A lot of people are talking about feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of placement, which is said to balance the flow of chi (life energy) through a space, bringing luck and success to the people who live or work there. We’ve already written about how feng shui basics can help owners show off the beauty of their homes so they’ll sell faster. Feng shui can help home buyers choose the right home, too—whether or not they believe in the deeper, mystical aspects of the art.

Some feng shui tips are also common sense.

• Look for a clean, friendly neighborhood that’s full of life. A clean street and good neighbors will make your home life much better, for feng shui reasons and for obvious ones. Also notice whether plants and animals do well in the neighborhood. You can change your new home’s landscaping after you move in, but you’ll need an environment where things will grow.
• Try to find out what kind of luck the previous inhabitants had. Feng shui advisers suggest buying a new house if you can, one that doesn’t have anyone else’s energy in it yet. If you can’t or don’t want to buy new, you should look for a home that’s being sold for a happy reason. Is the previous owner selling because of a new job or a promotion? Has the family become wealthy enough to move to a bigger house? Mysticism says this is good luck, but practicality suggests that they were comfortable at home, which added to their success.
• Be wary of buying a home at a T intersection, where the traffic on one street is pointed straight towards your home. Feng shui experts say this creates too forceful a flow of chi energy, but common sense says that traffic accidents are more likely to happen here. Imagine a sleepy or drunk driver (or one with failing brakes) driving towards your front yard. If you fall in love with a home at a T intersection, you can break up the energy (and shield your home from accidents) by planting trees in your front yard.

Some feng shui tips are more mysterious.

• Like T intersections, cul-de-sacs and dead-end streets are bad feng shui. Energy is said to pool and get stuck there, making the people in the home feel run down. Again, you can help counteract this effect by planting trees and flowers in your front yard.
• The location of the bathrooms is very important. Energy will be “flushed away” if the bathroom is in the wrong place.
• Advanced feng shui tips—on the geographical direction front door should point to, the shape of the home, and the placement of every room, and more—can get very complicated. If you’re interested in learning more about feng shui, the Feng Shui Channel on About.com is a good place to start.

Of course, the simplest and most important way to insure good feng shui is to trust your instincts. Choose the home that feels best to you and your family. Take your time when you go to a showings. Relax. How do you feel? If a place feels like home to you, chances are that the energy flow is just fine.

The Staff at San Juan Realty, Inc.