Feng Shui in Singapore Condos: What Buyers Look For in Layouts, Stacks and Views

Feng shui comes up in many Singapore condo purchases. Some buyers consult a geomancer before booking; others simply avoid a few things they grew up hearing about; many don’t consider it at all. Whatever your view, it is worth understanding, because the preferences some buyers hold can affect how quickly particular units sell and resell. This guide sets out the points buyers most often mention, what practical questions sit alongside them, and how to apply them when choosing a unit at LinkTown Residences (Hougang Central Residences), the new launch above Hougang MRT (NE14).

The points buyers most often raise

Main door

• Door lined up with a window or balcony. Some buyers prefer that the main door does not look straight through the unit to the balcony or a large window.
• Door facing another door or the lift. Units whose door faces a neighbour’s door, the lift doors or the rubbish chute directly are avoided by some buyers.
• Door facing a kitchen or toilet. Some prefer not to see the toilet or stove straight from the entrance.

Practical overlap: a door that opens straight onto the living room offers little privacy from the corridor, and a unit opposite the lift will hear more foot traffic. Those are reasonable checks regardless of belief.

Facing and views

• Facing. Many Singapore buyers favour north or south facing. Some cite feng shui; many simply want to avoid the strong afternoon sun of a west-facing unit, which affects heat and air-conditioning use.
• T-junctions and roads pointing at the unit. Some buyers avoid units that look straight down a road towards them.
• Sharp corners. The corner of a nearby building pointing at a unit is something some buyers mention.
• Water and greenery. Views of water or parks tend to be well liked by most buyers, for feng shui and for plain enjoyment.

Numbers

The number 4 sounds like “death” in several Chinese dialects, so some buyers avoid unit numbers or floors containing it. Numbers such as 8 are popular with others. Developers sometimes skip certain floor numbers. Whether this matters is personal, but it can affect how many buyers will look at a particular unit later.

Inside the unit

• Beams over beds or sofas. Some buyers prefer that exposed beams do not run over where people sleep or sit. Practically, low beams also limit where tall furniture can go.
• Toilet position. Some avoid a toilet in the centre of the unit or with a door facing the dining table.
• Kitchen and stove. Some buyers look at where the stove sits relative to the sink and the main door. Practically, an open kitchen needs good ventilation for heavy cooking; our floor plan guide covers open vs enclosed kitchens.
• Regular shape. Square or rectangular rooms are widely preferred, for feng shui and because odd angles waste space.

Why it matters even if you don’t believe in it

Resale value depends on how many buyers want your unit. If a stack has features that a share of buyers avoid, it may take longer to sell, or sell at a lower price, than a similar unit next door. At the same time, units some buyers pass over can be priced a little lower at launch, which suits buyers who don’t mind. Neither outcome is certain. The point is to know which features narrow your future buyer pool, and to decide knowingly.

Applying this at Hougang Central Residences

What you can do now:

1. Study the unit types. The indicative floor plans, based on the developers’ recent project Parktown Residence rather than LinkTown’s final plans, show typical door, kitchen and toilet positions for each size.
2. Note what surrounds the site. The development sits at Hougang Central with the MRT station, a new bus interchange, a mall and a town plaza. Views will differ a lot by block and height, from the town centre and roads to the wider Hougang estate. Our balanced LinkTown Residences review covers the site’s pros and cons.
3. Shortlist stacks, not single units. When the plans come out, mark stacks you are comfortable with so you have options if your first choice goes on booking day. Our guide to choosing a stack covers sun, noise and views, and what to expect at a preview explains the booking process.

Prefer to read in Chinese? Our 买公寓风水指南 covers the same ground for Mandarin readers.

Register to get the LinkTown Residences site plan and stack layouts as soon as they’re released.