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. 

Use The Right Paint Finish

Ready to paint your home? Be sure to use the right finishes in each room and feature to make the best impact in your home. Using the wrong finishes can backfire for home owners if the wrong ones are used in the wrong spaces. Below, you'll find the most common finishes and recommendations on where they are best applied to.

- PAINT FINISHES - 

Flat is a low-sheen paint with a non-reflective finish that touches up well and hides minor surface imperfections.  It's ideal for low traffic areas, interior walls and ceilings.

Matte has a low luster reflective finish that is durable, easy to clean, touches up well, and also hides minor surface imperfections. It is great for low to moderate traffic areas, such as bedrooms, and interior walls.

Eggshell Enamel has a soft, velvety appearance and is a good choice for moderate traffic areas such as living rooms.

Satin Enamel if you desire a pearl-like appearance, and are painting moderate to high traffic areas or areas that have some exposure to moisture, such as kitchens.

Semi-Gloss Enamel if you desire a sleek, radiant sheen that is great from cabinets and trim, high-traffic areas and high-moisture areas.

Hi-Gloss Enamel creates a brilliant, shiny appearance with a glass-like finish. This is great for high-use surfaces

With the influx of new technology and web based solutions, it isn't a surprise that everything is moving fast into the era of the internet. From sites like Uber to Grubhub, we generally can pull up our phones or laptops to order what we want with ease. And with every industry being revolutionized by technology, the same methods are "attempting" to be applied to the real estate industry. 

We could all agree that the simplification of the process through paperwork would be much appreciated by agents and buyers/sellers alike; but the attempt of replacing the agent by sites like Realtor.ca and other third party resources, can lead to a snowball affect of disaster. Think about real estate being smack dab in the middle of fast food and a doctor. You can use your mobile device to quickly place your order for a $20 meal, but when it comes to getting a surgery, you'll want to put that phone down and visit a professional. Now think of your real estate agent being in the middle of all of that. You can use your devices to look for a home, look at market data the way you look at WebMD, knowing not to take it too seriously because you need a real professional's input, but it's fun and gives you a general idea of what to expect. But there in lies the issue, the data online is an oversimplified version of what goes into the process of buying and selling. The same way it oversimplifies medical diseases and surgeries, you'd still expect to get a professional's diagnosis.

Although a real estate agent isn't quite like a doctor, the industry in it's legalities, contracts, and processes is similar in the sense that it needs to be taken seriously. Looking for a house online and wanting to put an immediate offer on one can be exciting and fun, but the issues that require a professional's guidance comes after the initial contract is written up and the hard work comes into place to actually make the home your own. Same for sellers, if you decide to put your home on the market and want a website that will give you an automatic offer, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of in the price? But most importantly, how do you know you're not being taken advantage of in other aspects of the contract? Because there is a lot more to the sale of the home then just agreeing on a number. 

The next time you're digging through public sites for homes for sale, and getting instant home valuation estimates, keep in mind that this is a simple process to give you an idea of your market. A very general idea. But after you've found the perfect house, or after you've decided that the numbers make some sense for you to sell, call your favorite real estate agent, Suzanne, and make sure she gives you a more detailed look into the market and assists you through the full process, not just the exciting first parts. Because it's going to be in the middle of a contract when the lending is falling apart, or negotiations can't be made on repairs and emotions are at an all time high, that you are going to wish you had put down your laptop and had Suzanne fighting for you by your side. Use the internet, have fun with it's amazing resources, but don't let it replace Suzanne. We aren't in an age, just yet, where technology can do everything a professional can.