Photography: Eternohome
The job of a feng shui consultant is sometimes bittersweet. While the upside is helping people attain positive results in their lives and turning sceptics into believers, the downside is breaking bad news to clients when their feng shui audit goes awry.
"There are instances where the house's feng shui is very bad and my only recommendation is to sell it. Imagine the couple's disappointment when they have just acquired the keys and I have to be the bearer of bad news," shrugs David Tong of Chinese Metaphysics Global (CMG) Consulting.
To prevent this from happening, Tong advises couples to consult him before buying the unit, or before renovations. Here, he offers more tips to ensure a happy home.
What are the benefits of feng shui for the home?
A house with good feng shui is one where the residents live healthily and happily with no major problems. Sometimes, it can even bring good career or financial luck. You may not become wealthy overnight, but it should improve your current career status.
What happens if i don't feng shui my house?
The feng shui of a house can affect the couple's health and marriage luck. For example, wrong positioning of the kitchen stove can bring about frequent flu or even illnesses like cancer, and the inability to conceive.
Should a home be empty or be fully furnished?
A new, empty house is easier, especially when positioning key elements such as the bed and stove. A renovated house is trickier because we may need to make big changes, which involve more renovations.
Would you accompany the couple to the location before buying the property?
Yes, if I'm there, I would use my compass to assess the space and floor plan. Homes with built-in fixtures or are fully furnished may pose difficulties with their restrictions so we can only maximise the luck of the house. Ideally, feng shui implementations should be incorporated into the design so that when friends visit, they would not know that it has been "feng shui-ed".
Do you need to see the floor plan before the house is built?
If the house is yet to be built, I can only estimate the [feng shui] of the good units based on the floor plan. In reality, compass directions differ. In feng shui, even one degree in bearing can make a lot of difference. Without measuring the actual site, we can never be completely sure of the good or bad [feng shui].
