I just received the February issue of the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors (PAR) magazine and there were a couple of very interesting and informative articles on Feng Shui. As a realtor, Feng Shui comes up in conversation fairly often. I thought it might be worth having a brief discussion about what Feng Shui is and how it relates to real estate.
According to Chinese traditions, Feng Shui handles five main elements in order to achieve balance and harmony in any space. Each of the five elements have their own characteristics and properties. To create harmony, using the art and science of Feng Shui, each of the elements must be properly employed according to their characteristics and effects.
The five elements of Feng Shui are fire, earth, metal, water and wood. Having all of thtem represented in various areas of a property bring the property into balance. Often times representing the elements is done through the use of color. For example, red represents fire. There are metaphors for the elements; you don't necessarily have to see a fire burning.
According to author Jakob Jelling, who is the founder of http://www.fengshuicrazy.com/, the following represents the characteristics of the various elements:
Wood Represents innovation, creativity and birth and is a sociable element. This element corresponds to the color green and the east direction. By placing this element at a strategic spot in any space, it adds all of the concepts in represents.
Fire Symbolizes and brings activity, enthusiasm and energy to the places where it can be found. It is a warm element that must be treated with measure since too much of it can destroy what surrounds it. As mentioned above, fire is often represented by the color red and direction south and symbolizes the puberty years.
Earth Symbolizes stability, patience and honesty. It is a methodic element that can also become demanding and is ideal for everything that is related with real estate and inheritances. Earth is often symbolized by the color yellow and is representative of the early youth years.
Metal Represents success in business and harvesting. White and gold are the colors that symbolize it and its direction is west. This Feng Shui element symbolizes the adult years of human life.
Water Has an important role among Feng Shui elements. The word Feng Shui itself means water and wind. Water represents communications and traveling but it also represents learning, arts and media. Water is elemental for living, not only for humans but also for animals and plants. It can be quiet or violent. This element is represented by the color black and direction north and symbolizes the old human years.
I have actually had buyers request to see homes that have "good Feng Shui". Feng Shui can do a lot of things to make a property more appealing to buyers. This, along with staging -- which I will discuss in another post -- can help make a property stand out in a tight market.
As realtors, it is important that we realize that Feng Shui does not have anything to do with religion or superstitions. It is all about creating an enviornment in which buyers will embrace the atmosphere and want to remain longer. That way they may be more inclined to write offers.
I hope that you found this little primer on Feng Shui interesting. Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions about this, or any other concern about real estate or life in Bucks County.
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