Using feng shui techniques when staging your home to sell

As you may know, feng shui is a practice that originated in China. It is an ancient art and science developed over 3,000 years ago and is a complex body of knowledge that reveals how to balance the energies of any given space to assure health and good fortune for people inhabiting it.

Literally translated, "feng shui" means "wind water." In Chinese culture, wind and water are associated with good health, thus good feng shui came to mean good fortune, while bad feng shui means bad luck, or misfortune.

For homeowners, everything we associate with staging the home to sell, have their basis in feng shui strategies.

Make the room inviting

If you stand in the entranceway to a room and all you can see are the backs of chairs, it's not very welcoming to guests. Creating spaces in the room where people can sit and talk improves the intimacy of a large room.

Create good traffic flow

Look at the room in terms of creating easy-to-navigate, open pathways. You don't want anything that's going to keep people from feeling that they can move through an area. Use space wisely, and if that means removing a piece of furniture (or even two!) that's OK. You want potential buyers to feel comfortable. Too much in a room can make it feel cramped or claustrophobic.

Use plants and water

Living plants and flowers makes the room vibrant and adds splashes of color. Feng shui also dictates the use of a water feature, because water represents prosperity. The back left corner of a room is the wealth corner. Try placing a small water fountain in that location.

Make a good first impression

Feng shui, like home marketing, is about making a good first impression. You want it to be friendly and positive for all buyers. Choose neutral art that appeals to everyone, such as landscapes and nature scenes. When you're selling, you also want to put away personal family photos and religious and spiritual icons. You want to make it easy for the buyer to imagine their family in the home.

Conclusion

Feng shui alone won't sell your house. You want to make sure to have the right agent, who will help you set the right price and the right marketing plan.