There are many things to consider if you should be so lucky to build your own house. Depending on where you are looking for land, you would first take into consideration the surrounding exterior environment.

A parcel of land which is part of a larger development may already have the shape of the lot determined, with other homes built next door or eventually to be built next door. Often, this is land which has been leveled out; however there are also communities built in hilly areas with each one having some degree of a view. Having a view is nice, but not having a view is not “bad” Feng Shui. Your own backyard may end up being a very private and lovely, landscaped retreat, where your private views of your own land could be just as nice as views for miles.

However, if there is an obvious view to take advantage of, be it a mountain or lake, you would want to find out if these large natural features help or hinder the house type you will be creating. Mountain homes can be very cozy, but not built right into a mountain side. Being near water, such as a lake or the ocean can also be quite appealing, but there is such a thing as being too close to water. Being in a woodsy environment can also be invigorating, making sure that the area is not chronically shaded.

If you plan to build in an area where there are small bodies of water, lake inlets and canals, like in a number of locations in Florida, then you want to be mindful of where these bodies of water are in relation to the house you want to build. For the remainder of Period 8 (until 2024), having a large body of water to your Northeast can be undermining to financial luck. In Period 9 (from 2024-2044), having a large body of water to your south could be a problem. To a lesser extent, you could be influenced by a neighbor’s pool location. This is one example where looking at aerial views on line of the neighborhood can be a fantastic tool.

It is ideal to have a lot shape which is square or rectangular. If it is an unusual shaped lot, it could still be usable if you are willing to do some landscaping techniques to square it out. The worst shape is a pie shape which narrows in the back. There is nothing inherently good or bad about a flag lot.

Land level is important, but specific to the house to be built. Some houses benefit by having lower land level behind them, while others do not. This is a feature you would want to have reviewed by a competent classically trained practitioner. Knowing the compass orientation of the house to be built and the year it will be built, will convey how the land level will influence the future occupants.

In some neighborhoods, where there is a severe slope to the street or road, people in those areas can have flooding and mudslides tearing down their streets during heavy rain. On a very subtle, invisible level, air currents (qi) can move too quickly down these sloping streets and the position of the house in relation to the street can reveal if the house will fare better or worse in that kind of environment.

Winding streets to get to your land can be a good thing, churning the qi like butter. However, it is just common sense that streets which are too narrow and steep will make you and your guests feel uncomfortable coming and going and it may in fact be a bit dangerous traveling the road. Clearly, it is better to be on a street that is wide with easy parking. I have a few clients whose homes are on streets so steep that I don’t even trust my parking brakes when there. If you are looking at a parcel on a winding street, it is better if the road will wrap around your house instead of veering away from it. You would also want to avoid a piece of land at the very end of a street or T-junction, unless the street coming toward the house is on an incline, not heavily traveled, and the house can be set back further away from the street.

There is nothing inherently good or bad about turning a house sideways on a lot. You don’t want to buy land in an area where the big picture is out of your control, such as the slope to the street, or the proximity to a freeway or a tourist destination. A noisy environment is very difficult to compensate for. And it can be too quiet as well; avoid living near a cemetery or out in the boonies with not one around for miles.

There is no such thing as a good or bad direction for a house to face as this is too general information. However, once you have an idea of what time frame you would be building in, any direction can be utilized with the proper floor plan to complement the house type.If the land its self appears to be healthy with the ability to sustain lush plant life, this can also bode well for people living on this land.

Author: Kartar Diamond
Company: Feng Shui Solutions (R) Since 1992
From the Landscape and Exteriors Blog Series