Want to help your home stand out and appeal to buyers in today’s real estate market? Using simple and often inexpensive methods borrowed from six thousand years of Asian tradition, you can transform a drab, unappealing property into an inviting home for potential buyers. The science of Feng Shui can be applied to the landscaping of an entire property, the house itself, and even to individual rooms and spaces.

“How can I use this ancient tradition to sell my house?” you may ask.

You may want to start by identifying the prosperity area in your home. This is done using a simple chart known as the Bagua. Many books and websites have the Bagua with instructions on how to apply it to the layout of your home. Depending on how your home is designed, the wealth and prosperity area might be the master bedroom or it might be the garage. Finding out about your home’s money center is simple and it’s a great place to begin reorganizing your home for the housing market. Enhancing your prosperity area can be done with the use of color – purple, red, or green are best – or by adding a wooden element like a small table or picture frame. According to the tradition, the spring season is associated with wealth and prosperity. Therefore, adding a decoration like dried flowers or a floral painting can help invoke the energy of springtime. The rules of Feng Shui encourage fun and creativity.

Brightening the exterior and tending to landscape issues such as decaying foliage and poorly-performing plant life will help your home show better to prospective buyers. Clean windows bring in more natural light and help to open the flow of energy in a home. If you don’t have one already, install a water feature such as a fountain or aquarium near the main entrance. Glass or mirrors can be used creatively to simulate an aquatic theme, greeting your guests with a shimmering water feature.

Since you are selling the property and no longer want to reside there, then it’s time to let go of personal preferences and consider what people shopping for a new home will see. Cluttered spaces are contrary to Feng Shui in almost every case, so start packing away collections and personal items if they are crowding the living areas. Repair any broken locks and doors and make sure there are no doors or passageways blocked with furnishings of any kind. A free, open flow of energy is what you want to visualize when you are redecorating a home for the market.