If you’re not using your home’s facing direction to practice Feng Shui, then you’re not really practicing Feng Shui. That’s because the facing direction is ESSENTIAL (in many practices) and is one of the first steps when you’re determining what kind of Feng Shui setting your house have.
Here are some examples to illustrate.
If you’re practicing Eight Mansions, your home’s facing direction helps you find out your House Kua. Only then would you know whether your front door, kitchen, and bedroom are in auspicious sectors or not.
If you’re practicing Xuan Kong Flying Stars, your home’s facing direction is one of the key information to help you plot out the natal chart of your home. The natal chart is the centerpiece to interpret what Feng Shui effects might come to you.
In essence, if you’re looking for real Feng Shui benefits such as wealth, health, and relationship enhancements, finding out your home’s facing direction is the critical first step.
For some, the home’s facing direction is not evident, especially if you live in apartments. Other times, you may have gotten your facing direction wrong. This article will guide you through these uncertainties and teach you how to find your home’s facing direction.
Let’s begin with the most popular misconception about the home’s facing direction.
Facing Direction is NOT Your Front Door Direction
Many people assume that a home’s facing direction is the front door direction. In some cases, this is true. However, DO NOT use your front door when you’re trying to find your facing direction.
For instance, look at the image below. Can you tell that the facing direction is different from the front door direction?
Here’s another illustration if you didn’t get it.
Take the Forbidden City in Beijing as an example. It is built on sitting North, facing South. All of its gates are facing South too. Below is an image that illustrates this setup.
Now, imagine the SAME exact setup with a slight variation: the main gate opens on the East side (but there are still gates in all the 4 cardinal directions). Do you think that the Forbidden City now faces East instead? (This is just a basic illustration.)
Depending on how the house is built and its design and orientation, the facing direction is sometimes the same as the front door’s direction. The Forbidden City is a prime example of this.
But again, let me reiterate: do NOT use your front door direction when you’re finding your home’s facing direction. The two should be considered INDEPENDENTLY.
Finding the Facing Direction of a House
Here are several ways to find out the facing direction of a house.
- Find out where the most Yang side of the house is (based on the Yin Yang Theory). The Yang side is usually the side that’s most “active”. Meaning, it’s the side where the road is and where most movement occurs. It’s also the side that can gather the most sunlight and Qi energy.
Using the above method should suffice. If not, you can use these other methods as cross reference.
- Find out where the backyard is. As the name implies, the backyard should be situated at the back, or the “sitting” direction. The same concept applies for the front yard.
- For insights on how the house’s design and orientation affect its feng shui, consulting a home architect can be invaluable.
- This professional can help determine which side of your house serves as the ‘face’ and which as the ‘back,’ especially if the structure has a modern, artistic design where the facing direction might be less obvious.
If your house is the standard conventional type, the above four steps should all produce the same result. If your house has a modern artistic design, then the facing direction can be tricky to find.
If that’s the case, you should consult with a Feng Shui professional.
Finding the Facing Direction of an Apartment
This is where there’s quite some debate. I’ve seen many masters use different ways to find the facing direction of an apartment.
One method is to use the apartment door as the facing direction. After all, the front door is the mouth of the house that gathers Qi, isn’t it?
Another method is to use the facing of the entire building as the facing direction. The reasoning for this is that all units are under one roof, and they should all share a single facing direction based on the building.
For one, I know Uncle Dixer doesn’t like the method of using the entire apartment building. When asked whether to use the apartment front door or the building front door, he explained:
Because your primary concern is with your own home (I assumed that is the case), use your own apartment to plot your compass calculation. But if you are concerned with the whole apartment building, then use the whole apartment. It all depends on your primary concern.
There is a Feng Shui rule that say “One item, one Taiji” to guide us in this situation, so it all depends on what you want to look at as an item.
I also don’t like using the apartment building’s facing direction for your home’s facing direction. Does everyone really have the same facing direction if the building is shaped as an L? What if the building is round shaped? That method is just doesn’t seem right.
The method for finding the facing of an apartment (at least what I think) is still the same as a house, which is to find the most Yang side. This is usually the side of your balcony because the most sunlight, air, and Qi come from this direction. Also, don’t forget to take the design and orientation into consideration.
Just like houses, your apartment’s facing will SOMETIMES be the same as the building’s facing direction. This is true for some apartments I’ve seen in California, where it’s square shaped and only 2 stories high. Also, they are designed where the door doesn’t face a wall or another apartment, but instead, a wide-open space (usually a parking lot). Further, their balcony is blocked with tall trees. With these factors combined, the most Yang side is therefore the same side where the front door is.
But again, please DO NOT use your apartment’s front door as the facing direction. Please consider the two separately.
Taking the Compass Measurement of Your Facing Direction
After knowing which direction your house is facing, the next step is to take the compass measurement.
If you know how to use a Luo Pan, you can skip reading this section. If you don’t have one, you can easily buy one here on Amazon. Knowing how to use a Luo Pan is essential for Feng Shui practitioners.
I won’t get into the details on how to use a Luo Pan here. Instead, I’ll teach you how to get the compass measurement of your house’s facing direction using your smartphone.
First, find a reference line parallel to your home’s facing direction. For instance, if your facing direction is the same as your front door, you can use the lower edges of your front door as reference line, or even the wall that’s your facing direction. If you have stairs that lead straight to the facing direction, the stairs can be reference lines too.
Then, open the compass app on your smartphone. Line up the bottom of your smartphone with the reference line. The compass reading on your smartphone will be your home’s facing direction.
I highly suggest that you take several measurements because of electrical interference. Therefore, I suggest that it is best to take measurements from both the inside and outside of your home. The key here is to find the reference line and line up the bottom of your smartphone with it.
Conclusion
When determining your home’s facing direction, do NOT use your front door’s direction. The two directions are independent of each other. Instead, use the most “Yang” side of your home and its design and orientation to find your home’s facing direction.
After knowing which side is your home’s facing direction, use your smartphone to get several compass measurements. Use your compass app and line up the bottom of your smartphone with reference lines that’s parallel with your home’s facing direction. You should take measurements from both inside and outside of the home to avoid electrical interference that’ll alter your compass measurement.
Once you get the compass measurement, you’re now ready for some serious Feng Shui!
Feng Shui practitioner and blogger of Feng Shui Nexus. I’ve witnessed the efficacy of Feng Shui, astrology and divination. Here, I share my knowledge and experiences with you to get you closer to your goals and dreams. Subscribe to get email updates or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
It sounds too complicated, For example my house is a square .when you enter the garden gate the compass shows NW.Then you walk to reach the second entrance which is SW and leads to the fisrt floor…then you climb stairs to reach finaly ..hahahah the main door when the compass shows SE…LOL. And when you enter the qi flies away through the balcony doοr couse its opposite. Plus SE and E are unfavourable sectors couse i am W block…Plus kitchen is N unfavourable…..Well actually
you burn your brain to find a solution.I think must be difficult for profesionals as well.Imean generally
to find out not only the directions but also to much the favour and unfav sectors.The thing is that qi is moving every 2 hrs so you need to move as well and its not easy…ιts not impossible but it needs
discipline
Hi Maria,
I hear you! That’s why I suggest that you find a professional!
As for compass measurements, you need to measure it outside because electronics can interfere with the compass. As for how Qi moves, the surrounding environment needs to be considered. It is essential to know what kind of Qi you’re gathering based on your compass measurement.
-Victor
Thanks for answering..I would like to know if you can find out [ with the one question for one sector of life ] from a feng shui natal chart if the stars in 2019 and if not when are friendly and helpful for me to sell it and get another one?
I think its not compatible with me . I have very basic knowledge of feng shui,bazi and qi men.
Hi Maria,
I’m not sure if I understood you correctly. Are you talking about selling your home? If so, that decision is really based on you personally and the market conditions. An astrology reading such as Bazi would help, but it can only help guide you.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Both my husband and I belong to the east group and looking to buy a house. The one we like is facing SE- this is auspicious direction for us. The Master bedroom seems to be in the longevity area of the house ( a big part of it) however the only option for a wall to put the headboard against are SW or NE… I learned this is usually the case when the house isn’t facing pure north south or East… how should we address this?
Also the kitchen is in an auspicious area but other bedrooms are not. House has a garage projecting out giving it a shape of a wide rectangle missing a corner.
Appreciate your help.
Lynn
Hi Lynn,
Before applying your personal Kua number, use the house Kua number: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-home/feng-shui-directions-eight-mansions-house-kua/
-Victor
Based on this method my part of the duplex faces west even though my entrance is on the other side. What is confusing is that even though my house is rectangular in shape no main wall or exact corner matches with one of the four main directions . North Is 6 or so degrees off of being aligned with the wall and does not line up with the corner. If I go by exactly where north is It’s sort of almost reaches a corner but not really and it throws all of the sub directions off so that placing symbols and objects in corners such is the southeast corner south west corner etc. It is not exact. I just called it close enough because there’s no way I can arrange furniture or decorate because the The house’s walls ir corners were not built in alignment with any of main the directions or subdirections. There’s no way I can put certain objects and symbols and furniture on the exact compass directions or sometimes even on the correct side of north. So like doing feng shui for Thai Sui or flying star’s or bed placement is impossible. it’s like having The steering alignment in your car off . What do I do for now I Just call the wall closest to north, north in the wall closest to South, South etc. I’ve read several books and Internet articles but nothing covers this subject matter which seems to be pretty important to cover. Please advise thanks
Hi Tenzin,
Alignment of walls/corners don’t have to be exact. If you’re having trouble, find the center of your home and divide your floor plan similar to cutting/dividing pizza (instead of dividing it using 9 palaces/squares). Just so you know, I have my doubts on the efficacy of using Feng Shui items as cures and placements.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
I understand that sloped ceilings are a not good for bedrooms. Is it ok to have them in any other part of the house? Thanks.
Hi Jerry,
As long as you’re not spending the majority of your time in the lower end of the sloped ceiling, you are ok. So in a sense, yes, it’s ok to have them at other parts. No, it’s not ok if you’re seated/sleeping under the lower end of it.
-Victor
I’m moving into a flat in September less money brighter sunnier lounge. Now the actual front door of my flat if you are standing in it is facing out is southeast but the lounge has almost floor to ceiling wide window facing northeast and another narrow but long window facing not quite fully south just into southeast when u sit on my sofa that I’ve ordered I’ve ordered a pale blue one which basic direction is what if you understand as you say the front door is not the facing direction. Sorry to be so long in my question.
Hi Carmen,
I don’t really understand you here, but your facing can also be the direction your home intakes the most air and sunlight.
-Victor
Thank you for this beautiful and inspiring article. Discovering feng shui was a major turning point in my lI could not have done it wothout the help of blogs like this.
Hello… Thanks for giving me further understanding on facing and sitting. However, it is still a bit confusing for me. The apartment I am currently renting has it front gate facing South (facing the street) but the unit I am staying in gets its Yang energy from East. If I consider it to be DUI House, everything seems to be so bad since Bedroom is SE (loft), Living Room is in the East, Bathroom is in the SW. The South portion of the unit is just plain wall separating my unit to the other unit. Does this mean East is correct facing of the unit? The front door is on the North East portion of the unit.
Another question that is separate from above, if your house is on the corner of streets, could you change facing direction if you change the gate on the other side?
For a condominium unit, the Yang Energy seems to be the best way to find the facing direction. What if a new condominium building is being constructed from the window view. Is it bad? Would it change the facing direction (windows) to sitting direction since building blocked the view and is being considered a mountain?
Hi Jon Santiago, With a name like yours, is your heritage Cuban? Any way I am a Feng Shui Master. I studied under the Form method, which is the oldest method of Feng Shui. Apartment buildings do create problems when determining your facing direction. However when things become difficult the best policy is to simplify the problem as much as possible. Is the front door of your apartment building the door a visitor of yours would enter into your building to come to your apartment unit? If it is then that is the facing direction of your apartment unit. The Yang Energy or positive Chi you speak of comes into your building and your unit the same way as your visitor does. The positive Chi which you are channeling into your unit comes through your building’s front door.
Think of positive Chi as if it was kind of like Santa Claus with a big bag of cash. He wants to give away this money as simply as possibly, which is not coming down your chimney, especially when you don’t have one. This man with the big bag of cash is walking not flying around like Santa.
I hope this does something to solve your problem.
Cheers Grant
I just bought a new 2 storey house in a corner lot, base on the house orientation it’s front door entrance and window faces south. But I’m a bit confused because it also have several windows facing to the east. Both side of my house that is facing east and south has a road. I’m planning to build a pedestrian and entrance gate for the vehicle. And I am confused on which side I will put this. Can you please help me what is my house facing direction and where can I put the gates?
Thank you.
-Aizel
Hi,
just to enquire, for period 9, understands south and south-west facing main door directions are auspicious, if the male occupants belong to kua number 6 and kua number 3, one in east and the other is west group… which one should take precedence? and is more important?
thank you in advance !
molly
Hi Molly,
First, don’t mix different schools in one reading. Consider them separately. In my experience, I would give more weight to Flying Stars.
-Victor
Hi, I’m so confused LOL. I live in a TH that has 2 entry doors because the main entrance is facing NE, once you enter that door you come into Terrace and then you walk to the door to enter the house which faces SE which is perfectly aligned with the garage door across the Terrace. Which should my front door be considered, the one you enter first into the Terrace or the one you use to enter the house.
Appreciate your help. Thank you
Rosa
Hi Rosa,
Your front door is the one where Qi enters the house. That should be the one that faces SE. Front door direction is NOT the same as your home’s facing direction, but in your case, the two should be the same.
-Victor
I am building a house at the end of a Cul-de-sac. The road drives east and our lot is on the northeast end. Is it ok to build the house with a south west facing door and house, therefore the rectangle of the house is diagonal. Can we maximize the backyard with having the house triangular to have the back facing northwest. That would maximize the size of our backyard and have our largest visibility of the backyard. Or should I have the house be rectangular with a south facing house. We are in Arizona where a southwest facing front would have lots of exposure to the sunsets.
I meant the back facing northeast
Hi Teresa,
For shape of house, rectangular is better than triangular. For direction, I can’t suggest a better one unless I look at the desired floor plan as well as the surrounding landscape (Forms).
-Victor
Hello, I am hoping you can help me. My house has a door on the side, and I was assuming the house itself faces the street, but when I was reading your article talking about some apartments having their facing direction from the balcony because this is where the most light and energy enter the house it got me thinking. My husband and I work from home and my husband is a gardener who spends a lot of time in the back garden. It is bright and sunny and our windows on this side are always open and we have a large double-door there that we have open almost all the time (it is bigger than the entrance door). The kids play out there, I take out the washing etc – we have a lot more activity at this side than the ‘front’ that faces the street. We don’t go out a huge amount so activity in the front is minimal. Would you say we should use the back as our facing side because this is where our house gets it’s Qi? Although, of course, guests would be approaching from the street. I’d really appreciate your thoughts! 🙂
Hi Luara,
Although most of your activity is at the backyard, the street is still the side that’s more Yang. You are right that all the activity and sunlight are considered Yang, but don’t forget there’s also the privacy factor. The more private a place is, the more Yin, which is the case for your backyard. Facing direction for houses is usually the direction where the street is. Don’t forget about all the human activities on the street!
-Victor
Hi, i am looking for a favourable position to place my bed but i don’t understand how to see the direction of the house or room?
My kua number is 9 and currently, if i use my phone compass, my bed is on the west wall and my feet is pointing to the East direction. I’m not sure if i am viewing the compass and direction right…. And also seek your advice on where to place my bed as the west wall is actually the window so right now my bed is under the window which i know is not ideal?
Will look forward for your reply thanks 🙂
Hi Ashley,
I can’t suggest a good placement without taking a look at the room, getting a compass measurement of the house, and locating where the bed is relative to the house. Before even considering directions, you need to consider the Forms. Use this article as a starting point: https://fengshuinexus.com/feng-shui-bedroom/feng-shui-bed-placement-rules-conflict-use/
If that gets too confusing, consult with an expert: https://fengshuinexus.com/experts/
-Victor
Hi victor,
Thanks for the article. Have a question if you may help address please. If i am standing inside the apartment and facing my balcony (which is the most yang area of the apartment) and my smartphone app says the direction is NE, is that my home’s facing direction?
However your article says i should measure from outside as well. Hence for house facing direction, should i be standing at my balcony and facing inwards towards the apartment interior or facing outwards?
Hi Yin,
Yes, your facing will be NE. The reason for standing outside is to steer clear from electronic interference so you can confirm your exact measurement.
-Victor
Hi
After many years and attempts with feng shui professionals feng shui has not helped and I’m still unsure of the facing direction.
There’s only one door. No outside space belonging to the property. The side opposite the front door has the best light and more space, but both sides are busy.
I also dont know if the reading is taken in line with the door, or at the centre of the front of the property.
I’ve read that it should be taken at various distances from the property which means they are all different.
If you could shed any light on this first essential step I would be grateful. Thank you.
Hi Ann,
Did you get professional help? If it didn’t work, do you mind telling me what the professional did or suggested? Practicing Feng Shui without the required knowledge and training wouldn’t yield results.
I can’t see your property so I’m not too sure. If you say both sides are busy, I’m assuming your living in an apartment complex instead of a single-family house. If that’s the case, the side with the best light is the side with more “yang” energy and therefore your facing direction.
-Victor
Hi Victor,
Greetings from Vancouver, BC. I am a complete newbie at Feng Shui and would love to try my hand at properly administering these cures to my apartment. I am almost stumped at the explanation of the feng shui compass and the inversion of North and South. The facing direction of my apartment is North/North East, does this translate to South/South East when using the feng shui compass? I was also wondering since feng shui new years starts on February 4 every year, when do we start administering the new changes, right before or right after the February 4?
Thank you so much for sharing such valuable information! Any answers to my questions would be greatly appreciated.
Hi Linda,
There’s no need to “translate” the compass. For the new year, you just need to start administering new changes around Feb. 4. Although some practitioners would suggest an auspicious date (depending on the scale of the “change”), there’s no need to adhere to that if you’re just making small changes.
-Victor
My mobile home doesn’t have door on the street side and only a very tiny window (which is my bedroom window and always shut). my main entry door is kitchen door, 90° to the street, open to public
walkway. The second door is facing the opposite side of street, open to big lawn with private walkway curving to same public walkway as kitchen door, but a bit further on walkway. This second door has view of my big backyard lawn plus 6 backyard lawns of neighbors in round about walkway. no fencing allowed anywhere in the community.
Which is considered the house direction, 1.street, 2. main door (kitchen door) or 3. back door (door facing 7 lawns). Back side are all glass wall so I guess this is the most yang area?
Thanks so much