Feng shui: 4 things to avoid when buying a house

Buying your first home? We get that it’s a stressful experience. Not only do you have to worry about money, distance from your office, you also have to think about the renovation and furniture shopping that comes after you decide on your purchase.

It is a very big-ticket item after all, and a bad purchase can leave you dealing with the consequences for years after. For some people, the feng shui of a house is also a big consideration.

Of course, it’s best to consult an expert in the field because every house is different, but there are some general things that you can look out for.

Here are four features of a house that signal bad feng shui, according to feng shui master Joey Yap.

1. A lamp post facing your main door

It’s useful when it lights up your street at night – but a lamp post just might do more harm than good if it’s facing the main door (usually the front entrance) of a house as you might have a possible case of ‘Piercing Heart Sha’.

‘Piercing Heart Sha’ should be strongly avoided since it does not only affect the health of the occupants in the house, but it also invites career obstacles into your life.

Here’s a simple trick you can try in order to verify a ‘Piercing Heart Sha’ the next time you’re looking for a new house: Extend an imaginary line from the two ends of the main door out towards the negative feature.

If the negative feature is in between the imaginary lines, then there’s a ‘Piercing Heart Sha’. If the feature is outside the imaginary lines, then you should be good on that front.

2. A stove on the kitchen island

Kitchen islands are quite sought after, judging by Pinterest trends, but do take note if there’s a stove built-in as well.

This design isn’t favourable in feng shui because it is exposed to qi (energy) from every angle. This could affect the food you cook in there, which might result in health issues down the line.

A favourable location for the stove to be placed in a house would be against the wall, where there is stability.

3. A kitchen sink directly opposite the stove

As you enter the kitchen of your prospective home, scour the space and pinpoint where the kitchen sink is located: if it’s directly across the stove, then you should be concerned.

A setup like this depicts a clear case of fire (stove) and water (sink) elements clashing – with the health of the house occupants being the unfortunate victim here.

One solution to this structural dilemma is to place a console or an island in between the sink and stove to avert this clash of elements.

However, if the gap between the sink and stove is too narrow to place anything in between without blocking your own path, you might want to consider another property.

4. Pillars in the bedroom

Your bedroom is probably the most important room in the entire house. Getting good-quality sleep is especially important to your health, which is why the type of qi that affects your bedroom is vital.

A pillar right in the middle of the bedroom forms an unfavourable formation known as the ‘Pole in the Heart Formation’. This significantly affects qi circulation in the room, which might disrupt that good night’s sleep you’d like to get from the comfort of your new home.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.