Can feng shui help sell your home?

Getting ready to sell your home usually involves clearing out, tidying away and sorting out. Surprisingly, the ancient art of feng shui closely mirrors the above and its principles can help you prepare your property for sale. We explore exactly what feng shui is and single out the best bits of advice for home sellers.

What is feng shui?

Feng shui is a Chinese philosophy where objects, buildings and spaces are specifically arranged to achieve balance and harmony. The correct positioning and orientation is thought to promote positive qi (pronounced chee) – which is the energy that connects all things, living and inanimate.

Feng translates to wind and shui to water – both words said to be derived from an ancient poem about humans’ connection with the natural world. One of the earliest examples of feng shui was designing burial plots to align with celestial objects, such as the stars.

How is feng shui used in the home?

Good feng shui in the home is said to allow positive energy to flow and bring good luck. Those who follow feng shui to the letter juggle three main processes. The first is the ‘bagua’ – an energy map that’s made up of nine squares. Each square loosely represents wealth, fame, love, family, children, knowledge, career and helpful people, with the central square representing the home’s occupier. The bagua map is laid over a property’s floorplan and spaces are amended in line with feng shui principles, according to what the occupant needs to improve in their life.

Additionally, there are five natural elements that feng shui focuses on: earth, metal, water, wood and fire. They can directly correlate with fixtures, fittings and furniture in the home but they also correspond with emotions, colours, shapes and areas on the bagua map.

Finally, devout followers of feng shui will also balance yin – feminine energy associated with coolness, quiet and night-time, with yang – masculine energy linked to the sun, heat and sociability.

With so many aspects to consider, it’s no surprise that many homeowners with a serious interest in feng shui hire a professional practitioner to create the perfect interior design, while purchasers will consult with a feng shui expert before they buy a property.

Are there any easy feng shui principles I can follow?

If the complexity of bagua maps, elements and yin/yang are too much to comprehend, there are some easy-to-adopt feng shui principles, as follows:

• – Sofas should be placed with their backs against solid walls
• – Dining and coffee tables should be a mix of circular, oval, square and rectangle
• – TVs should be kept out of bedroomsMirrors and reflective surfaces, such as chrome or brass, should be used
• – Beds should not be positioned so your feet are pointing directly out of the doorAdd accessories, such as vases, in pairs
• – Don’t store anything under beds
• – Don’t block doorways and ensure doors can fully open

How can feng shui help sell my property?

There are some feng shui elements that most homeowners can’t change, such as whether their property faces an open body of water (an aspect said to bring money and fortune into the home). It’s also worth remembering the number of buyers who will reject a property based on poor feng shui is extremely low but the overriding ethos of feng shui can be very useful when preparing a property for sale.

Our recommended feng shui take-aways include:

Clearing the clutter: feng shui followers believe clutter is detrimental to the mind and causes stress. In property terms, clutter can make a home feel cramped and disorganised, so there are definite benefits of streamlining possessions and having a thorough tidy up before your home is photographed or made available for viewings.

Add plants: feng shui’s links with nature are strong and adding house plants dovetails with the wood element. If you add some living greenery, you may improve your networking, expansion, growth, wealth and opportunities but you’ll definitely enhance your home’s aesthetic appeal.

Focus on the arrival: in feng shui, your front door and porch or immediate entry space represents how you face the outside world and is where energy flows in. When it comes to selling a property, this space gives the first impression. Luckily, the same approach is required for both. Feng shui requests that your door number is clean, clearly visible and hung straight – something we agree with – and your hallway should be neat, clutter-free and well lit.

Banish dark corners: according to feng shui, lighting activates energy and dark corners represent neglect of certain aspects of your life. Dingy spots don’t give a good impression on property viewings either, so we recommend using floor and table lamps to ensure all areas are well lit.

If you are preparing your property for sale and would like advice on how to make the best impression, contact our team today.