Sunday, February 17, 2008
Make Feng Shui Part of Your Staging Plan
Dear Sue,
This is probably not the best time to sell, but we are forced to due to my husband’s transfer to Germany.
We have owned our home three years. We bought it knowing that there were some things that needed repairs. Unfortunately we haven’t gotten around to all of them. Rather than get involved in a lot of repairs right now, I was considering a fresh coat of paint and a little staging and calling it good. We can always credit the buyer for the repairs.
My girlfriend said that a fresh coat of paint isn’t enough to get a home sold in today’s market. She suggested that we apply the principles of Feng Sheni to our staging plans.
There is so much information out there on Fen Shui I don’t know where to begin. Could you please give me some bottom line ideas?
Germany Bound Jennie
Dear Jennie,
I discussed your question with my sister, Sandra Bridges. She is a certified Feng Shui consultant and professional stager. I regularly consult with her prior to marketing certain properties.
The first thing she did was tell me a story. The word sincere is derived from the Latin words sin (without) and sera (wax).
In the ancient market place, merchants would sell clay pots. Some merchants would fill the cracks of their defective pots with wax. Competing merchants with quality pots would place signs at their booths advertising that their pots were “sincere” or without wax.
This is how a home must be presented when being put on the market today. A superficial fix like a fresh coat of paint isn’t enough anymore. Feng Shui is not a cosmetic cover up. It operates on the deepest levels. A bad foundation is bad Feng Shui .
Your home needs to be structurally sound. All systems should be intact and in working order with no major issues. “Move in ready” is the optimum. Once the basic issues are taken care of then it’s the “first 60 seconds.”
Sandra believes as I do that the sale is made in the first 60 seconds. A buyer usually knows from the curb if it’s the house for him or her. It’s not only how it looks but how it makes one feel.
Curb appeal in Feng Shui terms is a welcoming clear path to the front door. The preferred entry to the front door is meandering. Meandering creates a slower energy which is the most desirable. The windows are considered to be the eye of chi or energy. They need to be sparkling clean. This is the energy that brings one off the street, on to the property and into the home.
The door is of the utmost importance. It must be solid, clean, quiet and smooth. It needs to open easily. Buyers shouldn’t have to fumble with door handles, latches and locks!
Don’t choke the chi with overgrown foliage over walkways and excessive plantings and clutter at the door’s entry.
All of nature’s elements, Wood, Earth, Fire, Water and Metal should be present and in balance for good Feng Shui . Obviously one can’t have certain elements in the front yard like fire. All of the elements can be represented by their corresponding shapes and colors. For example the fire element can be represented by red or bright orange flowers.
Do you know why a red front door is believed to be good Feng Sheri? The color red represents a strong career, certainly a valuable asset in any prospective buyer. The house with a red painted door is said to attract strong capable buyers. It also adds the fire element to the entry adding to the appropriate balance.
It a buyer feels a sense of harmony and well-being when viewing your home they are more apt to be attracted to it. Buyers want a home that is visually and energetically satisfying. A home with good Fens Shui supports those feelings.
Since the art of Feng Shui is a complex subject, I recommend that you consult a good Feng Shui specialist as part of your staging plan. It can be a matter of good Home $$s and Sense.
This is probably not the best time to sell, but we are forced to due to my husband’s transfer to Germany.
We have owned our home three years. We bought it knowing that there were some things that needed repairs. Unfortunately we haven’t gotten around to all of them. Rather than get involved in a lot of repairs right now, I was considering a fresh coat of paint and a little staging and calling it good. We can always credit the buyer for the repairs.
My girlfriend said that a fresh coat of paint isn’t enough to get a home sold in today’s market. She suggested that we apply the principles of Feng Sheni to our staging plans.
There is so much information out there on Fen Shui I don’t know where to begin. Could you please give me some bottom line ideas?
Germany Bound Jennie
Dear Jennie,
I discussed your question with my sister, Sandra Bridges. She is a certified Feng Shui consultant and professional stager. I regularly consult with her prior to marketing certain properties.
The first thing she did was tell me a story. The word sincere is derived from the Latin words sin (without) and sera (wax).
In the ancient market place, merchants would sell clay pots. Some merchants would fill the cracks of their defective pots with wax. Competing merchants with quality pots would place signs at their booths advertising that their pots were “sincere” or without wax.
This is how a home must be presented when being put on the market today. A superficial fix like a fresh coat of paint isn’t enough anymore. Feng Shui is not a cosmetic cover up. It operates on the deepest levels. A bad foundation is bad Feng Shui .
Your home needs to be structurally sound. All systems should be intact and in working order with no major issues. “Move in ready” is the optimum. Once the basic issues are taken care of then it’s the “first 60 seconds.”
Sandra believes as I do that the sale is made in the first 60 seconds. A buyer usually knows from the curb if it’s the house for him or her. It’s not only how it looks but how it makes one feel.
Curb appeal in Feng Shui terms is a welcoming clear path to the front door. The preferred entry to the front door is meandering. Meandering creates a slower energy which is the most desirable. The windows are considered to be the eye of chi or energy. They need to be sparkling clean. This is the energy that brings one off the street, on to the property and into the home.
The door is of the utmost importance. It must be solid, clean, quiet and smooth. It needs to open easily. Buyers shouldn’t have to fumble with door handles, latches and locks!
Don’t choke the chi with overgrown foliage over walkways and excessive plantings and clutter at the door’s entry.
All of nature’s elements, Wood, Earth, Fire, Water and Metal should be present and in balance for good Feng Shui . Obviously one can’t have certain elements in the front yard like fire. All of the elements can be represented by their corresponding shapes and colors. For example the fire element can be represented by red or bright orange flowers.
Do you know why a red front door is believed to be good Feng Sheri? The color red represents a strong career, certainly a valuable asset in any prospective buyer. The house with a red painted door is said to attract strong capable buyers. It also adds the fire element to the entry adding to the appropriate balance.
It a buyer feels a sense of harmony and well-being when viewing your home they are more apt to be attracted to it. Buyers want a home that is visually and energetically satisfying. A home with good Fens Shui supports those feelings.
Since the art of Feng Shui is a complex subject, I recommend that you consult a good Feng Shui specialist as part of your staging plan. It can be a matter of good Home $$s and Sense.
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