FENG SHUI  TIPS for  RAT YEAR 2008

ADD BEAUTY:
Bring in fresh cut flowers or a healthy plant for new year. Make sure plants have soft round leaves; no spiky cacti. If you bring home a lovely orchid, after the flower wilts, cut away the dead stalk and insert high-quality silk orchids into the pot.

CLEAN:
To welcome a new year of new opportunities, clean your home as if it is spring cleaning but done now. Move any piece of furniture that has not been moved during this past year to clean behind and below it. Be as thorough as you can.

REMOVE CLUTTER:
If you have clutter anywhere, now is the time to get rid of it. Rat year can be a time of hoarding so do not let clutter accumulate. If you have trouble with clutter, contact my colleague Janet Plocke at www.organizedbyjanet.com or call her at 650.548.1198, or read Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui by Karen Kingston.

FIRST THING SEEN:
When entering your home, what is the first thing seen? Make sure that the first thing seen is inviting, clean, and inspiring when you enter. You do not want to see a pile of paperwork or any type of mess.

PAINT:
When the weather warms up this spring, consider a coat of paint on an area that can use some sprucing up. Paint colors correlate to the five Taoist elements of fire, earth, metal, water, and wood:

FIRE/HEART/LIVING ROOM - In Chinese medicine, the element fire is represented by the heart. The living room is the heart of the home. Your living room is best in bright and lively colors, or with bright accents, to stimulate conversation and activity.

EARTH/STOMACH/DINING ROOM - In Chinese medicine, the element earth is the stomach. The dining room is where we eat and digest food. The dining room is best in earthen tones of gold, terra cotta, or other soft yin colors. Red paint in a dining area is too stimulating and people eat too fast.

METAL/LUNGS/BEDROOM - In Chinese medicine, the element metal is the lungs. The bedroom is where we sleep and breathe deeply while resting. Best bedroom colors are white, cream, and soft pastels. Avoid bright big prints on bedding and drapery, especially in a child's room.

WATER/KIDNEYS/BATHROOM - In Chinese medicine, the element water is the kidneys, and therefore correlates to the bathroom. Paint this room in a soft, quiet, and calm color for peaceful elimination of waste and for soothing bathing or showering.

WOOD/LIVER/KITCHEN - In Chinese medicine, the element wood is the liver. Wood is used in a kitchen to feed the cooking fire. The kitchen must be kept very clean because this is where food is prepared, but green accents or a plant is recommended.

There can be good real estate opportunities in this Rat year, but only if very well planned and meticulously researched. Risky and speculative ventures are not recommended.

SELLERS STAGING TIPS:
Beauty attracts, clutter repels! No litter, good lighting everywhere, bright entrance foyer, curb appeal of round-leaved plants along driveway or walkway, easily identified entrance, must have furniture already arranged so the buyer knows where to place the big items such as bed and couch, too-large furniture makes a home seem too small so replace it, no boldly painted rooms, depersonalize so name not noticeable nor personal photos nor religious items nor trophies nor awards, toilet seat must be down, close shower curtain or door to shower, no dried plants, add fresh floral arrangement (silk OK), bake those cookies, no pet smells or pets on premises, re-hang art to be eye level and remove any violent or chaotic imagery, raise or remove ceiling fans, clean closets and cupboards with perfect arrangement to appear symmetrically balanced, enhance relationship corners, windows must be clean with simple window treatments, impeccable garage.

BUYERS Home Checklist: YES
Land that slopes gently from front of house and/or gently slopes up behind property, floor plan and lot perfect square or rectangle, quiet neighborhood (return on busy weekend night), rooms in front and back quiet, noticeable front door, risers on stairs, doors that fully open, a door between bedroom and bathroom, kitchen sink and fridge separated from stove, bed in commanding position so the entry is seen while in bed, one bathroom wall is the outside wall of the property.

BUYERS Home Checklist: NO
On a flood plain, landscape that slopes steeply down behind a house, a home exposed on the hilltop or at ocean’s edge, high electromagnetic fields, triangular lot shape, at a T-intersection, on a corner, directly across from or exactly next door to cemetery, fire or police station, mortuary or church (because of funerals), next to busy highway, dead end sign, split level home, floor-to-ceiling windows, windows or stairs directly in line with front door, central spiral staircase, stairway or fireplace, tree directly in front of the front door, blue roof, ceiling beams, skylight over stove or desk area, central support pole, doorknobs that clash, pool directly behind house.

FIVE TIPS for your REAL ESTATE OFFICE -- or for ANY OFFICE:

1. Open up the entrance. 2. What is the first thing seen? 3. Clutter must be removed! 4. Sit facing the entrance. 5. Art on the walls must make sense for your work.

The far left corner is the WEALTH area.
The far right corner is the RELATIONSHIP area.
The middle of the back wall is the REPUTATION/FAME area.
These three areas are most important for your career.
Other areas of your office are:
The near left corner is the KNOWLEDGE area.
The near right corner is the HELPFUL PEOPLE area.
The center near the entry is the CAREER area.
The mid-wall to your right is CREATIVITY/CHILDREN area.
The mid-wall to your left is the HEALTH/FAMILY area.