Buying a home is usually a stressful experience.? So much rides on a new home because this is where you relax, have fun, sleep, eat; in short, it's the place central to your life. Not only that, but homes usually cost a whole lot of money and represent our single largest investment.?? Most homebuyers can usually find the objective requirements of house hunting, such as location, size, and price.? But, there are also intangible factors when searching for a new home, but most people don't know what to look for.?

Helping you find the flaws
This is where feng shui comes in.? Using feng shui, you'll be able to spot the problems ?or the potential -- in a house that exist outside of the objective requirements of number of bedrooms, amount of storage, etc.? These are features that you might not notice, and a realtor will seldom, if ever, point out to you.? But, with this checklist, you can at least feel more confident about your decision to go with a particular property.

Look at the space with "feng shui eyes"
When you are looking at a house ? or any space for that matter ? and considering whether to buy it, it helps to look at it with "feng shui eyes."? You will want to do this once you have considered all the other objective aspects of the house, such as square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, living areas, location, price, etc.?

The next step is to run down a checklist of the subjective feng shui considerations that will help you make a feng shui assessment. Even if you aren't house hunting, this list can give you some important information that might be very revealing about the house you are already in!

The list below provides some of the more serious feng shui problems.

Exterior
Street: Is house at the end of a cul-de-sac, dead end or T-junction??
Topography.? Is the lot sloped away at the back?? Avoid yards that slope down toward the rear.? Select home with a rise at the rear.? Is house below street grade?? This will make for a constant "uphill" struggle while you live here.
Landscape.? Is there a tree or pole directly in front of the front door?? Dead trees or shrubs?? Dead lawn??
Garage.? Is it ahead of the house or front door??
Neighbors.? Is this house smaller than houses on either side? Do neighbors' houses have sharp angles pointing at this house or appear to overpower or dominate the house?
Views & proximity.? Can you see or is it close to church, temple or other house of worship?? Can you see or is it close to funeral home, cemetery, hospital, police station, sewage treatment, abandoned building or run-down house?
Water.? Is water, lake, river, ocean at the back of house or too close to front??
Lot.? Regular or irregular-shaped? House sits too close to the front of lot? Does backyard fall away from the rear of the house?
Paths.? Driveway ends at house instead of garage?? Walkways end straight at door?

Interior
House style.? Split, bi-level, or center hall colonial??
Front.? Front door lines up with back door?? Does front door face stairway??
Structure.? Overhead or exposed beams? Ceilings too high or are they low and slanted?? Skylights over sleeping areas or kitchen? Foundation cracks or problems?? Serious plumbing or electrical problems?
Entrance.? Do you see toilet/bathroom door from the entrance?? See the kitchen/stove from the front door?? See the dining room from the front door?? See the bedroom from front door?
Toilets.? Located in NW, SW, center, or corners of the house??? Bedroom, dining area or kitchen located under or over toilet?
Staircases.? Spiral staircase?? Staircase stops at front door? Split or scissor-style staircase??
Hallways.? Too long?? Divide the house into two sections?? Too dark?
Bedrooms.? Over garage?? Over bathroom or laundry?? Have empty space below, i.e., patio area? Is master bedroom too close to the front door?
Fireplace.? In the NW portion of the house?? Is it in the Southeast (wealth) sector?
Major locations.? Problems with or missing sections in Northwest (man), Southwest (woman), North (career), or Southeast (wealth)? Bathroom, laundry, kitchen in center of house?
Odor.? Smells musty, smoky, putrid??

Enlist a professional
Still not perfectly confident?? Well, a home is a major purchase and we must always consider that important point.? Most people take a used car to their mechanic before buying it - and its purchase isn't as important as a house.? So, if you're still confused or just want to proceed with the sale in confidence, why not talk to a feng shui specialist about looking about the prospective house??

A professional feng shui consultant should be able to tell you what you can expect from this location, such as good financial or business opportunities.? Or, maybe you'll find out that buying this house means your health will suffer, you'll discover an afflicted portion of the house, such as a toilet in the SW sector that can hurt your marriage.? Give serious consideration to hiring a professional.?

Fortunately, most problems have a feng shui fix
It's important to know that every house has "feng shui flaws" and that no house is perfect.? However, you should be aware of what you are buying so that you are knowledgeable about what kinds of problems might be associated with the house. The good news?? Most feng shui flaws can be corrected.?

Kathryn Weber is a certified master practitioner in classical feng shui and the publisher of The Red Lotus Letter a weekly feng shui E-Zine.? She has been featured and quoted by publications and websites, including Seventeen Magazine, First for Women, Martial Arts Professional, the Indy Star Newspaper, Self-growth.com, and Transformations.com.? Log on to www.redlotusletter.com to subscribe or to contact her about a personal consultation, speaking engagement, or workshop.