Home & Garden

Buying a home and (Asian) Superstitions with Direction/Number ?

  • Last Updated:
  • May 8th, 2010 12:13 pm
Tags:
None
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 28, 2005
6044 posts
22 upvotes
Toronto
Okay, it looks like that I know more about Feng Shui than most here (even though I'm not an expert at all). Like I said, this is NOT solely superstition BUT only *packaged* as so. Reason? Probably because that was the easiest way to make ignorant people (uneducated peasantry in the old days) to follow what some believe would be good for them or the village as a whole.

Take the south facing house as an example: in the Northern hemisphere, that is the best location you could have weather-wise (vs. NorthWest for example) and has nothing to do with heaven or hell.

Like many other things, you need to know a bit more before even rendering any criticism.
Newbie
Oct 20, 2006
43 posts
Tdot
t3359 wrote: Exactly. I'm a first generation Asian in Canada and I can't say I believe it, but I wouldn't be as insensitive as to say that those who do exhibit "stupidity".

If a current owners doesn't believe in these things, the only effect it would have on them is resale value... which is always important. I'm sure you'd find a lower property value for homes near cemetaries. How "stupid" is that?

bjl
Along that same point, I know someone who did not put an offer on a house she absolutely loved b/c her asian mother-in-law vehemently nixed it for having bad feng shui. So even though she didn't 'believe' in the stuff herself , she was influenced by her MIL's views and felt it would affect resale ...so it's very real.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 14, 2003
23140 posts
202 upvotes
canabiz wrote: Hi folks we are looking for our first house and I am just wondering do you believe in superstition with respect to house numbering and direction when you consider buying a home ?
If there are enough people believe that, it matters. When you sell your house, there may be more potential buyers.
We are both Asians (non-Chinese) so I don't really care about #4 or things like that but my wife who is Korean told me we should get house facing the South direction (that's what they do in Korea). She says something to the effect of getting away from the sun, although I don't see any benefits of that here because we do need the sun for the winter!
If ALL chinese does not like '4' (for the extreme case), you eliminate a big sector of buyers when you sell it. Facing South is good for Asian, I guess. Chinese said "thousand piece gold can hardly buying a house facing south".
The only thing you will open in Winter is your front door and usually cold wind blowing from the north side. In some sense, you can keep the house warmer. IMO, there is nothing wrong facing west or east. Facing north is no good for me.
I was also told by my mom to never buy any house that is directly facing a road. It will lead to breakups in the family and personal problems, things of that nature. I don't know if I should believe that but speaking from a safety aspect, it's a good idea not to buy something like that because of traffic issues (cars coming in and you are backing out for example)
I would say you can feel unsafe if you can imagine a car with brake problem may run into your house. With so many speeders in the side streets these days, sometime, you may think if they can really make the turn, if they would lose control when you are working in your front lawn.

Also, wind factor, directly facing a road which has houses in both side means you are facing a wind tunnel and your front lawn being a landing zone of all trash being blown over.
Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. -- Will Smith
Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
Deal Addict
User avatar
Nov 10, 2003
1950 posts
5 upvotes
canabiz wrote: Slightly OT but can anyone confirm that the hotel in Niagara Falls near the casinos doesn't have 4th floor.
Of course there is a 4th floor.
If you stand outside and count the floors, there is a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th... floor.
Doesn't matter what you label them, it's still the 4th floor.
Same with 13... it's just a character (bunch of squigly lines) that we've assigned to a number between 12 and 14.
As for the other superstitions, I wouldn't call them stupid. I respect other people's beliefs. I usually try to find out the reasoning behind their beliefs.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Aug 9, 2004
22170 posts
824 upvotes
Newmarket
delphine wrote: Here's some more bad superstitions:

* House backing onto or facing a cemetary = You will see ghosts in your house/backyard.

* Staircase facing front door = All your fortunes will go out the door BUT if you put a small tree in front of your front door, it will stop your fortunes from leaving your house. (hmmmmmmm... no wonder I haven't won the Jackpot yet eventhough I have a small tree. hmmmmm... :lol: :lol: :lol: )

* #4 in the house number = very bad luck. It may not bother non-Asians but if you live in a mostly Asian neighbourhood, that might deter future home buyers.

* Someone who died a violent death = very bad karma in the house.

* A house that faces a T intersection ~~ Oncoming car lights will face front window/door when turning = Something about bright light from a car brings some bad luck. I forget what it was. Maybe someone in here might know. lol..

* Living next to or across from Hydro towers

* Living across or next to or in the vicinity of a funeral home

* The kitchen is always the most used room in the house, so if it faces South or West (sun always shines), even better.


I think I've covered the majority of bad luck superstitions. LOL .. Yup, I've experienced all the above while my sis was house hunting. :lol: :lol:
The younger Asian generations don't believe in the above-mentioned but if you have parents and in-laws or older relatives in the picture, be prepared for stressful house hunting.
I'm not Asian and I agree with most of these (other than the ridiculous stairway thing and any numerical superstition).
I wouldnt like to live near a cemetary/funeral home/hydro towers, major intersection, etc and I know of few people that would. This is common sense more than superstition.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Dec 5, 2005
550 posts
Calgary
So can someone explain why 4 is such a bad number???

I've always thought it was a positive number. Like 444 is the sign for angels. I guess it depends on your view/beliefs...
Get sideways... Life is too short to be straight.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Jul 14, 2005
673 posts
154 upvotes
Sewert wrote: So can someone explain why 4 is such a bad number???

I've always thought it was a positive number. Like 444 is the sign for angels. I guess it depends on your view/beliefs...
The number 4 pronounced in Chinese sounds very similar to the word dead/death in Chinese.
Deal Addict
Dec 9, 2001
1590 posts
91 upvotes
Maple
What about the number 8? I heard that this is a lucky number for the chinese?

I just moved into a new house, which is #8, and faces south. I knew that #8was a good thing, but now that it's compounded by the "south" factor, I guess that's even better... unless it's two different cultures. :confused:

Anyway, not planning on moving in the next few years, but hey, for the rigth price..... :cheesygri
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jun 8, 2003
8718 posts
1069 upvotes
Scarborough
I know you live in Thornhill where there is a large Chinese population. You maintain your house well, you may get good money from them. However, you won't know what happen in 5 to 10 years. Let's say there will be a large population of Mordovian :D who don't believe any of these.
spdztr wrote: What about the number 8? I heard that this is a lucky number for the chinese?

I just moved into a new house, which is #8, and faces south. I knew that #8was a good thing, but now that it's compounded by the "south" factor, I guess that's even better... unless it's two different cultures. :confused:

Anyway, not planning on moving in the next few years, but hey, for the rigth price..... :cheesygri
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 22, 2006
4170 posts
181 upvotes
North York
If you don't know what the customs behind numbers/direction/fung sui are then you don't need to take it into consideration. If you believe the stuff then you would know the answer to your questions. In terms of resale value, I don't care if an Asian doesn't buy my house. As long as it sells and the buyer is happy I could care less what ethnic group the buyers are from.
Sr. Member
User avatar
Jul 14, 2005
673 posts
154 upvotes
spdztr wrote: What about the number 8? I heard that this is a lucky number for the chinese?

I just moved into a new house, which is #8, and faces south. I knew that #8was a good thing, but now that it's compounded by the "south" factor, I guess that's even better... unless it's two different cultures. :confused:

Anyway, not planning on moving in the next few years, but hey, for the rigth price..... :cheesygri
The number 8 in Chinese sound a lot like the word for wealth ...
Deal Fanatic
Apr 30, 2003
7800 posts
1611 upvotes
Toronto
gman wrote: If there are enough people believe that, it matters. When you sell your house, there may be more potential buyers.

If ALL chinese does not like '4' (for the extreme case), you eliminate a big sector of buyers when you sell it. Facing South is good for Asian, I guess. Chinese said "thousand piece gold can hardly buying a house facing south".
The only thing you will open in Winter is your front door and usually cold wind blowing from the north side. In some sense, you can keep the house warmer. IMO, there is nothing wrong facing west or east. Facing north is no good for me.


I would say you can feel unsafe if you can imagine a car with brake problem may run into your house. With so many speeders in the side streets these days, sometime, you may think if they can really make the turn, if they would lose control when you are working in your front lawn.

Also, wind factor, directly facing a road which has houses in both side means you are facing a wind tunnel and your front lawn being a landing zone of all trash being blown over.

Im asian and though i dont really believe in the Feng Shui things, but i was looking for a house and noticed a nice single detached house for cheap. I decide to drive by to check it out. Its a house on a T intersection and it faced the road.

No question about it i didnt want it. A few of you guys mentioned the problem. Speeders driving down by slide into the house, the wind tunnel effect, backing out of house, and also the fact that in the evening everyone will be heading down that road and flashin their headlights right at your house.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Nov 28, 2005
6044 posts
22 upvotes
Toronto
Menace wrote: However, you won't know what happen in 5 to 10 years. Let's say there will be a large population of Mordovian :D who don't believe any of these.
OF COURSE, we all know what will happen in 5 - 10 years: there will be even more Chinese coming in; more kids and business people are learning Chinese; and half of the flyers you get in Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill will be bilingual (not in French but Chinese). Population/immigration trends don't go away in a few years; the denominator is "decade".
Deal Expert
User avatar
Oct 15, 2002
17278 posts
73 upvotes
yup, even the condos in my area all have floor numbers "4" and "13" missing because of superstition and nobody will buy units on those floors. :lol:
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Jun 8, 2003
8718 posts
1069 upvotes
Scarborough
Like the Italian Canadian have moved up to Woodbridge, the Chinese Canadian population have began to moving up north of 16th to Maj. Mack area. In Scarborough, the Sri Lankan (and the Mainland Chinese) have slowly moved in to replace the older Chinese population. Who knew about the Sri Lankan 10 years ago?
teknoluv wrote: OF COURSE, we all know what will happen in 5 - 10 years: there will be even more Chinese coming in; more kids and business people are learning Chinese; and half of the flyers you get in Scarborough, Markham and Richmond Hill will be bilingual (not in French but Chinese). Population/immigration trends don't go away in a few years; the denominator is "decade".
Deal Addict
User avatar
Jun 22, 2006
4170 posts
181 upvotes
North York
If you have to ask what numbers aren't good then you don't really believe in the whole supersticious stuff.
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 14, 2003
23140 posts
202 upvotes
JAGpilot wrote: If you have to ask what numbers aren't good then you don't really believe in the whole supersticious stuff.
The point is not about what you believe. It is about what the potential buyers believe. You may not care about Chinese or Asian. However, the next buyer may care about that. Says, if you don't have a '4' or '13', you have 100 potential buyers. If you have a '4' or '13', you may just have 70.

More potential buyers means better price. Price is determined by supply and demand (more demand, higher price).

Do I care about 13? No. However, if that may get rid of 95% of potential buyers, I don't want it unless I have no choice.

BTW, in my subdivision, every house was sold before the site was built except street number 164 which was sold one year after I moved in. It is not just 'death'. It is 'continue to die'. ;)
It was not just Chinese avoided that. Somehow, others also avoided that.
Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. -- Will Smith
Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
Deal Guru
Mar 30, 2002
12415 posts
10 upvotes
felix wrote: yup, even the condos in my area all have floor numbers "4" and "13" missing because of superstition and nobody will buy units on those floors. :lol:
So that means the floors labelled 5th and 15th are bad... because even though they're labelled as 5th and 15th, they're really the 4th and 13th floors :|

Add two more numbers to avoid :lol:
:hay:

[You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period.]
Deal Expert
User avatar
Jun 14, 2003
23140 posts
202 upvotes
B40 wrote: So that means the floors labelled 5th and 15th are bad... because even though they're labelled as 5th and 15th, they're really the 4th and 13th floors :|

Add two more numbers to avoid :lol:
If they take away 4 (die), they may take away 14 (must die) too. Hence, 16th and 17th are actually 13 and 14.
If you look even further up, 24 (easy to die) ....
Too many people spend money they haven't earned to buy things they don't want, to impress people they don't like. -- Will Smith
Growing older is mandatory. Growing up is optional.
Stay hungry, stay foolish.
Sr. Member
Jul 8, 2004
627 posts
5 upvotes
GTA
gman wrote: The point is not about what you believe. It is about what the potential buyers believe. You may not care about Chinese or Asian. However, the next buyer may care about that. Says, if you don't have a '4' or '13', you have 100 potential buyers. If you have a '4' or '13', you may just have 70.

More potential buyers means better price. Price is determined by supply and demand (more demand, higher price).

Do I care about 13? No. However, if that may get rid of 95% of potential buyers, I don't want it unless I have no choice.

BTW, in my subdivision, every house was sold before the site was built except street number 164 which was sold one year after I moved in. It is not just 'death'. It is 'continue to die'. ;)
It was not just Chinese avoided that. Somehow, others also avoided that.
LOL 164 thats like the worse number ever..but 168 is an awesome number.. why do you think that bubble tea franchise is call 168 tea house?

Top

Thread Information

There is currently 1 user viewing this thread. (0 members and 1 guest)