With today’s technology Realtors® have many tools available, including on-line searches for multiple features and amenities in the houses for sale in large or small geographic areas.  I can quickly have a list of 4 bedroom, 3 bath homes built after 1999 with pools in the Natomas neighborhood in Sacramento.  What I can’t do is determine if the home has positive feng shui characteristics.

This is my first time working with clients who have placed importance on finding a home with positive feng shui.  They have attempted to explain some of the elements of feng shui and I have moved from thinking it was decorating style to understanding it is an ancient Chinese practice that you can’t begin to fully understand with a quick Google search.

The literal translation of feng shui, pronounced in English as “fung shway” is “wind and water.”  According to Wikipedia, “feng shui involves the use of geographical, psychological, philosophical, mathematical, aesthetic, and astrological concepts in relation to space and energy flow.”  Since feng shui is linked to a person’s life force or spiritual energy, Qi or more commonly known as ch’i, energy can either be added to or depleted by his or her surroundings.  The space around us can impact us in terms of health, luck and prosperity because feng shui is related to the space as well as the individuals living there as they are interconnected.

Now that I have established my general lack of understanding feng shui I still have the challenge of finding a home for my clients, who by the way, are a wonderful family moving to the Rocklin and Roseville area who I have mentioned in my blog, Keep it Real in Sacramento.  We have been out looking together several times and I have a good idea of what they like in a home in regards to style, size, and finishes.  Since we have not been able to find the perfect home and the time for their move is rapidly approaching I have decided to preview houses for them so we don’t waste time looking at homes that don’t meet their basic criteria. 

Yesterday, I looked at four homes that meet their basic needs, in this case all four or five bedrooms with the four bedroom homes having at least a den or bonus room.  Of the four, I thought I had one to add to the list of possible candidates.  That was before I decided I should learn a bit more about feng shui.    

After my initial reading, I have come up with my twelve tenants for the amateur feng shui real estate agent.  When I go out today I will be using this list to help me determine which houses, if any, I will show my clients the next time they are in town.

The Amateur Feng Shui Realtor House Hunting List

1.    Stairs should never face the front door.

2.    The back door should not be seen from the entrance.

3.    The kitchen should be on the left when looking out from the inside (the same placement as your heart).

4.    Avoid homes on steep abrupt hills (gentle grades are better)

5.    Avoid homes facing hills, house that back to the hill and look out are good.

6.    The road in front of the home should not be higher than the home.

7.    Avoid homes where the street dead-ends into the home such as a home at the end of a cul-de-sac or a home at a tee intersection.

8.    Look out for homes where the neighboring structures dwarf the home.

9.    Look for square or rectangular lots and where the house is built in the center.

10.  If the lot slopes the house should be on the higher part.

11.  The distance between the street and house should be at least half the front to back length of the house (not too close to the street).

12.  Roads that curve and follow natural contours are better than straight streets.

The house I liked yesterday has stairs that face the front door, the street in front of the house is too close and above the house so they are facing a hill and there are two looming million dollar plus homes looking down at the subject property.  It is on a horse shoe shaped street but I don’t think that outweighs the negative feng shui elements.

Clearly there is a great deal more to feng shui than my list above and some of it is common sense such as not wanting to live under or close to power lines or too close to traffic junctions and  having rooms that are not too dark or not too light. 

Each of the items in my list has special meanings and may have different impact on the people who live in the house.  For example a home on a triangle shaped lot with a point in the front is an indication you will have a hard time making money but will be able to keep it.  If the point is at the back of the house, you will make money easily but will not be able to keep it.   

Another thing I learned is there are possible cures to negative feng shui elements.  For example, when a neighboring structure dwarfs the home causing the occupants’ ch’i to be oppressed by the height and shadow of the overbearing larger building, which may result in stunted careers, personal growth and prosperity, there is a possible cure.  In this cast the cure is a hexagonal mirror facing the offending building so it will reflect back its overshadowing qualities.

Armed with my new found and scant knowledge of feng shui I am going to find some suitable homes for my clients to look at and do some additional reading.  I like these clients very much and respect their practice of feng shui.  Now after my fist serious look at feng shui, I want to learn more.   

All of this and I didn’t even mention Yin and Yang, well maybe next time.