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Home » Business And Finance Articles » Feng Shui Your Home To Help It Sell Quicker

Feng Shui Your Home to Help it Sell Quicker

In a competitive real estate market, home sellers are looking for the edge to make their home sell fast. Feng Shui, or the ancient Chinese art of placement, is one answer. Jaan Ferree, a Feng Shui consultant based in Asheville, North Carolina, explains. that Feng Shui is "having the intention to pay attention" to your environment.

I recently asked Jaan for a few Feng Shui pointers to help the home seller find a buyer faster. Here are some of her Feng Shui ideas for the home seller.

House Number

Jaan Ferree suggests taking a closer look at the house number and position on the block. As a buyer approaches the home is it easy to tell he or she is at the right place? Is the number of the home visible?

Front Door and Approach

Make sure the entrance to your home is easily discernable. If the entrance is not the front door, is it obvious to the visitor where they enter? Is the walk from the car to the door safe, well defined, well lit, and attractive?

Ferree says the front porch, door, and threshold should be welcoming and have a "greeter". Use a pot of geraniums, other flowers or plants, a statue, or an attractive welcome mat. She also suggests a beautiful color on the door, wind chime, basket hung on the wall beside the door, plaque beside the door or other plants or objects which will "lift the chi" (energy) of the person approaching the entrance to the home. Finally, a clear bell or doorknocker, to let someone know you are there, is always helpful.

Trim the Bushes

Make certain shrubbery and landscaping is not overgrown. If it is, the energy may have the effect of "pushing the person away" who is approaching the entrance to the home. The best plants to line the edge of the walkway have soft round corners. Avoid sharp pointed plants or objects.

Interior Entranceway

Once you enter the home the space inside the door should be clear of clutter and obstructions. If there is a wall directly across from the entrance Ferree says that placing a mirror or art on the wall will lift the chi tremendously. This Feng Shui treatment makes sense because it prevents your visitor from walking into a blank wall. It also makes something visible that will immediately lift the spirits of your guest.

Ferree suggests paying close attention to the "subtle environmental clues" in the interior of the home to make sure that you are not pushing someone away with the objects in the space, or making them have to "get smaller" to walk through the space.

Safety First

In addition to aiding in lifting the energy of a space, Feng Shui can also reflect simple common sense. Safety, both real and perceived, is extremely important. Ferree recommends, "Pick up any items strewn about the yard and make sure all walkways and stepping stones and steps are level. Good lighting is essential, too. It must b e easy to walk through the interior and exterior of the house without obstruction."

Avoid Clutter

According to Ferree, "clutter will keep a house from selling for many different reasons, one of which says the person does not attend to the upkeep of the home." Clutter collects stagnant energy and brings the feeling of the space down.

The two kinds of clutter are passive and active. Examples of active clutter are scattered children's toys in a living room, or brushes, paints and accessories in an artist's studio. Passive clutter is piles of things which have not been put away, thrown away or recycled.

Positive Energy Keeps Guests Happy

Ferree has some ideas on how to invite positive "chi" (energy) into your home. Spread smells, such as vanilla, cinnamon, or citrus throughout the home. Consider the lighting, colors and color arrangements and clarity of a space. Work on design enhancements that welcome visitors to your space and invite them to stay a while.

Ferree has one piece of final advice that applies to many situations. "Your home tells a story about you" she says, "People read the story every time they visit your space. Be aware of that and put your best self forward."

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Promotions That Build Profit

Promotions are everything you do to let your customers know you exist. Good marketing techniques can help eliminate the "I didn't knows" from your clients and would-be clients. Even if you believe you have more than enough business you should always continue to do some sort of marketing. What if there is a sudden downturn in your industry? What if you have to suddently reach more customers? With a good marketing system in place you will be prepared for any surprises.

Additionally, you must be very vigilent in your marketing efforts when things are slow. This is NOT the time to pull back. If anything, go forward by taking advantage of all the free and low costs opportunities that will keep your name at the front of your market.

Develop a Winning Marketing and Promotions Campaign

Marketing a business can be a huge challenge. However, if you have systems in place, are consistent in implementing your systems, have great follow up and truly care about your customers, your business will not only survive, it will thrive. Before you begin a marketing campaign for your business, take time to develop a good plan.

With promotions, it may not be a one size fits all for your business. Depending on what you are promoting at any given time will determine what type of plan you need to put in place.

However, these are some things you should always consider in any campaign.

• Collecting names and contact information for inclusion in your database
• Inputting the information in a timely fashion
• Sending some type of a follow up within a short period of time after obtaining the information
• Keeping a well-groomed database

Before starting a promotional marketing campaign, ask the following questions:

• What is the purpose of the campaign?
• How much time do you need to properly roll it out?
• What is your budget?
• Who is your target market?
• How will you promote it?
• What type of incentives do you need to offer â€" coupons, giveaways, drawings?
• Will you do all the promotions yourself or will you need to hire someone to help?
• What is your system for collecting names and contact information?
• Will you need special insurance for the event?
• Are you complying with all state and federal laws? For example, in Utah we have very strict laws about anything that remotely resembles gambling such as a raffle.
• Will you be including other companies in your campaign?

Your Marketing Program Needs to Be Ongoing

As a marketing and promotions advisor to small and medium sized companies, I often see people who try something once, get little or no result and then cry, "Marketing doesn't work!" Fact is, one letter, one phone call, one ad, one press release - none by themselves will achieve the desired result, but having a continuous, ongoing plan for marketing and following it will.

Something you must do in order to gain optimum results is to get excited about marketing you and your business. The more passionate you are about what you do the more people will want to do business with you.

Copyright: © 2004 by Kathleen Gage

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