Feng Shui in Real Estate

Feng Shui in Real Estate

Have you ever wondered why some communities are highly desirable to live in even with modest houses, work environments are relaxing, certain stores are an absolute pleasure to just visit and why some shopping centers are more desirable and have much higher foot traffic then others with the same stores?

We are certainly not experts when it comes to all of the concepts of Feng Shui but a recent comment by a real estate agent who said Feng Shui was a religion certainly reminded us that many people are completely unfamiliar of the concepts or even know what it is.

Feng Shui is not a religion but concepts that involve natural energy. Translated into English, Feng Shui means wind and water. It's a concept based on the forces of nature so that they work for you. (Take out half of the trees in Barrington and you would have Barrington real estate significantly lower then todays value!)

For a more detailed description and the concepts from a really nice website we found concerning Feng Shui, click here. (At the bottom of the page you'll see all of the people who seriously apply the concepts of Feng Shui to their businesses such as Donald Trump, Nordstrom's, Aveda, Dreamworks -- even Giants Stadium and the Chicago White Sox!) (Perhaps the Chicago Cubs should consult a Feng Shui Expert!)

Real estate agents should certainly be familiar with basic concepts because it plays a huge part in real estate. It's so huge that multi-million dollar corporations hire designers that are experts in Feng Shui in the design of world class communities, shopping centers, office buildings and resorts - especially on the West Coast. (If you've ever been to Fashion Island in Newport Beach, you'll certainly understand what a real lifestyles center is.)

How Does Feng Shui Apply to Real Estate?

When we lived on the West Coast the concepts of Feng Shui are certainly being applied and has a huge influence on the way developers build homes, communities, shopping centers and office buildings today to create pleasing and relaxing atmospheres with limited space.(Some people buy bigger homes to hide the clutter, others get rid of the clutter!)

One huge problem we had when relocating to Suburban Chicago was finding a real estate office to work out of when it seems like the majority of them are designed like boiler rooms merely made up of cubicles. More then likely you've seen a couple yourself - typically located in the strip malls with a bunch of listing sheets of homes (clutter) hanging on the front window like trophies. Too Salesy for our taste.

Even if a real estate agent does not know how to pronounce it properly, competent real estate agents practice it every time they correctly take a new listing appointment and advise the real estate sellers what needs to be done to prepare their home for sale.

More then likely you've read simple tips about preparing your home to sell such as boxing up clutter and storing it away (preferably in a storage unit), meticulously preparing the curb appeal of your home, opening up blinds to bring in the natural light and obviously making your home spotless to name just a few of the many important things you need to do before putting your home up for sale.

These are all concepts of Feng Shui and have been used to promote vitality and health by many cultures for over 5,000 years!

The best home stagers and interior designers certainly understand the concepts, what colors to use, where to place furniture, etc.. You don't have to be an expert to learn these techniques but you should have some type of idea of at least what the difference between Good Feng Shui and Bad Feng Shui because it can certainly have a big impact on the sale of your home!

Certainly don't consider it a religion when it's based on concepts of nature practiced by highly successful people from around the world.

Tip: If your future interior designer or home stager does not know what Feng Shui is, find somebody else. It's a sure sign that they are out of touch with today's trends and Chances are you may be wasting your money.

Paul Francis, Broker, ABR,CRS | Suburban Village Realty | 1627 Colonial Parkway | Inverness, IL 60067 | 847.337.9236

Date: Sunday, August, 5th 2007 @ 12:42:09 AM
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