“Good view, spacious rooms and close to MRT” are some priorities many of us have when we’re on the house-hunting roll. With our home being the no. 1 big-ticket purchase in most of our lives, we’d want it to be the one, or at least something close – a unit that is beautifully designed, conveniently located and of course, affordable.
But even when a unit has checked all our boxes, it’s bound to have hidden elements we’d overlook, which explains why Feng Shui masters have become very popular. That said, if you don’t wish to plan a consultation, do your own homework by looking out for these 8 superstitious things at home to see whether you’ve hit the jackpot or have fallen short.
1. When elements like your address has numbers “4” or “8”
Numbers aren’t just meant for paying bills. In particular, “4” or “8” have big significance in Feng Shui, so much so that it bears weight in the property world. Having these numbers in elements such as your address can substantially affect the value of the property.
Image credit: Three-D-Conceptwerke
“4” in Chinese reads as Si, which in a dip tone, means “to die”. So, to avoid turning your house into your death wish, superstitious folks tend to avoid units with “4” in their elements.
The figures speak for themselves – a newspaper reported several years back that between 1995 and 2011, private condo units with “4” in their address were sold at an average discount of 1.5%. Sounds enticing, but well, speak of the devil.
Conversely, units with “8” in their address were sold at an average premium of 0.9%. “8” in Chinese reads as “huat” in Hokkien, a.k.a. the one thing we hope to have plenty of every Chinese New Year.
You would be paying more for that unit, but Lady Luck will bless you with even more wealth as its value appreciates. As your Gen Z relative may say: Stonks.
2. Living in a unit situated along a busy road or T-junction
Image credit: TheSmartLocal
Unless you’re a New Yorker who can fall asleep even with loud sirens blasting every minute, you’d probably prefer to live away from a busy road or T-junction for a quieter solitude. Not only that, this helps you avoid a case where the energy flow (qi) moves too quickly and collides against your home, which is very dangerous.
For those who live in these places, not all hope is lost. Simply build wooden elements at the parts of the house which face the road, as they serve as protective energy barriers.
To be extra safe, install a Bagua mirror, an amulet that wards off “poison arrows” from the home, on the main door.
3, Your unit is facing a view of the waters or behind a hill
Image credit: The Interlace
A typical beach vacay starts something like this: you wake up to a view of the beautiful sea, and you savour it by lazing on your mat all day till sunset. Yes, you can turn that into your everyday life with these seaview condos in Singapore, but having views of the water or hills from your unit does more than exude holiday vibes.
In superstition, water bodies are one of the view mediums that can accumulate an abundance of good qi within, even if it’s just the swimming pool in your condominium.
Having a house behind the hills is also favourable, as the hills can act as a protective pillar, providing security to the home. But in our case, unless we’re talking about a home in front of Bukit Timah Hill, let’s focus on water first instead.
4. The estate has its blocks arranged with a hole in the middle
Image credit: ArchDaily
Though uncommon, some estates have their blocks arranged with a hole in the middle, which can give you quite a pretty view when you take a good overhead look from above. Take Punggol’s Waterway Terraces – on top of being one of the most unique HDBs in Singapore, its geometrical design bodes well in generating good qi for itself.
The holes created are known as “dragon gates”; they allow the mighty creatures to fly from the mountains to the oceans, during which they disperse good qi through the building. Because of this, many buildings in East Asian countries are designed as such, like in the business districts in Hong Kong.
5. Your house is built along an upward slope
Frontal view of 30 Chartwell Drive from Crowhurst Drive, built on an upward slope.
Image credit: ipli Architects
Now, it’s time to work some y=mx+c magic. Building a house along an upward slope is somewhat like drawing it on graph paper – in superstition, this signifies that the property value of your unit will increase at a faster rate than usual, and it’s more resistant to other economic changes.
This sounds like a brilliant strategy for those looking to invest in property, although it’s good to note that the starting capital required is no mean feat, since these houses are most applicable to landed homes.
6. The floor plan includes curved or spherical features
Curved balcony in this Mid-century walk-up apartment in Tiong Bahru.
In most homes, a standard floor plan would have its rooms designed in rectangles or squares. Sounds simple to build, until you learn that qi travels in curves, so it’ll definitely help to have some curved or spherical features in your house to facilitate its movement.
Image credit: Mercurio Design Lab
Zooming into HAO Mart CEO’s GCB, you’ll see that it has a next-level take on such features. An enthusiastic follower of Feng Shui himself, the CEO’s spaceship-like bungalow barely has any sharp edges in its interior, and has a pool circling around its back end that represents a river flowing wealth into the home.
Don’t forget to take an overhead look; you’ll notice that the roof resembles the number “8”. Indeed, the ways and wonders of a CEO.
7. Your house is facing the North or South directions
No, you need not channel Kim K and name your child North to usher good luck into your lives. What you can do instead is to see if your house is facing either the North or South directions.
Image credit: North Gaia
Other than the fact that houses facing North or South can best avoid the sun, they will also be deemed as lucky directions from Period 9, a new chapter in Feng Shui that spans between 2024 and 2043.
As such, one could say that property developments like the upcoming North Gaia EC could be the chosen ones this time, where a high majority of its units are directed 22.5 degrees in the North-South direction.
That said, it’s good to keep in mind that for HDBs and condos, the main door may not be facing the North or South even if the entrance of the development is, so good energy may not be created in this respect. Do check with a Feng Shui master if you’d like to clarify.
8. Having pillars or staircases in the centre of the house
Image credit: K O Z É
Cue family time and we’d usually be found in the living room, probably with our eyes glued to the TV for a Netflix movie marathon. Being the central sector of the home in Feng Shui, what happens in the living area affects all occupants.
Any good qi should have free rein of movement in there, so it’s good to avoid having pillars or staircases in the centre of the house. But if you don’t wish to hack the pillar away, connecting a cabinet to the pillar can help make it “disappear”.
Or, installing a mirror can also do the trick, just make sure it doesn’t reflect the bathroom as it will interact with the water taps, activating negative qi.
Home superstitions that affect its Feng Shui & property value
Like how one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, a house that is deemed a red flag to a Feng Shui master could very well be considered perfect to you. After all, there’s much to learn from this ancient study of metaphysics that goes beyond the annual Hungry Ghost Festival.
Even if you’re not a superstitious folk yourself, it’s good to check out these possible home superstitions in case you wish to improve your odds of selling your place in the future. But still, there’s no harm in keeping track for your own knowledge. Just in case.
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