Direction of your home: Does it matter?

I have come across many families and individuals who strongly prefer north and east-facing houses when buying. Occasionally, I even heard from a few real estate agents that homes with north or east directions have more competition among buyers. You might have experienced it by yourself when you were in the process of buying a home. When you share the news with your parents, their typical initial response is - what direction does it face?

It intrigues me how people follow some of these traditions almost as a superstition. When I use the term superstition here, I mean people following a tradition that eventually loses its essence.

Imagine a house facing the east or north direction. The internal layout is such that there are not enough windows along the east and north directions. In another scenario perhaps there is no proper cross ventilation or not enough sunlight in the house. Would you consider homes with these characteristics?

These aren’t ideal when purchasing your home, since the east and north directions are considered the source of positive energies, and sunlight coming from these directions plays a significant role in setting up the home’s energies and well-being. In addition, without proper natural light or cross ventilation, you don't get all the benefits even if your home is facing east or north.

The fundamental basis of Vastu is to live in harmony with and reap optimum benefits of nature. Of course, depending on geography, crowdedness of the city, type of building (apartment, townhomes, or single-family house), you may not have much choice. Therefore, it becomes critical to consider these fundamental principles when buying a home.