Busy schedules often make it difficult to keep the household running smoothly. But as more and more families begin to buckle down and spend more time at home in a slow economy, a comfortable and well-organized ranch home plan or two-story home plan is being considered a top priority. The practice of feng shui is great for keeping harmony in the home. Feng shui is a Chinese discipline that aims to reduce clutter and improve atmosphere by attracting and enhancing life energy (chi). The bagua is a feng shui road map, typically octagonal in shape. One uses it to divide the home or designated space into 9 zones (8 guas wrapping around the center), each corresponding to specific aspects of your life. With the dramatic economic flux challenging today’s homeowners, it is especially important to give attention to career and financial guas.

The first step in boosting the financial feng shui of your home is to pay attention to the right areas. Stand in the doorway of your home and face in. The immediate area surrounding the door (typically the foyer) is the Career and Life Path gua. This gua is where chi enters a home and is especially helpful when seeking new opportunities such as career boosts. Some improvements to consider for this area:

• How does the front door look? Peeling paint, little use, and tricky maneuvering all reflect poorly on an owner and can prevent chi from entering a home. Keep it unblocked, open regularly, and make repairs immediately.
• Windows should be clean and providing a clear line of sight. These fixtures are the eyes to a home and dirty windows in a home can cause an owner’s clarity to be clouded when dealing with difficult situations.
• Are the plants on the porch and inside the door fresh and thriving as they greet guests? Dead plants signify dead energy and waste precious space in a gua. Clear out the old for some new vibrance.

The next place to give extra attention is the back left corner of the home, when looking from the door way. This gua is for Prosperity and Abundance. Much prosperity is more perception than physical evidence. For example, poor college students are often thrilled with a hundred dollars. But an executive may see that as a simple dinner one night. A few steps to keep this gua active:

• Clutter is a huge block of chi in any gua, but especially where your prosperity is in question. This area should be well kept and void of any trash or trash containers. These are direct outlets for waste.
• Lightbulbs should be replaced as soon as they burn out. Plentiful light brightens possibilities and chases away negativity that lingers in dark corners. Keep the dark away from your abundance gua!
• Do you have a personal symbol of your abundance? Place it in this area as a daily physical reminder of what you have and what you stand to gain. A favorite piggy bank filled with spare change would be great here.
• Trickling water helps keep prosperity flowing while staving off any stagnancy. This can be a small fountain that recycles just a little water. Such resourceful décor reflects in how resourceful you can be with your investments.

The bagua can be used on the entire home using floor plans, and then used again for each individual space. Some homeowners use the bagua just where they spend the most time – typically bedrooms and family rooms. Do what works best for your home to improve negative spaces that lack good chi. A few feng shui tips to consider if individual guas are not your style:

• Keeping the toilet lids closed help prevent losses – so no flushing away deserved earnings.
• Dripping faucets and dirty fixtures are signs of money being wasted; fix these without delay.
• If you have trouble sleeping, be sure no mirrors are opposite the bed. Mirrors can unnecessarily reflect stress back on you when rest is needed most. Also be sure all well-placed mirrors are whole and reflect properly. Broken or distorted reflections can distort chi within the home.
• Take time to routinely clean out the fridge. Wasted food is wasted resources and squandering food does no good in helping build up positive energy.
• Stoves are regularly dirtied and need to be just as easily cleaned. The cooktop is representative of providing for family members and should be cared for accordingly. The same rule can be applied to any part of the kitchen.

These are only a few of the feng shui suggestions that may benefit ranch house plans or two-story house plans. Proper maintenance will ensure positive energy flows through those areas of the home where families spend most of their time. Take the time to evaluate the home as your lifestyle changes and make any necessary arrangements that could improve the chi. Once you give your home the attention it needs, you can continue to love your life and your home in harmony.