Buying or renting a new property or business, can be one of the biggest financial commitments that you will undertake in your lifetime. Therefore, before making the purchase or renting the property it would be advisable to confirm that the property will bring you health, wealth and happiness.

If your home is in a place where the environment is positive then it will have a positive affect on your health & well-being.  However, if you live in a place where there is negative energy it will have an adverse affect on your life.

If the environment is positive then you will notice that the local amenities and schools will also be the best and the prices of property will also reflect this.

If the environment has a lot of negative energy then this will also be reflected in the life of those living there.  Thus, it will be reflected in the level of crime, teenage pregnancies, drugs, unemployment and general depression in the area.

The Compass direction of the property also has a profound affect on the energy of the space.  Therefore, as a general rule properties that are aligned to the cardinal directions: North, South, East & West are the best – since they are aligned to the pure chi of all four seasons.

The tips below are general and each property is unique, however, if you are venturing out to buy or rent a new property you would be wise to avoid the following:

General Tips – What to Avoid

• Avoid properties very close to cemeteries – This can affect your wellbeing.
• Avoid properties very close to churches and temples – This can affect your wellbeing.
• Avoid properties very close to power stations – This can affect your health & temperament.
• Avoid properties very close to rubbish dumps – This can have an affect on your reputation & health.
• Avoid properties very close to mobile phone masts – This can have an affect on your health.
• Avoid properties on steep slopes – This can affect relationships, health & wellbeing.
• Avoid properties that are a very irregular shape – This can affect many aspects of your life.
• Avoid properties with a T-Junction directly in front – This can affect your health & wealth.
• Avoid properties where all vegetation is dead and nearby trees etc are all rotten.  This can affect your health.
• Avoid houses at the end of a cul-de-sac – This can cause energy issues/financial issues.
• Avoid houses very close to stagnant water – This can affect your health & finances.
• Avoid houses with toilets in the middle of the house , however there are exceptions so seek professional feng shui advice.

If you already live in one of these environments then there are solutions to most of these issues, so please seek professional feng shui advice.

I must stress that this is a general list and many more things need to be considered, including your astrology, the direction and calculations of the property and countless other factors related with the form and landscape of the property before recommending a home to you.

If you are interested in a pre-purchase property survey contact Priya via email to view the property beforehand and tell you how suitable it will be for you.

Priya Sher – Feng Shui Consultant London based travels internationally

Copyright © 2010 Priya Sher

Source: Homebuying Feng Shui Tips

Click here to read How Dangerous is Your House

What is wind engineering?

The interaction of the environment with the architectural and structural features of a building is now the subject of a specialty field of engineering.  There are now engineering consultancy firms that address all aspects of wind and climatic effects on buildings.

Developers, owners and architects now consider wind impact on buildings and pedestrians below.

Wind control features are now considered in the design of buildings and bridges.

Office and residential towers are shaped and oriented according to the local wind environment. The influence of surrounding buildings on local wind patterns is studied when designing a new tall building.

Higher buildings, longer bridges and more daring structures have to be designed to withstand gale winds and strong earthquakes.

Taipei 101’s unique feature for example, is its steel pendulum weighing 660 metric tons suspended from the 92nd to the 88th floor. This pendulum serves as a tuned mass damper as it sways to counter the building’s sideways movements caused by strong gusts of wind.

A group of Canadian consulting engineers was in town to feature finished projects using very sophisticated wind engineering technology.

The RWDI with 14 offices worldwide was consulted for projects such as Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Petronas Towers, Taipei’s 101, Dubai’s soon to be the world’s tallest building, Burj Dubai. The company has done wind engineering and microclimate consulting projects in America, Europe, China and India.

Wind tunnel test

For the cost of around US$40,000 to US$60,000, they can do a wind tunnel test for a proposed 30-story building in two months at the longest. To get structural wind loading information so that the design of foundation and structural framing can proceed, they would need geometric informa  tion and structural characteristics including natural frequencies, mode shapes and mass distribution.

Wind loads provided in codes and standards are based on building shapes of 40 years ago.  The codes are updated yet they are general in nature.

The effect of turbulence due to neighboring structures or terrain features is not in the codes. Today’s high-tech building materials and design methodology creates a complex situation that needs wind engineering consultants to optimize cost and safety of the project.

The wind tunnel test facility includes appropriate instrumentation and data acquisition to create a building’s model in which ground roughness and turbulence generators simulate the natural drag on the wind flowing over it. Change in wind speed and gustiness is measured as wind approaches the project.

Pressures and suctions caused by the wind are evaluated so that pressure locations are measured hundreds of times.  Measurements are generally made for 36 wind directions in 10-degree increments. This results in recommended loads in the structural design and block diagrams of wind pressures showing pressure zones around the surface of the building.

Pedestrians may not realize that low-rise terraces, trees and canopies dampen wind speeds along the sidewalks.

Inset floors above projecting floors reduce downwashing winds.

Balconies on tall buildings especially when facing the sea can have an impact in reducing wind loads, if well designed.

A building with sharp corners experiences high suctions and corner balconies can reduce peak suction by up to 30 percent.

Canopy shelters at ground level in malls, office and commercial buildings enhance pedestrian wind comfort.

Wind patterns are the reason for stepped, curved corners, and terraces on only one side of buildings.

source: Inquirer

So you and your man finally have enough financial resources to invest in your own home, but what if you find yourself arguing over your options before you even begin? You might have visions of building your house from scratch with your own brilliant design ideas. Meanwhile, your hubby might be more inclined to buy a house so that you can move in immediately and save yourself the trouble of dealing with construction decisions.

But which is the better option: building a house or buying one? If you’re having trouble deciding, sit down with your man and consider these five factors.

1. CONVENIENCE

When you start planning for a home, everything is exciting. But when the builders come, you’ll find that not everything will go as planned, and while you notice things you’re not satisfied with, building costs will just keep going up. That’s construction for you, though. Anyone who embarks on the adventure should know that she’s in for a solid six to nine months of daily decision making and problem solving. It’s part of the thrill.

Buying a house can seem a lot easier. You look around, you make your pick, you sign on the dotted line. But the search can drag on for months. When you just can’t find the combination of right price, great location, and sound aesthetics, it can also get frustrating.

Read the rest of the article here!

The rainy season is upon us, and if you live in a house, you’re probably going to have to contend with “new” holes in the ceiling. Unless you’re fine with sticking pots and pails to catch the drip (or steady flow, depending on how large the leak is), you need to take some time to check your roof’s condition in between rain showers. Here’s what you can do to prevent leaks from happening or getting worse before and during rainfall.

WHAT TO DO TO PREVENT LEAKS

1. Inspect your roof regularly. This will enable you to check for areas where dirt is accumulating or where water has formed pools, as these can result in rusty parts that need repainting. If you’re planning to do this yourself instead of hiring someone out, make sure your ladder is stable and know what to look for when you’re already up there. Otherwise, send someone to do it

Read the rest of the article here!

img c/o arwoodroof.com

Since the Space Age began with the Soviet Union’s launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957, architects around the world have harnessed the era’s forward-facing spirit to construct futuristic homes. Designers defied convention, and some of the creative concepts put into play since then may seem more suitable for the surface of the moon than for Peoria.

Here are 10 of the most out-of-this-world houses.

Read the rest of the article here!

There’s something really pleasing about a home that’s pretty as a picture. It’s balanced. It’s soothing. It welcomes visitors.

And a home with curb appeal also sells itself. After all, homebuyers form an opinion about a home for sale in 15 seconds, by one estimate.

Lots of things can give a home that extra pop, from a picket fence to tasteful landscaping to an inviting doorway.

With help from our partner Realtor.com, we’ve found 14 homes for sale around the country that look particularly fine, and we help you see why.

How does yours measure up?

NOTE: All descriptive information is courtesy of listing agents. Properties were on the market and listed as available at the time of publication, unless noted otherwise.

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Is it safe to live near a nuclear plant? What are the dangers? How close is too close? Can you somehow make your home “nuke-proof”? Will you need special insurance? And what might a plant accident do to your home’s value?

These are top-of-mind questions for many homeowners who either live in a nuclear neighborhood or are thinking of buying or building near one of America’s 104 nuclear reactors.

The March 11 explosions and radiation leaks at Japan’s Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear facility, like the 1986 Chernobyl and 1979 Three Mile Island accidents before them, introduced a whole new generation of homeowners to the complexities of living with nuclear neighbors

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1. Is the foundation solid?
2. How old is the electrical wiring?
3. How old is the plumbing?
4. How is the house heated?
5. How’s the roof?

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Don’t miss the all our picks for the world’s wild houses on thisoldhouse.com!

1. The Bird’s Nest

Village of Harads, Sweden

Here at TOH, we love a good tree house. That’s probably why there has been an elevated abode in just about every installment of World’s Wildest Houses. We’ve taken you over to Sweden’s Tree Hotel complex to see their modern Mirrorcube tree house in World’s Wildest Houses VII. But, if you’d prefer something a bit more rugged, check out the nearby Bird’s Nest. Designed by architect Bertil Harstrom and built in 2010, you enter the structure by retractable staircase.

See the rest of the article here!