in major lifestyle changes as we fall in love with a prospective new place- be it a home or cottage!
A change of environment may indeed be just what we need to put some vigour into our lives. And bringing a little Feng Shui savvy into your initial purchasing decision may make all the difference between finding yourself in a place that supports your happiness or one that inadvertently results in unexpected circumstances that prevent you from enjoying your new home. Feng Shui is the oriental philosophy which guides us in creating physical surroundings that nurture and support our higher selves and that can help us to attract positive opportunities into our lives.
As the saying goes- an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and that is particularly relevant when you make the biggest investment of your life- a real estate purchase. So what should you be looking for? The old adage - location, location, location- is relevant. Certainly you want to be in a neighbourhood and home that has curb appeal and that you feel good about. You should find yourself uplifted as you approach your street and new place. And you'll want to avoid sites that are close to uninspiring, run-down structures or those that have a negative connotation, such as funeral parlours. You also want to avoid a location such as the top of a cul de sac where the traffic flow points right to your front door. Or a place that has large buildings with sharp corners pointing right at it. These could invite negative forces and turbulent situations into your home and life.
The front entry often governs your career prospects, and you'll want to have an entry that is as spacious as possible if you are looking for career growth. And one of the main Feng Shui taboos is a front door that is aligned with the back door. This is a sure sign of trouble for a couple or family - ask the realtor why the house is for sale.
Once you have found a suitable location and checked the main front and back doors, "shape, shape, shape" is extremely important. And I'm not referring to the condition that the house is in (a "10" rather than a "handyman's special"). In applying Feng Shui, we want to have a space that includes all of the 9 energy zones as completely as possible. The most auspicious shape, then, for both the lot and the house is an old-fashioned square or rectangle. Shapes other than these will mean that one or more aspects of your life will be left out- and often these are the zones related to Wealth, Marriage, Inner Peace, Career, or Travel!
Be careful when choosing homes that have protruding garages- those with the garage on the right side of the door are not auspicious for those undertaking studies or seeking inner peace; those with the garage on the left may leave support networks and travel opportunities wanting. Similarly, if you are drawn to a home with a large deck, balcony or addition on the back left-side of the house, you could be weakening the energy of your marriage relationship, or preventing you from finding a significant other. If you only follow one piece of Feng Shui advice, make sure that the parts of your life that are particularly important to you are contained within the shape of your prospective new property and home!
So before you drop into any more open houses, first head off to the library or bookstore and learn a little more about Feng Shui. Any basic book that shows you the different energy zones would do, or look for Buy your home smarter with feng shui: ancient secrets to analyze and select real estate wisely by Holly Ziegler. Happy house-hunting!
