Having recently sold an apartment and now looking for a new one, real estate agents are curious about Feng Shui and sceptical at the same time. We have a lovely agent who is fascinated as she reviews why some apartments sell and why some don’t. Asking the question, what is Feng Shui is a good start. It translates as wind-water, driving forces in our life energy, Chi. The oldest Chinese Feng Shui versions are complicated and based on ancient philosophy and also ancient architecture and homes! Toilets, as most ardent Feng Shui people know, are considered to be the drain on anything. Our toilets are like spas these days whilst the Chinese outhouses were awful and unhygienic. We have moved forward! Using the Bagua map, the aim is to seek balance and harmony in our space as it impacts and reflects on our health, wealth, wisdom and happiness.
Choosing a Space
Your energy should resonate with the space positively. That being said, we have often chosen an apartment to renovate and revitalise which means looking past its history and decor to see if it has ‘good bones’. You may be the person to revamp it and bring it to life again. Consider what makes you feel balanced and at home. For some it is light and space, others prefer a cosy corner. As you walk up to the space, listen with your inner voice on what it is saying to you. Is the corridor badly lit and dingy? Is the door difficult to find? Are the corridors too narrow and the space feels cramped? Some apartments we have visited are too big and feel disconnected, others are constricted and the energy feels trapped.
What’s Happening Outside
Check out what businesses are nearby. We have rejected places near restaurants, bars and busy roads. We have also passed on isolated residential areas as we like having easy access to cafes, shops and life. It is all about what you resonate with. If there are gardens, are they well kept and loved? Is the place at the end of a T-junction as all the energy will go directly to that place. Often car lights distract as they come down the main road right at the house. The only time we didn’t visit at night, we ended up in a Malaysian apartment with roundabout car racing on a Thursday night – lesson learnt. If there is a shop nearby, don’t be afraid to ask what the area is like. We avoided an apartment on gut instinct and then found out there were loads of AirBnBs and it was very noisy with one very big family arguing late at night! Ask about what building repairs have been done, or need to be started. This homework will tell you about the general energy and why it is being sold.
Go Inside
Ask about businesses and general neighbours inside an apartment building. Listen to your gut feeling. We bought a place in Berlin which we both thought might be isolated but there wasn’t much on the market. Eighteen months later we were lucky to sell to our neighbour and happily moved closer to the city to an apartment we revitalised and loved. Don’t forget the golden rules from other posts in this blog; where is the bathroom for one, and the kitchen, is the balcony making a missing space or is a natural projection? Can you get a floor plan? If not, draw one within a square and use the Bagua to see what is missing.
You are Selling!
From a practical buyer’s view, tidy up and throw stuff out! Even we found it difficult to look beyond ornamented places and spaces. As for renovation, one person’s idea of decor is not the same as another’s! Think red kitchens, turquoise tiled bathrooms, a funky glass wall, making a space in to two bedrooms/two bathrooms sacrificing space just for an ideal. We have even seen a toilet next to the bedhead without a dividing wall!
Final Thoughts
I will remind myself of all of these points as we continue to look. Along with Feng Shui, use your common sense and list your priorities and then the desirables. Here is our list:
- Location, location, location – walking distance to shops and the beach
- Three rooms – we are both working from home and need two spaces
- A decent kitchen – we love our food
- Some sort of storage or wardrobes
- Dreams – a small balcony and a lift – not always available in the south of France
