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BETTER TO BUILD?
Dear Practitioner,
Do you have an opinion about whether it is better to build a new home or buy an existing home?
Jan W.,
Horseheads, NY
Dear Jan,
There are pros and cons to both building a home and purchasing an existing home.
In most areas, you will get more house for your money by purchasing an existing house. Depending on what you are looking for, how exacting you are in your requirements, and the state of the housing market in your desired area, you may or may not find it easy to locate an existing home that pleases you. If you are a demanding buyer in a difficult market, you may want to build from scratch rather that put a large amount of money into bringing an existing house up to your personal requirements.
Building a home means that you can create your dream home to your own specifications, as long as it conforms to local building codes and zoning regulations. The main disadvantage of this approach is that it is more expensive and it often involves unforeseen costs.
Whether you buy or build, keep these general Feng Shui principles in mind:
You will generally be able to achieve better Feng Shui more easily in a house that is simple in design. In fact a plain rectangular or square house, with a simple roof line, will generally allow you to achieve optimal Feng Shui with minimal expense and difficulty. The elaborate designs and complex roof lines of many new homes often make excellent Feng Shui more difficult to achieve. The interesting architectural features for which many people select their homes do not necessarily represent good Feng Shui.
For optimal Feng Shui, your home should be the right size for your family. A house that feels cramped or one that is significantly oversized for the occupants is not desirable.
Don’t commit to buying an existing house before having the house evaluated by an experienced and competent Feng Shui practitioner. This can be included as a clause in the real estate contract. When building, have the construction plans evaluated by a Feng Shui practitioner as early as possible in the process. The saddest comment that I hear from my clients is “I wish I had hired you earlier”.
HOUSE APPEARS CLUTTERED
Dear Practitioner,
I was recently told that my house gives a cluttered appearance and I agree that it does, but only in a few areas. The living room and dining room are problematic because I have quite a few knick-knacks. These include my collection of elephants, which I consider lucky, and my collection of roosters. I was born in a year of the rooster. In addition to these, most of the knick-knacks are treasured gifts from friends and family, some of which are quite valuable, and I do not wish to give any of them up. Also, a lot of surface and wall space is taken up by family photos, which I also treasure. Also, the bathroom has a lot of family photos on the walls and on shelves. My son’s room has loads of stuffed toys, which he loves, and some of these are quite large and take up a lot of space. Is there any way to create a less cluttered appearance without giving up valued possessions?
Mom with a Full House,
West Orange, NJ
Dear Mom,
There is a simple solution to your particular type of clutter. Rather than displaying all of your knick-knacks, try putting out a few of your favorites and storing away the rest. Then, a few days, weeks or months later, as you choose, store away the items on display and bring out a different selection. This way the displayed items will be more noticed and more appreciated, rather than getting lost in a never-changing “jumble” of objects.
Do the same with your son’s stuffed toys. He will enjoy seeing two or three friendly stuffed faces in his bedroom, rather than a mob of eyeballs staring at him. Young children have a vivid imagination and can find a “crowd” of stuffed animals quite threatening. It may even interfere with their sleep.
As for the collections, consider displaying part or all of them in a display case, where the theme will be apparent and the items will not just be mixed with a hodge-podge of other knick-knacks.
Limit the number of family photos on display to those that comprise a neat and orderly arrangement. As for the rest, either cycle them out periodically or place them in an album so they will not take up space and can be enjoyed whenever you wish.
As for your bathroom simply remove all of the family photos. They do not belong here! Family photos in the bathroom can contribute to your family’s luck and relationships going down the drain!
SEARCHING FOR A FANTASY
Dear Practitioner,
I am a gay man who for years has had great difficulty in finding a relationship. I have been a reader of your column for a long time and I see how you help many people. I hope that you can help me. I am 32. I want to meet a man who is older (40 to 55), chubby, cute and Asian (preferably Chinese or Japanese). The men that I do meet are never looking for a long-term relationship.
Jose,
Woodside, NY
Dear Jose,
An important key to getting what you desire is to be focused on that which you want to attract into your life. Your note tells me that not only are you not focused, you are confused! You say you are looking for a relationship, yet your description is that of an exotic fantasy. Which is your real priority?
If you are serious about a relationship, realize that your future partner may be somewhat different from the picture that you have in mind. Try, as much as possible to file your fantasy away and to broaden the range of men that you are willing to date. Look for the kind of person that will make an excellent partner. Instead of focusing on age, weight or ethnicity, look for a man who is loving, caring, who shares your goals and who treats you well. And as for your fantasy, consider getting a statue of the laughing Buddha, which brings good luck into any home!
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Aaron Lee Koch is a Master Feng Shui Practitioner, and Director of The American School of Classical Feng Shui. He is available for home and business consultations throughout our area, and may be reached at 607-722-8988 or 718-288-1058, e-mail: FengShui@AmeriChi.com, web site: www.AmeriChi.com. As many questions as space permits will be answered through this column. Questions may be e-mailed or mailed to Aaron at AmeriChi Feng Shui, PO Box 983, Vestal, NY13851-0983. |
