Use the energy of Feng Shui to create a positive environment both inside and outside the home to help get it sold quickly.
An Eager Buyer
Feng Shui is all about being in harmony with the environment around you to create positive change in your life. For those wishing to sell their homes, positive change means an eager buyer, a closed Escrow and a happy move to a new home. Here are a few Feng Shui tips that can help make that home sell faster. Most of these tips can (and should) be applied to every home regardless of whether or not it is for sale. After all, everyone wants the opportunity for positive change and greater opportunities in their lives-right?
- Attract the Right Energy- Make sure the address is clearly marked and visible, both at the curb and on the house. The best position for the numbers on a house is in a horizontal arrangement straight across or slightly upward. Numbers going in a downward slope represents a downward drag in energy. If the home has a name placard or family crest, remove it. You want to extend the energy that the seller’s are releasing their ties with this property and are making this house available for the next homeowner to make it theirs.
- Show the Way- Make sure there is a clear path to the door, preferably not just from the driveway but also a path from the curb or sidewalk to the door. A slightly winding path is the most auspicious, wide enough to walk easily and without any trip hazards. Ensure there are no bushes or shrubs that are encroaching on the path that can snag at buyers as they approach the home. If a water feature is appropriate for the home and the location, the front yard can a perfect location for one. Just be sure it is in scale and in keeping with the rest of the home and yard, the water is fresh, and the sound is pleasant. Keep the porch clear, clean and well lit. A fresh welcome mat makes a perfect statement to all who come to see the home.
- Open Up Opportunities- Make sure that all windows are clean and that the shrubs and trees are not overgrown or otherwise obscuring the views from the windows. Windows represent the eyes of the home; having clear views allows one to see the opportunities that are available.
- Let Opportunities In- The front door should be perfectly clean and open completely. Check to be sure all hardware is in working condition, clean and polished. There should be nothing stored behind the door that would prevent it from opening freely. If the paint is chipped or peeling, paint it. The front door is the mouth of chi (energy) and you want this to be as clean and fresh as possible. If there is any question to strangers as to which door is actually the front door, be sure to solve that issue right away. Buyers need to be led to the front door and not feel confused as they approach the house. Either a well defined path to the correct door or the use of a screen at the second door will address this issue. A screen can be quickly created with landscaping, potted plants or a short fence.
- Create Positive Flow- The entry of the home should be bright and welcoming. As buyers enter a home, it is important that they immediately feel the positive energy in a space. The same thing goes for chi. When energy enters a space, it needs to be able to circulate and flow freely through all the areas of the home. If the entry is crowded, dark and dingy, there is not anywhere for the positive energy to go except right back out the door-along with the buyers. Free up the space in the entry, paint it if necessary, add lighting, check the floors to ensure they are in good repair and let the energy flow through to the rest of the home. If the entry is huge and overwhelming with soaring ceilings, cozy it up a bit. People are naturally more comfortable in rooms that “fit” human sizes.
- Release Stagnant Energy- Remove any and all clutter. Yes, any and all. Clutter is stagnant, stuck energy. If a seller wants to sell a home they need to get things moving. Moving is a great time to evaluate the things that have accumulated in a home and to decide what is ready to be let go of. It is important for everyone to remember that whenever you let go of things you no longer need, you are making room for new things to enter your life that fit you now. Releasing things in the home is often a great way to release any negative emotions that may have accumulated along with the things. Once the clutter is removed, the energy in the home will be fresh, clean, renewed and able to circulate freely.
- Keep the Energy Positive- Fix any broken things in the home. Not only will this make the home more attractive to buyers, but it also gives the energy a boost. Dripping faucets, leaky pipes, closet doors that do not work correctly, all of these are energy drainers as well as obvious turn-offs to buyers. Keep all drains closed when not in use. Fix these minor issues that leak energy and see a positive lift all around the home.
- Apply the Bagua- Once all is in good repair and everything is perfectly clean and clutter free, a great place to put the listing flyers and real estate agent’s business cards is in the helpful people area of the front room. This is the front right hand side of the room as you enter the front door. Make sure there is a designated spot for the flyers and cards and remember to use the intention that real estate agents are helpful people and that they are bringing the perfect buyer for the home. That helpful people box we talked about earlier comes in handy for sellers too! Check the other areas of the home and make sure there is balance in all of the elements and that there is not too much of any one thing pulling things off course. Sharpening up the skills and knowledge (front left as you enter the front door) area of the home can certainly help sellers make wise decisions when it comes time to looking at offers and going through the process of an Escrow.
- Support the Home- Check the rear of the property as well as the side yards and fences. There should be no hidden areas of trash, weeds or clutter. Fences should be straight and standing up. The property supports the house and those that live there.
- Let Go and Move On- Sellers should write positive affirmations about the sale of their home as though it is already complete. They can include the sales price they desire, a smooth close of Escrow, the close of Escrow of their new home, about the celebration in their new home or anything that feels appropriate to them. It should be powerful and meaningful to them individually. They should visualize that it has already happened and how life is now that it has sold. They can visualize how it feels living in their new home, how their life has changed for the better now that they have moved and even picture their next holiday get together in their new home. Once sellers release their attachment to their present home and emotionally move on to attracting their next home, their sale should be coming right up.
These fast Feng Shui fixes will help most sellers get things moving right along. Every home is different and the conditions around and within each home varies from every other home. Depending upon your seller’s situation, they may consider consulting a Feng Shui expert in their area to evaluate their home to help them get it sold.
Nickie is the founder of GetStaged2Sell.com and InspiredFengShuiLife.com. She is a certified IBE Healthy Home Practitioner, Certified Usui Reiki Practitioner and Feng Shui Consultant. She has lived on both coasts (as well as in the gorgeous Rocky Mountains of Colorado) of the US and currently calls Los Angeles home. You can find her in plenty of spots in the online world and should you happen to catch her at home, she will probably make you something yummy!

Ken Lauher
September 12, 2008 at 8:09 am
Great information… thanks for sharing this and spreading the word about the amazing benefits of Feng Shui.
Louis Cammarosano
September 12, 2008 at 9:34 am
Thanks Nickie for the follow up for sellers!
Very nicely done. What about if the seller lives on Devil’s lane or an equally unflattering name, how would you handle that?
Lisa Sanderson
September 12, 2008 at 10:00 am
Love it…especially #10!! How many sellers have done everything they are supposed to do in preparation for sale but have not mentally ‘gone there’? I will be sharing this, for sure.
Louis Cammarosano
September 13, 2008 at 5:43 pm
Nickie
Sorry to bug you with yet another question.
What advice do you have for foreclosures and short sales.
Certainly the current occupants will be exuding negative energy throughout the home from their impending loss of their homes.
How do you treat the buyer and seller side of this type of transaction. Clearly this is a case of one person’s gain somewhat at the expense of another’s loss.
On the economic side I asked over on active rain- does this dynamic of plenty of people who have lost their homes potentially create a situation of turning off an entire generation of homebuyers? (the ones in foreclosure probably have had their credit ruined and can’t buy a house for years and other that know people that have lost their homes may be gun shy)
https://activerain.com/blogsview/689719/Are-a-Generation-of
Colorado Real Estate by Kathy Torline
September 29, 2008 at 5:26 am
What a fun article — right energy can make a big difference
Linsey
October 1, 2008 at 11:47 am
Depending on the market area and the buyer profile, sellers can unwittingly drive buyers away. These are great tips and I’ll definitely be linking back to it!
Nickie Rothwell
October 3, 2008 at 12:15 pm
Thanks for the comments everyone!
When it comes to the name of the street, for some buyers, it can be a big deal while for others it is barely a passing thought. As an agent with a concerned buyer, you can do a bit of research on the name of the street, city or lake as we did in an earlier post with a similar question. Sometimes, understanding how the name was derived will set the buyer’s mind at ease and the name will no longer be an issue for them. If it still really concerns them, perhaps it is not the home for them. It is just one part of an overall decision, and all parts combined are going to determine how happy they will be in their new home.
Regarding short sales and foreclosures, certainly unhappy circumstances. But life is all about ebb and flow. One door closes and another one opens. Everyone needs to keep things in perspective and appreciate whatever opportunity presents itself next regardless of what might seem like a disaster today. There are space clearing ceremonies that release negative energy in a space that may be lingering from previous tenants or homeowners and these are very effective for all new spaces, in fact they are great for every home whenever things start to feel a little sticky or when you want to begin a new venture or have new goals to achieve.
And yes, for sellers, letting go is a very important step to selling their homes. Sometimes, it is the only thing holding up the sale.