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Create Living Energy to Attract Homebuyers Using Feng Shui
Here is an article I wrote in the Nov/Dec 2015 edition of Green Homebuilder Magazine…
Feng Shui is simpler than you think. The application of Feng Shui 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 Feng Shui. 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 Feng Shui can be a good complement.
So how do we achieve Feng Shui’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 Feng Shui. 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. Feng Shui) is a 3rd generation Feng Shui consultant who primarily works withhomebuilders. She can be reached at [email protected] or at www.MsFengShui.com.
Green Homebuilder, Nov/Dec 2015, Page 82
Originally posted at: http://greenhomebuildermag.com/2015/12/22/create-living-energy-to-attract-homebuyers-using-feng-shui/
How to Sell Homes Faster with Feng Shui
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!
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Feng Shui Used by 86% of Chinese-American Buyers
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate and AREAA Survey Finds Feng Shui Plays Role in Home Selection for 86% of Chinese-Americans; 79% Willing to Invest More for Homes that Apply Feng Shui Principles
MADISON, N.J. and CARLSBAD, Calif. (August 11, 2015) – Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) today released findings from a national survey of Chinese-Americans that reveal the impact of the ancient design philosophy, Feng Shui, on this population’s home buying mindset and preferences. While Chinese aesthetic and cultural traditions have long fascinated the Western world, this study sheds light on its influence in the U.S., as Chinese-Americans and international Chinese buyers represent an increasingly powerful force in the nation’s housing market.
The majority (76%) of Chinese-Americans surveyed are familiar with the principles of Feng Shui, which are considered to dictate spatial arrangement and building design to produce a harmonious flow of energy. Furthermore, over half of those who are familiar follow the practice in their daily lives. The prevalence of this unique art extends to home buying; 81 percent of those Chinese-Americans surveyed who are also homeowners indicated that Feng Shui factored into their most recent home purchase. This segment of the population is particular about adhering to Feng Shui in the home and they’re also discerning about the real estate professionals they work with during the process. More than a third (36%) would avoid an agent if they had no knowledge of Feng Shui principles.
“It’s critical for real estate professionals to understand all consumer drivers within the home search,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO, Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate LLC. “For this population, Feng Shui applications are as essential as other traditional characteristics of a home.”
A staggering 86 percent of all respondents stated Feng Shui will play a role in a future home buying decision and 79 percent are willing to invest more for a home that incorporates its principles. As such, Feng Shui often carries a large premium, with respondents willing to pay an average of 16 percent more. On the flip side, for sellers, incorporating Feng Shui into the foundation of a home may also affect its future on the market, as 90 percent of Chinese-Americans believe implementing its principles increases a home’s resale value.
“As the Asian American community’s influence in the real estate market continues to grow, Feng Shui principles are gaining much needed attention and have already influenced real estate developers and interior designers alike,” said Carmen Chong, 2015 AREAA National Chairwoman. “This research proves there is a significant financial incentive for investors and sellers to consider the application of Feng Shui in their properties. For an agent, understanding these principles can dramatically improve the opportunity for success within the Chinese-American market. We are thankful to have worked with Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in producing this new research, and look forward to raising needed awareness about the importance of Feng Shui in a living environment.”
While any home on a cul-de-sac is bad Feng Shui, the homes in the red area get the fastest moving negative Chi.
There are many elements of Feng Shui that range from design to the location of the home. When undergoing the home buying process, 75 percent of surveyed Chinese-Americans indicated they had at least one deal-breaker that goes against Feng Shui principles that would prevent them from purchasing a home. These include: the home being located at the end of a dead end street (31%), the home’s back stairs directly facing the front door (29%), the home having a sloped backyard (29%) and the home’s front and back doors being aligned with each other (24%).
Accordingly, when asked to rank the Feng Shui principles most important in a home buying decision, 71 percent of Chinese-Americans indicated the cardinal direction the home is facing in their top three choices, followed by the location of the home on the street and the location of the stairs.
ADDITIONAL FINDINGS:
A Family Tradition: Many Feng Shui principles that still hold close to home today have been passed down through generations. Nearly half of Chinese-American respondents (49%) are more likely than their parents to take Feng Shui into account when deciding on a home, including 69 percent of those who practice Feng Shui. That said, 85 percent would bring along a family member other than a significant other when house shopping.
Home is Where There’s Feng Shui: A home’s amenities and the surrounding neighborhood are important when looking to buy, but as findings show, many prioritize Feng Shui. In fact, 41 percent of Chinese-Americans think it is important when looking for a home. Two-thirds of those who practice Feng Shui (66%) feel the same – making it the second most important consideration among that group, only behind neighborhood safety.
Elements of Design: 87 percent of Chinese-Americans have essential Feng Shui elements they desire for their kitchen, including it being organized and free of clutter (64%), its colors complementing each other (32%) and the kitchen stove not being directly below the master bedroom (29%).
The careful arrangement of space and design continues in the bedroom, where 72 percent of Chinese-Americans have essential elements incorporated. These include avoiding the bed directly facing the door (41%), mirrors being placed away from the bed (34%) and the ceiling having a consistent height with no slopes (25%).
62 percent of survey respondents apply spatial fundamentals to the design of their bathroom. These include the bathroom being located away from the home’s center (28%), the toilet being located in a separate space (24%) and having a full-length mirror (23%).
Next Steps
Take a listen to a recent NPR story where one of my clients said that adding Feng Shui to her home helped her close on a deal with a Chinese couple worth almost $100,000 more than her previous best offer.
If you are looking to prepare your home for sale or are looking to buy a property and need an expert in Feng Shui, contact me today.
Corner Lot Feng Shui and Cures
Just as nobody puts Baby in a corner, nobody puts Feng Shui in a corner (lot home, that is).
Though it is best not to get yourself in a corner lot house situation, I do offer cures to make the most of your situation if you already live in a corner lot home.
Basic Feng Shui Advice
Simply: Great for businesses, bad for homes.
As I noted about cul-de-sac homes and T-intersection properties previously, my first advice to someone considering a corner lot home is to stay away.
As with cul-de-sac homes, home builders were once able to charge a premium for corner lots. In areas with more buyers knowledgable of Feng Shui, however, they now often find that corner lot homes are the last to go.
Moreover, you might notice that a common theme for foreclosure listings are homes on a corner lot, cul-de-sac or at a T-intersection.
With much in Feng Shui, including corner lots, the issues are really just common sense rather than just energy flow.
Pros & Cons
Not that corner lots are completely bad. Let’s look at the pros and cons of a corner lot.
Advantages:
- More yard space
- Half as many neighbors
- Corner lot businesses are easier to find
- Highly visible decorations or signage
- Emergency services may respond faster
Disadvantages:
- More sidewalk or fencing to maintain
- Noisier traffic & pedestrians
- More headlights point at windows
- Pedestrians taking shortcuts through yard
- Cars turn around in your driveway
- Yard more likely to be used by dogs
- Exposure to car crashes
In addition to the above, Feng Shui suggests that corner lots offer the following disadvantages:
- Energy gets stuck coming around corners
- Energy erodes at the property, causing long-term health and financial issues
- Poison arrow created by diagonally opposite property
- Poison arrows from the car headlights pointing at the home
Feng Shui Cures
What if you already live in a corner lot home?
Resolving the Feng Shui issues is very similar with the resolutions offered for a cul-de-sac home. You will want to ensure that the Feng Shui energy called Chi (or “Qi”) doesn’t get stuck and that you slowly navigate it to your home’s front door.
Start by slowing the crossing energy coming at your home. Utilize landscaping like 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).
Now, add some water and wind features between your curbside landscaping and the doorway. Try utilizing a pond, pool, water fountain or birdbath. Any calm flowing water feature will do. You could also add windmills or other moving garden elements. Adding elements such as these helps slow down and refresh your incoming Chi.
Next, create a pathway that winds from the curb to your front door such that it navigates its way through the landscaping effects at the curb and through your garden features to your front door.
Make sure that the lighting at your front door is uplifting and bright.
As I suggest as a quick cure with T-intersection homes, use a convex Bagua mirror at your doorway to bounce away the effects of those poison arrows pointing at your home. It doesn’t need to be visible from outside.
Next Steps
You deserve to live a life of abundant wealth and health. Make sure that your home is providing for you.
Remember that the Feng Shui of corner lot homes can be very problematic.
Don’t ignore them!
If these cures don’t work for you, there may be other Feng Shui factors involved with the interior of your particular house. Take necessary steps because you deserve to live a life of harmony and balance. Start by reviewing the Feng Shui Bagua of your home.
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!
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Chinese Buyers Purchasing U.S. Homes Online
According to the Auction.com and Juwai.com, it is going to be a lot easier for Chinese buyers to purchase American real estate online. The number of Feng Shui aware buyers looking at U.S. property is about to increase substantially.
Read the press release here:
SHANGHAI and IRVINE, Calif., May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Juwai.com, the No. 1 Chinese international property portal, and Auction.com, the leading online real estate marketplace, have signed a partnership that will bring American commercial real estate auctions to investors from China.
The agreement will see US real estate listings from Auction.com advertised on Juwai.com in Chinese, where they will be immediately accessible to Juwai.com’s 2.6 million monthly Chinese-speaking users – in mainland China and around the world.
Juwai.com will also use its team of 15 journalists to develop content that educates Chinese consumers on the real estate auction process.
Initially, the partnership will focus on commercial properties – multi-family units, hotels, retail and office buildings – listed for sale on Auction.com. But given the high level of interest in US residential properties from Chinese buyers, residential homes will likely be added to the mix as well.
Juwai.com has signed similar international partnerships with LuxuryPortfolio.com, LuxuryHomes.com and The Real Estate Channel, and Chinese partnerships with China’s number one finance website, jrj.com and most popular luxury shopping portal, VIP.com. For a full list of Juwai.com partners, see: http://list.juwai.com/our-partners
“Over $48 billion in foreign capital was invested in US commercial real estate in 2014, and China was second only to Canada in the amount of CRE investment,” said Auction.com CEO and Co-Founder Jeffrey Frieden. “Our strategy has always been to leverage the global reach of the Internet to deliver the largest number of prospective buyers for our sellers. So we’re excited to partner with Juwai.com, which has the largest audience of Chinese international property buyers, and will help us effectively target Chinese-speaking investors in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore and even in the US.”
Simon Henry, co-CEO of Juwai.com, said:
“Auction.com will help us give Chinese buyers more of what they are looking for, exclusive commercial listings that are accessible to them online – in China and in their own language.
“Chinese buyers don’t want to be disadvantaged because of their language or physical distance from the US. We help educate cross-border buyers by providing access and information on global real estate buying practices.
“Auction.com is a great addition to our global partners who understand the value of international buyers.
“Real estate auctions are new to most Chinese, and we believe they will embrace this new opportunity when they learn more about it.”
ABOUT AUCTION.COM
Auction.com, LLC, is the nation’s leading online real estate marketplace. Founded in 2007, the company has sold over $30 billion in residential and commercial real estate assets. Auction.com has over 900 employees and headquarters in Irvine and Silicon Valley,California as well as offices in Austin and Plano, Texas, Atlanta, Denver, New York and Miami. Visit www.auction.com for more information.
ABOUT JUWAI.COM
Juwai.com is the recent winner of the “most influential international property site in China 2014″ award from the country’s peak e-commerce body. As the No. 1 Chinese international property portal, Juwai.com receives 2.6 million monthly visits from Chinese-speaking consumers in 315 cities in China and 48 countries around the world. The site showcases 2.5 million real estate listings from 89 countries. The company is headquartered in Shanghai, with offices in Hong Kong. For info or to advertise: http://list.juwai.com.
SOURCE Auction.com, LLC
Feng Shui Cul-de-Sac Cures
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!
Know someone who lives on a cul-de-sac or T-intersection? Share this post with them on Facebook!
Be sure to register for my email newsletter or like me on Facebook to stay up-to-date with my latest posts.