How to Feng Shui Your Home to Make it Sell Quicker

CannonFeng Shui Your Home to Help it Sell Quicker
by Elaine VonCannon

In a competitive real estate market, home sellers are looking for the edge to make their home sell fast. Feng Shui, or the ancient Chinese art of placement, is one answer. Jaan Ferree, a Feng Shui consultant based in Asheville, North Carolina, explains. that Feng Shui is having the intention to pay attention to your environment.
I recently asked Jaan for a few Feng Shui pointers to help the home seller find a buyer faster. Here are some of her Feng Shui ideas for the home seller.

House Number
Jaan Ferree suggests taking a closer look at the house number and position on the block. As a buyer approaches the home is it easy to tell he or she is at the right place? Is the number of the home visible?
Front Door and Approach
Make sure the entrance to your home is easily discernable. If the entrance is not the front door, is it obvious to the visitor where they enter? Is the walk from the car to the door safe, well defined, well lit, and attractive?
Ferree says the front porch, door, and threshold should be welcoming and have a "greeter". Use a pot of geraniums, other flowers or plants, a statue, or an attractive welcome mat. She also suggests a beautiful color on the door, wind chime, basket hung on the wall beside the door, plaque beside the door or other plants or objects which will "lift the chi" (energy) of the person approaching the entrance to the home. Finally, a clear bell or doorknocker, to let someone know you are there, is always helpful.

Trim the Bushes
Make certain shrubbery and landscaping is not overgrown. If it is, the energy may have the effect of "pushing the person away" who is approaching the entrance to the home. The best plants to line the edge of the walkway have soft round corners. Avoid sharp pointed plants or objects.

Interior Entranceway
Once you enter the home the space inside the door should be clear of clutter and obstructions. If there is a wall directly across from the entrance Ferree says that placing a mirror or art on the wall will lift the chi tremendously. This Feng Shui treatment makes sense because it prevents your visitor from walking into a blank wall. It also makes something visible that will immediately lift the spirits of your guest.
Ferree suggests paying close attention to the subtle environmental clues in the interior of the home to make sure that you are not pushing someone away with the objects in the space, or making them have to "get smaller" to walk through the space.

Safety First
In addition to aiding in lifting the energy of a space, Feng Shui can also reflect simple common sense. Safety, both real and perceived, is extremely important. Ferree recommends, Pick up any items strewn about the yard and make sure all walkways and stepping stones and steps are level. Good lighting is essential, too. It must b e easy to walk through the interior and exterior of the house without obstruction.

Avoid Clutter
According to Ferree, clutter will keep a house from selling for many different reasons, one of which says the person does not attend to the upkeep of the home. Clutter collects stagnant energy and brings the feeling of the space down.
The two kinds of clutter are passive and active. Examples of active clutter are scattered children's toys in a living room, or brushes, paints and accessories in an artists studio. Passive clutter is piles of things which have not been put away, thrown away or recycled.

Positive Energy Keeps Guests Happy
Ferree has some ideas on how to invite positive "chi" (energy) into your home. Spread smells, such as vanilla, cinnamon, or citrus throughout the home. Consider the lighting, colors and color arrangements and clarity of a space. Work on design enhancements that welcome visitors to your space and invite them to stay a while.
Ferree has one piece of final advice that applies to many situations. Your home tells a story about you she says, People read the story every time they visit your space. Be aware of that and put your best self forward.
by Elaine VonCannon

In a competitive real estate market, home sellers are looking for the edge to make their home sell fast. Feng Shui, or the ancient Chinese art of placement, is one answer. Jaan Ferree, a Feng Shui consultant based in Asheville, North Carolina, explains. that Feng Shui is having the intention to pay attention to your environment.
I recently asked Jaan for a few Feng Shui pointers to help the home seller find a buyer faster. Here are some of her Feng Shui ideas for the home seller.

House Number
Jaan Ferree suggests taking a closer look at the house number and position on the block. As a buyer approaches the home is it easy to tell he or she is at the right place? Is the number of the home visible?
Front Door and Approach
Make sure the entrance to your home is easily discernable. If the entrance is not the front door, is it obvious to the visitor where they enter? Is the walk from the car to the door safe, well defined, well lit, and attractive?
Ferree says the front porch, door, and threshold should be welcoming and have a "greeter". Use a pot of geraniums, other flowers or plants, a statue, or an attractive welcome mat. She also suggests a beautiful color on the door, wind chime, basket hung on the wall beside the door, plaque beside the door or other plants or objects which will "lift the chi" (energy) of the person approaching the entrance to the home. Finally, a clear bell or doorknocker, to let someone know you are there, is always helpful.

Trim the Bushes
Make certain shrubbery and landscaping is not overgrown. If it is, the energy may have the effect of "pushing the person away" who is approaching the entrance to the home. The best plants to line the edge of the walkway have soft round corners. Avoid sharp pointed plants or objects.

Interior Entranceway
Once you enter the home the space inside the door should be clear of clutter and obstructions. If there is a wall directly across from the entrance Ferree says that placing a mirror or art on the wall will lift the chi tremendously. This Feng Shui treatment makes sense because it prevents your visitor from walking into a blank wall. It also makes something visible that will immediately lift the spirits of your guest.
Ferree suggests paying close attention to the subtle environmental clues in the interior of the home to make sure that you are not pushing someone away with the objects in the space, or making them have to "get smaller" to walk through the space.

Safety First
In addition to aiding in lifting the energy of a space, Feng Shui can also reflect simple common sense. Safety, both real and perceived, is extremely important. Ferree recommends, Pick up any items strewn about the yard and make sure all walkways and stepping stones and steps are level. Good lighting is essential, too. It must b e easy to walk through the interior and exterior of the house without obstruction.

Avoid Clutter
According to Ferree, clutter will keep a house from selling for many different reasons, one of which says the person does not attend to the upkeep of the home. Clutter collects stagnant energy and brings the feeling of the space down.
The two kinds of clutter are passive and active. Examples of active clutter are scattered children's toys in a living room, or brushes, paints and accessories in an artists studio. Passive clutter is piles of things which have not been put away, thrown away or recycled.

Positive Energy Keeps Guests Happy
Ferree has some ideas on how to invite positive "chi" (energy) into your home. Spread smells, such as vanilla, cinnamon, or citrus throughout the home. Consider the lighting, colors and color arrangements and clarity of a space. Work on design enhancements that welcome visitors to your space and invite them to stay a while.
Ferree has one piece of final advice that applies to many situations. Your home tells a story about you she says, People read the story every time they visit your space. Be aware of that and put your best self forward.

Elaine VonCannon is a REALTOR with RE/Max Capital in Williamsburg, Virginia, and she manages investment property as part of her business. Elaine is also an Accredited Buyer's Representative as well as a Senior Real Estate Specialist. She has helped numerous clients invest in and make money on property in Southeastern Virginia.

Feng Shui Improves Life

Business people as well as common folks throughout the world improve all aspects of their lives using Feng Shui. Although the exact origins of feng shui are debatable, it is thought to have originated in China about five thousand years ago. According to Feng Shui cultural and social issues are influenced by natural, metaphysical and cosmological factors.

Anyone that has researched Feng Shui history knows that this level of interaction between all things is the theory of chi. Although chi is present everywhere, it pools in special places which are very auspicious in feng shui. When a less than auspicious placement occurred, Feng Shui cures were sought to change the flow of energy. This inclusion of nature into the living environment is the first point in Feng Shui and it provides solid ground for higher levels above. The art of Feng Shui is the balancing of energies through adjusting the relationships of particular items in the environment. In Feng Shui, a home and family were lucky if they were blessed to be placed in the most auspicious surroundings.

Feng Shui is an ancient discipline which shifts the chi (life force energy) in your home to improve your life. It is becoming better known in the West for one good reason: It works wonders. One of the basic rules when decorating with feng shui is to make sure that the path of energy, whether good or bad, cannot flow through your home. This happens when windows are directly across from each other, or doors are directly in front of a window. When good energy flows through your home, you can have good luck one day and bad the next, since the good energy has just flown through. When bad energy flows through your home, it is believed to cause more than just bad luck, including death and pain. Although the bad energy can flow out of your home, it leaves its wrath and can be hard to fully get rid of.

When a neighbor's driveway points toward your front entrance, counter it by affixing a pa-k'ua mirror to the door. Pa-ku'a mirrors are usually available at Chinese gift stores. A pa-k'ua mirror can also be used against sharp, pointed objects directed at your house for instance, TV antennas, protruding tree branches, or spiky architectural features. Place a large mirror behind the stove so that you won't be surprised when someone comes up behind you. Hang a mirror up at the end of a hallway so that it does not seem like a dead end. If the West section is missing in your home, you can install a bright light or a mirror to partially remedy this problem. You can also activate the West section of your bedroom as well. Do not sleep facing a mirror. The water element of the mirror will cause ill health. Avoid having any water feature in the bedroom such as aquariums, paintings of rivers and lakes, computers or televisions.

Avoid sleeping in a room where a toilet or washing machine is located upstairs. Sleeping underneath an exposed overhead beam will cause headaches, depending on where the beam 'hits'.

Arrange furniture so you can face the doors while sitting. Make the environment much more comfortable by arranging seating areas away from drafts and adjusting lighting. Clean up clutter to encourage relaxation and help you to find things easier.

Widen the front walkway to your home to make it more inviting. Be sure paths between rooms and through rooms are wide and easy to use. This allows you to walk around easily, as well as promotes chi. Oil your doors so they don't squeak, reducing mental irritation.

Fresh flowers will spread their fragrance all over so decorate flower vases with beautiful red roses and tulip flowers and place them at different corners in the house. One of the basic rules when decorating with feng shui is to make sure that the path of energy, whether good or bad, cannot flow through your home. This happens when windows are directly across from each other, or doors are directly in front of a window. When good energy flows through your home, you can have good luck one day and bad the next, since the good energy has just flown through. When bad energy flows through your home, it is believed to cause more than just bad luck, including death and pain. Although the bad energy can flow out of your home, it leaves its wrath and can be hard to fully get rid of.

To arrange furniture always start with an empty room. Once a room is empty, you can then fill it one piece at a time. You should begin with the larger pieces, like the couch, bed, television, etc. When placing each item, analyze whether the object is relevant to the area and whether people can flow through the room without running into anything. Ask yourself if you really need it in the room you are working on, or if it would better fit into another room, or if you should donate it, to goodwill. You do not have to put everything back into the room that you took out. Get rid of whatever you have left after arranging each room. This is considered clutter and can slow down your positive energy.

Arrange furniture so you can face the doors while sitting. Mirrors are good in most rooms, but once again avoid their use in the bedroom (invites third parties into the relationship) and also they should not face the front door as this causes Chi to bounce back and out the door. They are good for use in long corridors, kitchens with stoves facing the wall and living rooms where you cannot see the front door from when seated. Make the environment much more comfortable by arranging seating areas away from drafts and adjusting lighting.

Rob Daniels is a long term practitioner of Yoga and Pilates additional articles available at Pilates Shop http://www.pilates-shop.net and Yoga Store http://www.yoga-store.net

Feng Shui A Superstition?

What is Feng Shui? Is it a myth or superstition?

Feng Shui definitely exists. But it is not as what you seen on TV and movies, possessing great powers to twist one's fate, to gaining power and becoming rich over night.

In actual fact, it is a knowledge, the study and understanding of the environmental influences. How the "Qi" (metaphysical forces of nature) in your residing environment actually affect you. A formula used to enhance one's luck during timely good luck, to achieve the best possible benefits and to prevent and minimize losses and misfortune during untimely ill luck.

It is just as simple as that. Feng Shui is a very practical application to allow one to live in harmony with the environment, to achieve the best possible benefits.

Think of it this way. Life is always full of up and downs. Just recall. Haven't you been in the situation where you were so close to achieving things, to achieving success but somehow with a twist of luck, lose it? And nevertheless, experienced times of extreme ill luck, failing in whatever you do? To explain, everyone will goes through a period of good luck and ill luck in his or her life. This is the law of life. Whether you are rich or poor, a Chinese or European, you can never run away from this change of luck. Haven't you seen many rich who bankrupt over night while some poor unnoticeably become rich and wealthy?

It is always one's action that is behind his or her success. Are you one who always complains about your ill luck but done nothing to help yourself? Opportunities are always there. It is just a matter of whether you know how to grab it.

Many people have this misconception that Feng Shui brings wealth and windfall. This is very wrong. It is rather about opportunities; making use of the understanding of the law or nature and life to effectively help you make the most of chances to achieve success and wealth.

Now, life is fair to everyone. In the path of life, everyone will have his time of good luck. Feng Shui is there to help enhance on it, bringing about positive influences to better your success. And during time of ill luck, to help minimize losses and misfortune to allow you the opportunities to turn things over when yours good luck eventually arrives. With a comfortable and calm environment, surely you will have the best of health, wisdom and strength to meet the challenges in life, to advance towards success? This is what Feng Shui is about.

And to be talking about Feng Shui, we all know that it is a traditional skill, which originates from the olden China. And to be talking about the olden China, it just can't be helped by many to also think of traditional Chinese Cultures. Hence when Feng Shui is the topic, many would naturally relate it with Chinese Cultures or worse, myths that are passed down from the olden days.

This is a very wrong concept of thinking. Feng Shui is never related with Chinese cultures and definitely any myths. It is never about religion, cultures and needless to be saying curses, ghost or deities. Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief.

In the practice of true classical Feng Shui, there is never the presence of any legendary belief and practices. To better correct your thinking, it is a scientific belief; the wise knowledge of the law of nature. This profound knowledge has for this reason got more and more recognized and today, we can actually see the growth of different schools of Feng Shui practices. But whatever differences in Feng Shui practices there may be, the correct Feng Shui application revolve around the basic principle of life - The relationship of the 5 Elements, which bring about the formation of this Universe. They are the Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water. All forms in this Universe belong to either one of the five elements and are in one way or another, mutually affecting one another, which in turn affect our life. This is an ever-going cycle in the law of Nature.

Feng Shui is a formula, which cleverly work around the law of Nature.

Based on the philosophy of the productive and destructive cycle of the five elements, the application of Feng Shui help to incorporate one's astrological element accordingly; to be in harmony with the surrounding, bringing about beneficial gains.

Now if you truly understand Feng Shui. Feng Shui is never about placing of objects and items. It is never an interior decoration. Remember, in the law of nature, a stone is just a stone and be it a gold or silver, they are just metal etc and that is it. Think about it. Do you think a fake plant and a real plant can bring about the same influence? If you are destined to meet a mishap in this life, do you think by simply placing an object in your house, you can just avoid things?

It is rather about location, direction and time, knowing how the "Qi" (the metaphysical forces of nature) in our residing environment affect us. Knowing how to harness the correct "Qi" into your residing environment to aid you. Now, if you are destined to meet with some calamity in your life, you just have to face it. But with the correct application of Feng Shui, you can minimize these misfortunes. Making use of the positive "Qi" in your residing environment, you can improve and enhance your life destiny and luck. Instead of meeting with a grave accident, getting away with some minor ones.

And note. Different people react differently to the "Qi" surrounding them. What may be positive for some may just be negative for you. There can never be a standardized one for all Feng Shui formation. And why is this so? Because everyone is born at a different time which mean having a different personal astrological element. For example, if your personal element is Fire, do you think an influence of Water element will benefit or harm you?

Understand also this. The world is always moving and changing with time. In life, you can never have the best of luck all the time. Just like when there is day there is night, when there are times of good luck, they are times of ill luck. This is the basic principle of Yin & Yang.

Over different period of time, your residing environment though remain unchanged will undergo influences of both good and ill luck too.

Correct and true Feng Shui helps to manipulate these influences for you to be able to meet and handle these ever going changes; to allow you to wisely and efficiently face the challenges in life to achieve wealth and success. And this is just how helpful and practical Feng Shui, a tool is.

Feng Shui is never a superstitious belief. It is a profound skill used to manipulate the metaphysical forces of nature to help enhance one's well-being, the art of living in harmony with the nature environment.

Jon Sim Master Geomancer http://www.art-of-fengshui.com, http://www.redappletree.com