Feng shui masters view the Tiger as a better year

By Meshvinny A/P Nelson

With the Ox having wandered off, everyone is eager to know how the Tiger can change the new year after the cruel attack of the virus-infected Rat in 2020. The question on everyone’s lips: Will the Tiger usher back luck and prosperity, especially towards the property industry?

Feng shui experts Stephen Chin and professor Joe Choo shared their predictions on what the stealthy Tiger has in store for the property market in 2022 with StarProperty. While their forecasts differ somewhat, the general prognosis is a brighter year ahead.

Each year is denoted by stem and root. Chin explained that the Chinese calendar follows a system of 60 stem-root pairings, comprising 10 stems (tian gan) and 12 roots (di zhi) which the public mostly know as heavenly stem and
earthly branch.

“While the root is represented by an animal, the stem is represented by one of the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water in their yang and yin forms. So, everyone looks at the element of the stem and declares it as the element of the animal. Hence, they call 2022 the Year of the Water Tiger,” said Chin.

When asked how the Tiger would affect the property sector, Chin mentioned that earth-related industries, such as property, property development and construction, will do well, however, at a slow and steady pace. Metal related industries such as the legal profession, civil service, defence, automotive, transport and machinery will react similarly to the earth-related industries.

As for water-related industries which consist of sales, insurance, finance and banking, there will be a quick pick up and improvement, although it may be fleeting or short-lived. In contrast, Choo believed that the zodiac animal would not have much impact on any industry, including the property sector. She focused more on the elements, namely wood and metal, which she believed are the two dominant elements this year.

Diving deeper into predictions, Choo separated the property market into property development and management. “In terms of feng shui, property development is categorised in the wood element, property management is in the earth element,” said Choo.

Based on the dominant elements this year, it is said that property development will be able to pick up. On the contrary, the earth produces metal which weakens the earth, thus making it not as strong as wood. As such, Choo believed that property development will outdo property management.

Investors should enter the property market after Chinese New Year, said Choo.

Tiger’s best opportunities

When deciding the best time to acquire or sell property, Chin shared how choosing the best date depends on the individual and their life profile chart. “Every individual has his unique profile which indicates good dates for taking action on various matters, be it to buy, sell or rent property,” said Chin.

Choo, however, proceeded with her response while mentioning one of the laws of investment - buy low and sell high. She believed this law applies to property investment as well. She advised investors to enter the property market after the Chinese New Year and before May 30 for the best opportunities. She believed that there would be a lot of properties under market value that are yet to be available.

This is because the property market is said to be stagnant initially and will only pick up from the fifth lunar month, which begins at the end of May. For property owners waiting to dispose of their assets, it is advisable to do so within the fifth and sixth lunar months, from May 30 to July 28 this year, she said.

“The property market stays uncertain after lunar month seven until lunar month 11, which begins from 24 November, 2022. You may catch this opportunity to sell your property if you have missed the earlier boat,” said Choo.

According to Chin, the northeast and southwest sectors of the country will likely do better as these are the earth sectors. Given that water, metal and earth-related industries will fare better this year than the previous, there should be improvement across most sub-sectors such as retail, commercial and industrial. But within the property industry, building materials and interior design may move slower.

Earth-related industries will do well, albeit at a slow and steady pace, said Chin.

Back to basics

In the old days, houses were built individually according to the needs, details and other requirements of family members. However, homes are now constructed in bulk. Choo described it as a mass production line in a factory.

Because of this, most housing estates have identical-looking houses. What is continually evolving is their architectural designs. As such, the application of feng shui has to adapt to the constantly changing environment.

“Feng shui is considered as an ancient scientific knowledge that is very logical and practical. You will be surprised that some of the principles are similar to architecture principles, too,” said Choo. If people are curious or want to practice feng shui, one way is to enrol for classes. Another way is to engage a competent feng shui consultant, said Chin.

“The consultant should be able to explain in simple language what to do and why,” he said.

Location still takes precedence

According to both feng shui masters, the most important consideration is the location of the property itself. To make life easier and more practical, and achieve maximum results through feng shui, it is best to start by selecting a property with the right landforms and entrance.

It is essential to ensure that the location and orientation suit the landform. A suitable landform can cultivate good energy that brings you and your family good health, wealth and advancement,” said Choo.

Image shows the concave and convex of a river where energy is collected and dispersed.

The ideal property is sited within a concave of a road or river. A concave is where energy is collected, whereas a convex is where energy is dispersed. In feng shui, collective energy means containing wealth and dispersing energy means depleting wealth. Hence, it is essential to buy a property in the concave of the road or river, she said.

Choo noted that the locations to avoid are properties near hospitals, schools, shopping malls or any public facilities where many people congregate at any time. However, this does not apply to condominiums. There are three types of energies emphasised in feng shui, namely solar, earth and human, she explained.

For properties like hospitals, schools, shopping malls and other similar places, there is an imbalance of human energy, which for such establishments, is weak. “When human energy is not as strong, it creates health issues and a bad temperament that leads to family disharmony,” she said.

Once a property has been selected, the next thing to consider is the location of the main entrance. Following that would be the location of the kitchen and master bedroom. Depending on the type of property involved, mitigation might be possible with renovations.

“When it comes to the locations of the main entrance, kitchen and bedroom, they also need to pick the right property that suits them. If this is not done right, they will experience a lot of problems in their relationship, finance and career,” Choo said.

The only remedy to an unsuitable home would be to relocate, Chin said, adding that to ease this process, a feng shui consultant would be the right person to ask for advice. “To my master and I, these are non[1]negotiable as they relate to the forces of nature that can affect the occupants’ wellbeing,” he said.

After the selection process, Choo said the next step is to carefully study the internal design of a property. There will be flaws in any house design, even though some designs are custom-made when building a house. Therefore, there should always be a solution to minimise negative effects.

There are many things to pay attention to as well as things that should be avoided or looked out for, she said. One of the main things to look out for is the main entrance directly facing the back door. “If this is the case, you may build a full-height partition in between if the space permits you to do so,” said Choo.

Avoid placing a bed, study table and settee below an overhead beam which induces any illnesses related to the head and shoulder, she said. She advised against placing the bed next to a protruding column, which might lead to bad quality sleep and headaches and shoulder pain.

Other undesirable designs include avoiding placing the stove and sink next to or opposite each other to prevent frequent arguments within the family. It is advisable to place living plants, water features and crystals in the right areas, depending on the dates of birth of the master and lady of the house, for greater health and wealth, she said.

Choo added that applying colours for walls, cabinets or curtains will help to cultivate positive events. Like the placement of plants, water features and crystals, this usually is done based on the dates and time of birth of family members.

Having experienced multiple movement control orders in the two previous years, the economy is beginning to bounce back under the National Recovery Plan. And with the adoption of the new normal, coupled with the learning experience, the Tiger might just be the right zodiac to usher in the new year.

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