Here is an article I wrote in the Nov/Dec 2015 edition of Green Homebuilder Magazine…
FengShui is simpler than you think. The application of FengShui in a model home can help increase sales, even in non-Asian communities because it subconsciously gives prospective homebuyers a feeling of harmony and balance.
Have you ever walked into someone’s home and immediately felt so comfortable that you didn’t want to leave? Perhaps you stayed until late in the evening soaking in the ambiance and energy of the home and its residents. Simply put, that is the experience of good FengShui. Now, imagine if all of your model homes could create the same feeling—a feeling where prospective buyers want to move in right away.
We know that people buy out of emotion, not out of logic. It is our goal when building and marketing homes to drive the positive emotional triggers in prospective buyers. While everything may look good on paper, we ultimately want them to fall in love with the home they tour. People naturally feel harmonious and safe in a home when they subconsciously sense the right balance of cleanliness and living energy.
When I work with homebuilders, I try to emphasize the living energy of a home. Living energy gives you the impression that people actually live in the home. They care for it and it cares for them, so to speak. This living energy helps people feel recharged. In a model home, however, it can be difficult to achieve living energy since nobody actually lives there; this is where FengShui can be a good complement.
So how do we achieve FengShui’s living energy through interior design and staging? How do we ensure that a model home doesn’t feel stagnant and cold? Since we don’t have anybody living in model homes, we need to create a feeling of life—flowing and growing energy through the furnishings, features, lights, plants, and artwork we select.
Many of the model homes that I walk through can be quite frigid and unwelcoming. I have seen themes concentrated on dried flowers and twigs, sharp metal edges in furnishings and artwork, and even dead animals with heads mounted on the walls. These themes seem cold and unwelcoming, don’t they?
Now imagine the uplifting energy of a model home with a calm water feature as you enter the front door, a pot of aromatic fresh flowers in the hallway, the smell of fresh-baked cookies in the kitchen, and a soft couch with a crackling fireplace in the background.
Avoid textures that are rigid, rough, and particularly those that appear lackluster. Stay away from driftwood textures and keep cold metal objects dominating the model home. Instead, use soft patterns such as soft textures on walls, furniture, blankets, towels, and flooring that allow people to lower their guard and sink into the comfort of the home.
The master bedroom should tempt prospective buyers to curl up into the bed. Though a little counter-intuitive, avoid mirrors and ceiling fans in your model bedrooms. While mirrors may give an impression of more space, they can give a feeling of anxiousness as opposed to harmony and security. Likewise, ceiling fans may make logical sense in that they can reduce utility bills, but they subconsciously make people nervous that the ceiling fan will fall on them while they sleep.
Bathrooms are generally the most difficult areas to FengShui. They figuratively drain away uplifting energy. Bathrooms should be bright and colorful to create something that could feel like a fun space. To add to that feeling, try some fresh flowers and a small crystal chandelier.
As we know, the kitchen is the area where many women fall in love with a model home. While most of her needs should be addressed in the home design stage, interior design is where we make her feel like she can provide nourishment to her family. The kitchen should be bright and clean with a bowl full of (real) fresh fruit to provide positive energy.
Don’t forget about the kids. Create an interior design that engages children. Use features in the bonus room like a working foosball or small air hockey table that allows them to play and have some fun. Who can resist smiling when a child laughs with enthusiasm? Focus on creating a sustainable and harmonious energy within a model home with soft features that stay active even when nobody lives there. These small things give so much energy back in the home that a prospective buyer will feel welcomed—as though it was designed just for them.
Jessie Kim (Ms. FengShui) is a 3rd generation FengShui consultant who primarily works withhomebuilders. She can be reached at [email protected] or at www.MsFengShui.com.
As Asian-American populations continue to rise and accumulate wealth, Realtors and home builders are continually looking for ways to cater to the real estate needs of these buyers.
According to a recent Better Homes & Gardens survey, Feng Shui plays a role in home selection for a staggering 86% of Chinese-Americans. Moreover, 79% are willing to invest more for homes that apply Feng Shui principles.
Though my primary clientele is home builders, I have had a substantial increase in the number of agents and sellers contacting me to help prepare their listings for sale with Feng Shui in mind. One of my clients, in fact, told NPR that adding Feng Shui to her home attracted an offer from a Chinese couple for almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
Here are three basic Feng Shui tips to help get a fast sale and maximize your sales price.
Eliminate the Clutter
Clutter prevents Qi energy from flowing smoothly through a property. A home with naturally-flowing Qi brings harmony and balance to anyone stepping into the space. According to the Better Homes & Gardens survey, 64% of respondents are looking for organized and clutter-free space.
Everything should be well-organized and there should be relatively few trinkets. Even closets, shoe racks and garages should be cleared. If necessary, rent a storage unit to temporarily store items while the home goes through the viewing process.
Re-Arrange the Bedroom
72% of Chinese-Americans look for important Feng Shui aspects in the bedroom. This makes sense, because this is where one re-energizes for the next day.
The first thing to do is make sure that the bed is not aligned with the door. Additionally, ensure that there are either no mirrors in the bedroom or that they are at least pointed away from the bed.
Choose Good Dates for Showings
Feng Shui buyers often consult with me to pick auspicious dates and times for their special occasions, such as opening a business, getting married or moving into a new home.
Realtors and homeowners also make use of this principle to set good dates and times for their showings, boosting their chances of closing a deal during a showing.
Next Steps
Whether you believe in Feng Shui or not, a growing percentage of buyers find it incredibly important to the home buying process.
There is much more to Feng Shui than these three simple tips. Visit my blog to get some additional Feng Shui information. If you are a serious seller, however, you need to hire a Feng Shui expert to identify and help cure dangerous elements to your property without making it look like a Chinese restaurant exploded inside.
If you are a Realtor or are looking to prepare your home for sale, contact me today. As your 3rd generation real estate Feng Shui expert, I will help you get your home ready for a faster sale!
It is well-known that the Feng Shui for a cul-de-sac home is bad. Though I typically advise against living in such a home, I have figured out how to make lemonade out of lemons (or good Feng Shui out of bad, in this case).
In years past, home builders could charge a premium for homes at the end of cul-de-sacs. With more buyers aware of Feng Shui, that is simply no longer the case.
Unaware buyers may covet a home on a cul-de-sac because it provides a larger lot and reduced drive-through traffic so that children can play. Unfortunately, many of those who have lived in a cul-de-sac home have paid the price in more ways than one.
Basic Feng Shui Advice
When possible, avoid cul-de-sac homes. It’s really that simple.
When I work with home builders, I advise against site plans that include cul-de-sacs, especially in Feng Shui aware areas, because they typically have to reduce their price to sell the homes. Moreover, city planners avoid them because they promote a reliance on cars, as public transportation is more difficult to service these areas.
If you are looking at purchasing a home on a cul-de-sac, I would advise against it because the overwhelming energy you will experience is chaotic and stale.
But what if you already own and live in a cul-de-sac home?
Most of my clients living in cul-de-sac homes came to me experiencing problems making and keeping money and have had poor health. Fortunately, I solved their problems, just as I will for you.
Own a Cul-de-Sac Home? Your Options
If you already live in a home on a cul-de-sac, you have essentially two Feng Shui options:
1. Sell the home, likely to someone who is not aware of Feng Shui.
2. Harness and transform the Feng Shui energy flowing to your home such that it can nourish you rather than deplete you. This isn’t the easy option, but it is sometimes the only option given individual situations.
I am going to focus on the second option so that we can work on some cures to your cul-de-sac Feng Shui.
Negative Chi of Cul-de-Sacs
First, let’s talk about why cul-de-sac homes have such bad Feng Shui.
While any home on a cul-de-sac is bad Feng Shui, the homes in the red area get the fastest moving negative Chi.
Think of a street like a river, where water flows down from a source. Chi (or Qi) is water’s equivalent, flowing down a street from its source toward your cul-de-sac. Chi is Feng Shui energy. Just like water, it can be clean and refreshing or dirty and unhealthy.
Water nourishes while it also erodes. It provides life-giving energy to plants while also slowly eating away at the banks of the river. Chi works in much the same way, as it provides life-giving energy to you in your home, it also erodes your Bagua over time.
As water flows to a dam, it churns chaotically and over time gets stale. Sediment collects, creating mud that grows like a cancer. So, too, does Chi as it flows to a cul-de-sac. While the energy is worst at the home at the end of the cul-de-sac, all of the surrounding homes must share dirty, chaotic and stale energy that erodes at their Baguas over time.
Energy that makes its way into your cul-de-sac home is not calm, refreshing energy that you need to kickstart the creative cycle of your Bagua. Instead, it is fast, chaotic, used up energy that needs to be slowed, regulated and refreshed.
Energy Transformation
If you intend to live in a home at a cul-de-sac (or a home on a T-intersection or dead end), improve its incoming Feng Shui energy much as you would regulate and filter dam water for drinking.
Start by slowing the energy coming at your home. Do this by utilizing landscaping effects such as tall shrubs, walls, fences or even sturdy posts near your front curb (this also helps prevent unsuspecting car drivers from ending up in your living room).
Next, add some water and wind features between the tall curbside landscaping and the doorway. Try utilizing a pond, pool, birdbath, or water fountain. Any calm water feature will do. You could also add a windmill or other moving garden elements. Adding these elements filters and refreshes your incoming Chi.
You can use Feng Shui to protect your home from negative energy by adding strong posts and refresh the energy with a water feature.
Now, create a winding pathway from the cul-de-sac to your front door that navigates its way through the landscaping effects at the curb and through your water or wind features to your doorway. This re-creates the calm flowing river effect, with your new filtration system working to slow and refresh the Chi.
Ensure that your doorway and the front of your home is well-lit. Depending on your home, you may want to paint your door a particular color. These steps attract positive Feng Shui energy.
As I suggest with T-intersection homes, try using a convex Bagua mirror at your doorway to bounce away any negative energy that sneaks through. It doesn’t need to be visible from outside.
Place your convex Bagua mirror above your door on the interior wall facing toward the street. Yes, you won’t actually see the mirror.
Lastly, make sure you have followed all of the steps to Feng Shui the inside of your home according to the Bagua. Doing so will ensure that your career, relationships, wealth, love, health and all other areas of importance are well-nourished by your newly-refreshed Chi.
Next Steps
You deserve to live a life of abundant wealth and health. Make sure that your home is providing for you.
If you run into any problems along the way or are looking for some professional guidance, contact me. I pride myself in adding harmony and balance while not making it look like a Chinese restaurant exploded in your home. You can get a consultation in-person or virtually via video chat.
I am a 3rd generation Feng Shui expert and have helped thousands of people add harmony and balance to their homes and offices the Feng Shui way. As your consultant, you will be able to get one-on-one advice for how to attract positive energy and improve your life with Feng Shui. I offer in-home and virtual services. Contact me today!
Increasing foreign investment into U.S. homes and shifting demographics has forced home builders to consider this untapped energy.
By Jessie Kim
Communities across the country are experiencing an influx of potential buyers that have a certain sixth-sense about an unseen energy. They’re not interested in square footage and upgrades. It’s about this energy. They will often walk in and immediately out of a model home – without saying a word – if this energy isn’t right. Basic model designs that had been popular for years are no longer top sellers. Large cul-de-sac or corner lots sometimes require a discount rather than fetching their normal premium. What is to blame for these recent trends? Foreign investments? Shifting demographics? Maybe FengShui is to blame.
Just what is FengShui, though? Literally translated, FengShui means wind-water. That says a lot about the 3,000 year old Asian practice of FengShui, even as it is used today in home layout and design in the United States.
FengShui is all about the flow of energy, much like how water flows and wind blows. When you open up the front door to a house, how would an incoming stream of water or a gust of wind flow around and blow through the house? Would it make its way through every room or would it stagnate and collect all in one area? We cannot survive without the energizing nature of water and air. As these are two of the main elements to the building blocks of our human existence, so too is a similar energy referred to inFengShui as Chi or Qi.
In FengShui, we see the front door of a home as the mouth of incoming energy. From there, an ideal flow of life-giving Chi would cycle through different areas of the home represented by important elements to our existence, starting with the front door: water, wood, fire, earth and metal.
Think of it this way: Chi that flows into your home starts by energizing water. Water, in turn, nourishes wood trees. Wood then fuels fire. Fire rejuvenates earth. Over time, earth and its processes create metal. To renew the cycle, metal gives water a path through which to flow.
This is what is called a creative cycle in FengShui and it should flow in a clockwise motion in a home’s layout, starting with the front door. A well-energized and free-flowing creative cycle will provide harmony and balance in the lives of its occupants. This is where the placement of doors, stairs and walls in the floor plan can be crucial for the energy flow.
Moreover, it is important to have items representing these elements in corresponding areas of the home. For instance, a stove or fireplace in the fire area is ideal. When staging a model home, small trees could be placed in the wood area. Metal picture frames could be placed on walls in the metal area.
When one element is overpowering the home, however, it could have disastrous effects. Too many items representing fire, for instance, causes FengShui energy to “burn up.” In turn, residents feel burned out and get hot-tempered. Arguments can flare up. Too many items representing water in the home, on the other hand, will give residents the feeling of drowning, which can be overwhelming. That feeling will eventually translate into a lack of motivation. Rarely will projects get started, let alone be seen through completion by residents of such a home.
In FengShui, it is all about creating balance. Creating a balanced energy in homes is important so that future residents living in the space can live healthy, harmonious and fruitful lives.
When potential buyers walk into a model home, they need to feel like it is a home where they can be creative, can be active, can be good at what they do, can get the recognition they deserve and can have happy and healthy relationships with their friends and loved ones. From site design to staging with proper FengShui in mind, a model home will make prospective buyers feel a positive and relaxing energy that is crucial to health and prosperity. It will be like a refreshing drink of water or a rejuvenating breath of cool air. Whether they believe in it or not, FengShui energy will invite buyers in to experience more of their future home – without saying a word.
Ms. FengShui, Jessie Kim, is a 3rd generation FengShui consultant who primarily works with developers. She can be reached at [email protected] or visit https://www.MsFengShui.com.
The following article is from a news story that aired Saturday 6/7/2014 on NPR (National Public Radio) regarding Feng Shui and its use in new home developments and in selling existing homes. Jessie Kim of Ms. Feng Shui was quoted in the story with a few Feng Shui tips. You can download the audio here.
To Sell A House In California, It Might Need Good Feng Shui
by MILES BRYAN
About 40 miles east of Los Angeles, houses in the new College Park subdivision are designed to have good feng shui. Miles Bryan/NPR
If you leave Los Angeles, Calif., on Interstate 10 and head east for about 40 miles, you’ll run into a quintessentially suburban phenomenon: the opening of a subdivision.
At one such development called College Park in Chino, Calif., the lawns are bright green, the D.J. is spinning classic rock and a lot of the conversations are in Mandarin. Among those looking for a house is Eddie Yung. He lives in China now, but he’s moving to California.
The number of Chinese buying homes in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2007, with most of those sales in Southern California. Some are buying for investment purposes — prices are positively cheap compared to the market in Beijing or Shanghai — and others are planning to start a life in the states.
Marketing to those Chinese buyers has meant learning about what customers want in a house’s design, says Mark Torres, a division president for Lennar Homes, the company that’s building the subdivision.
“We consider feng shui elements in all our designs,” Torres says. “Everything from the water-fire elements and making sure that we don’t have those types of conflicts [and] designing the entry of the homes to keep all that positive energy in the home.”
In a house with good feng shui, the staircase leads away from the front door so the energy doesn’t rush out before it can do good for the house. Courtesy of Jessie Kim
Just a few miles from College Park is the town of Chino Hills, which Lisa Dutton calls home. But her house has feng shui problems. It’s had issues since she bought it from a Chinese seller 15 years ago.
“As he was moving out, he told us the reason he was moving was the house didn’t have good chi,” Dutton says. “We had no idea what chi was! Had no idea whatsoever. So, we bought the house.”
Dutton’s house had been on the market for 30 months, but she was getting nothing but lowball offers.
“At first I was offended because I thought, ‘Wow, my house is beautiful. What’s wrong? Why is someone just walking right out the door?’ ” she says.
Jessie Kim, a feng shui consultant, has the answer to those questions. Standing in the foyer of Dutton’s house, she points out the problem.
“When you open up the front door and then you have a stairway coming right at you, things like to go to the lowest point,” Kim says.
For a lot of Americans, a big fancy staircase is a status statement. But if you are into feng shui, Kim says that’s a non-starter.
“You don’t want all the energy that are upstairs being rushed out to the front door,” Kim explains. “You don’t want those things lining up.”
To help, she put a red rug below the stairs to channel the energy back up and installed a fountain in the lawn to balance the water element. She also added a big welcome mat outside the front of the door to invite in positive energy.
“It should be welcoming,” Kim says. “None of those, ‘Wipe your paws,’ or, ‘Don’t come in here,’ those funny doormat sayings. You don’t want to do that.”
With these changes, the offers started rolling in. Dutton says she’s just closed on a deal with a Chinese couple worth almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
Back at the grand opening of College Park, Eddie Yung is taking a break from walking through model homes and enjoying some complimentary lo mein. He’s looked around in other Los Angeles suburbs but he likes the house he saw here. In fact, he’s going to sign a deposit on one.
That was the fourth home sold at College Park before noon. When the chi is flowing in the right direction, the money will too.
We’ve all heard that front doors opening directly to stairs are bad for Feng Shui. In fact, I’ve written about it in a previous post where I described that such designs lead to income problems.
Just as dangerous to a home or office’s Feng Shui is a spiral staircase or even a grand staircase. I want to get into why they can be so harmful and, of course, give you some remedies.
Feng Shui, translated as “wind-water”, is about harnessing the flow of a natural energy called Chi just as boulders in a riverbed work to temporarily divert the flow of water.
Spiral Staircase Dangers
When working with home builders, I always recommend against designs with a spiral staircase. Even though they are an efficient use of sometimes limited space, the benefits simply don’t outweigh the dangers. Potential buyers conscious of Feng Shui will see a spiral staircase and simply walk out.
Consider a spiral staircase to be like a corkscrew digging into a particular section of the Bagua in the home or office. Please also keep in mind that each section, or Gua, of the Bagua represents a part of the body.
As an example, a spiral staircase in the middle of a home, or Health Area, will figuratively dig into the heart of the Bagua. I have found that those living in such a home frequently have health issues related to the heart or blood pressure.
Many spiral staircases are made of metal, which only exacerbates the digging effect. The same goes for any staircases (spiral or otherwise) with metallic coloring, whether they are gold, silver, bronze, copper, etc.
Any staircase with the color red is morbidly characteristic of blood flowing down the stairs. Circulatory issues are common with residents of such homes.
Another problem related to most spiral staircases is the empty space between each step, preventing Chi, that natural flowing energy, from rising to the upper levels. Rather, energy only flows down — and painfully so.
Spiral Staircase Cures
What if you have a home that already has a spiral staircase? Certainly, replacing the staircase isn’t usually financially feasible.
First and foremost, find a creative way to cover the openings between steps. I suggest using wood because it has the energy of growing up, like a tree. Feel free to cover it in a fabric, such as carpeting.
Use neutral colors instead of black, red or metallic colors. It is better to use the colors of plants or trees.
Now, we need to find a way to work against the downward corkscrew energy. To do this, I recommend the use of lighting and plants.
The lighting should point upward from below, again pushing Chi up the stairs and working against that painfully downward force.
The use of certain plants and trees also move energy upward. Tall trees based at the bottom of the stairs will do the trick. Ivy along the railing will further influence the energy to move upward.
Grand Staircase Dangers
Luxury builders often want to utilize grand staircases. They are beautiful, opulent and, well, grand. They are also very dangerous to the Feng Shui of a home.
Because of their often circular nature, any energy that flows up the left staircase at the Family Area just goes right back down the right staircase at the Creative Area, completely bypassing half of the second floor’s Bagua.
Thus, grand staircases often prevent Chi from giving life to the upstairs offices and bedrooms representing the Wealth Corner, Fame Area and Relationship Corner. That’s simply bad for business and bad for the business of love.
The same rules apply here as with other types of stairs — metals and the colors of metals are bad. Likewise with the bloody effects of red.
When working with builders, I often suggest some very specific modifications to the design to ensure proper energy flow while maintaining the grand effect of the staircase.
Grand Staircase Cures
Again, what remedies are there to cure a grand staircase that already exists in a home (aside from tearing it out and adding the Helpful People, Career, and Knowledge areas back into the upper floor)?
First, add a red rug at the top of the right staircase. This works to slow the energy that is attempting to flow back downward.
Second, make sure that you have a large, shiny chandelier above the foyer and another shiny chandelier at the upper floor where the two staircases meet.
To keep with lighting, up-lighting or upward sconce lights along the staircase will help push and keep energy upstairs.
Just as with spiral staircases, you can use tall trees at the bottom and ivy along the edges to help influence Chi upward. You can even use wood trim designed with the effects of ivy.
Next Steps
Generally, it is best to avoid a home with a spiral or grand staircase in terms of Feng Shui. But, at least there are cures available to improve such designs to minimize their negative effects.
Spend some time learning about the Feng Shui Bagua to ensure proper Chi flow in your home or office.
If there is something unique about your stairs or layout, such as scissor-stairs, contact me to inquire about a Virtual Feng Shui Consultation because stairs can be a dangerous element.
Considering a new home? Take a look at the recent new home projects where my Feng Shui consultation services were utilized.
I live in a very small apartment where my office was inside of my bedroom. Of course, after reading through Ms. Feng Shui's blog, I realized that this was the reason for my career problems. Since I moved my office to my living room and made a few other changes, work has been going so much better. Thank you, Ms. Feng Shui!
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