Real Estate

Achieve Feng Shui In Your Home

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If you take the time to dig into the philosophy around feng shui, you’ll understand that it doesn’t come off as esoteric as one my think. It’s based around the simple practices to make a home feel healthier and a lot more organized. It also helps you to connect to your home, in a way that can affect your mood and well being. Feng shui is as common as “spring-cleaning,” or decorating to make a home feel much more comfortable.

This ancient Chinese tradition can be incorporated into your own home. It can be done in a modern holistic approach, while still honoring the age-old traditions that come with feng shui. It’s not about transforming the structure of your home, but instead making it to evolve into a space that refreshes your home – and in turn your health. The following feng shui tips will do a little more than just bring some harmony into your home, they can potentially increase the value of your home’s selling price.

Let’s get into to the best feng shui decorating tips for your house below!

1. Slow Down Your Home’s Energy Flow:

The the back door and the front door have a direct line of sight, that means the energy in the home, or the chi, will flow through the home too fast. Instead of it going straight out of the back door, you want it to undulate throughout the whole home in a graceful and even manner. The best way to slow down this flow is to place a patteren rug on the floor in front of the front door, add artwork on the walls, or add a round entry table to the foyer space.

2. De-Clutter Your House:

Decluttering your home may seem like an obvious enough solution,  we can all be guilty of letting our content accumulate in our home, that may not have a specific function. Clutter is more than just unappealing visually, it’s an anchor for the energy in a home. An excessive amount of clutter can stop you from having clarity of thought, and even weigh you down emotionally. Feng shui isn’t focused on having a perfectly styled home, but instead, provide a happier and healthier environment. Be sure to have the correction organization throughout your home. From paying bills, to recycling content, and even something as simple as a designated spot for your keys. It’ll help you feel less frazzled and feel more efficient in your day to day routine.

3. Front Door Path Must Be Kept Clear:

The front door in a home is an important factor to feng shui. It’s the main portal through which the energy from outside will enter into your home. You want to make sure the energy flows uninterrupted through the front door, without “metaphorically” running into a wall. Keep your front door area free of clutter and consider installing a mirror near the front door. This can hold the meaning that you are expanding the energy in the space, which in turn expands the opportunities within your life – and prevents you from feeling limited.

4. Balancing The Five Elements

Whether present physically, or symbolically, the five elements you can find in a home are earth, fire, wood, metal, and water. The fire element can be brought into a home with warmer tones, or physically through a fireplace and burning candle. You want to ensure there is a balance between all of the elements. People can easily be drawn to an element that can cause an imbalance in their life. For example, if a person were to find themselves rather aggressive, they’d want to avoid a large amount of fire elements – such as a bright red wall. If a person is lacking motivation in their life, it’d best suit them to add more fire elements. Look at the elements within your home in a symbolic manner, and see what you need to change to create a more balanced emotional life.

5. Remove Any Negative Symbolism:

From books to traffic signs, symbolism bombards us daily. In every day life, we are guided by the symbolism that surrounds us, which is enhanced even more so within our homes. An intimate environment represents an individual’s fears and challenges. If you have trouble finding clarity, see if you have a lot of stuff cluttered in your home. If you have low self esteem, check to see if mirrors are hung too high, which equates to you never measuring up. If you find yourself unable to get out of the single life, do you surround yourself with single decor? I.e. single vases, single chairs, single person in pictures/art. Figure out the challenges you face on a daily basis in your life and look at the symbols the content in your home hold, to understand what changes need to be made.

6. Maximize The Natural Light: 

Natural light can make a person much happier and more positive. You want to enhance as much natural light in a home as possible, which can be done by placing mirrors directly across from windows to help reflect the light throughout your space.

Jennifer Cote
REALTOR®
512-967-5748
Jennifer.Cote@5elementsrealtyteam.com
5elementsrealtyteam.com
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Real Estate

From “I Do” to Sold

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Newlyweds are saying “I do” to each other, and equate to over half of first time home buyers that are also saying “I do” to their dream homes. It makes sense! When you put two hearts together, the time comes to find a home to nourish that love. A home that brings two of your places together, and makes it one. If you and your spouse are ready to fall in love with the perfect house together, here are five tips to make sure the process goes smoothly, and you come prepared.

1. YOUR WEDDING BUDGET: Your wedding is a one-time event that shouldn’t be less than what you’d imagine. It’s a beautiful time to put all of your dream pieces together. However, it’s best to sit down and find out ways you can shift the budget to help with your down payment for a home, if you plan to purchase. The average couple spends a little over $20,000 on their wedding. Even a savings of $5000 from your wedding budget can help with owning the perfect home.

2. WEDDING GIFTS: Wedding bliss comes with wedding gifts. Let’s admit, one of our favorite times during the wedding season is all of the gifts that come pouring in! Have any friends or family pitching in cash? Save that to put towards your down payment. And depending on the generosity of your gifts, you can even open an account dedicated to your down payment, that friends and family can gift to.

3. GET PRE-APPROVED: One of the least brought up conversations in relationships is the credit and financial history of your soon-to-be spouse. Get together with a lender to go over both of your histories to know what needs to be done to put you guys in a position to own together. In some cases, only one person can get approved, while the other can’t. If you want to put both of your incomes toward the cost of the house you want, talking to a lender early on can ensure you are prepared to make the right moves.

4. THE RIGHT AGENT: That’s where I come in! For starters, I can connect you with a lender to ensure you guys are being watched over from the best recommendations. And it’s an absolute joy to take the stress out of buying a home for my newly wed couples. We all know how stressful, although joyous, a wedding can be. To then jump into buying a house shortly after, well, it’s certainly a lot to get through. But I can guide you through all of the steps to make sure you end up with a house you love. Just think of me as a wedding planner, but for homes.

5. NOW THERE’S TWO: Although some spouses are a match made in heaven, loving and adoring the same exact things, often times that’s not the case with most couples. You still are your own persons, and have your own tastes. This is where the first step to compromise really begins. Spending a good bit of money on a place you both will love and call home. A happy marriage starts with a happy home, so be sure you both are considerate of each other’s wants and needs in style and location, so you both are happy with the home you end up getting.

Jennifer Cote
REALTOR®
512-967-5748
Jennifer.Cote@5elementsrealtyteam.com
5elementsrealtyteam.com