Q – Besides decuttering, what are some of the things I should consider when preparing my house for sale?
A- (by Karen Carrasco) – Within the domain of Feng Shui’s art of space clearing and house blessing, a house for sale needs to be cleansed of the existing owners’ attachment to it. When we consider selling any home, we see a definite journey through distinct phases of letting go and moving on. Feng Shui provides a very Grace-full template for this.
Besides the obvious tasks of decluttering, depersonalizing, cleaning, repairing and just generally making the home LOOK its best for show, both inside and out, there are a few tasks to consider which deal with the invisible energies of the home as well. Every person who lives there needs to have both agreed to the sale and prepared for leave-taking. This can be tricky when it is a “distress” sale of any sort, where some of the residents would not have wished to leave, and in fact, may be unconsciously, or even consciously, holding back from moving on into an unknown future. Children may sometimes be the anchors preventing a sale when they have not been given the chance to “say goodbye” to their home.
Ideally, the residents of a house being sold, and anyone closely involved with them, need to acknowledge the changes coming and release the house to its new owners. This can be done in a special ceremony, out loud with all participants contributing, or it can be done casually, gradually, over a period of days or weeks, in small moments of reflection. The bottom line is that our homes are like living beings, who respond to our unvoiced thoughts and desires rather than to the “For Sale” sign out front.
Some ideas for saying good-bye include having a special farewell dinner, during which everyone reminisces about the good times enjoyed there. Another way, especially effective with children, is to have a central display area, like the fireplace mantel, where the residents can, over the period of a week or so, place a letter of thanks written to the house, or a favorite drawing of the house. Once the house has been thanked properly and released fully, it will be energetically attractive and welcoming to its next owners.http://www.westernschooloffengshui.com/blog/uncategorized/feng-shui-q-a-home-for-sale/