Many people believe that feng shui can be a useful tool when it comes to selling your house.

For more than 3,000 years practioners of the ancient Chinese art have been using the placement of objects, furniture and even buildings themselves to encourage the flow of positive energy in our environment.

The word chi' is used to describe the energy or life-force that has its roots in nature and is constantly surrounding us in positive and destructive forms.

Feng shui practitioners aim to create a constant flow of the positive chi while deflecting and protecting us against the more negative forces, known as sha-chi'.

So how can feng shui help to sell your house? Well, although the concept of chi and energy may not be that easy to grasp for us in the west, a lot of the feng shui principles are based in common sense.

For example, in feng shui the front door is of prime importance. It is where the chi enters the house, as well as where the prospective buyers will also get a strong first impression, so it is important to make sure the house number or name is clearly visible. Giving a house a strong identity in this way is linked to success or recognition and can be a good sign for your career and an active social life.

It can also be helpful to put plants or water next to the entrance to your home, creating a positive link to nature and helping to introduce two of the five elements (water and earth) into your home, to encourage calm and settled energy to flow in.

Even if the feng shui part doesn't have any effect, vistors or buyers will notice that the entrance to your home is attractive and inviting, which has to be a good thing.

Inside your house, the chi energy needs to be tailored towards the function of the room so in your bedroom you might want to aim for calm and relaxation, while in an office creativity and inspiration might be the aim.

In both cases however, one of the basic principles of feng shui can be applied, that of support' behind you and space' ahead of you. These two principles allow us to feel secure but also give us the space to grow.

For example, think how you would feel if you were sleeping in a single bed placed right in the middle of a large room with your head by the door. Vulnerable? Insecure?

It's probably true that most of us would feel pretty insecure in this kind of set-up, and feng shui recommends that beds are kept away from the door but still in clear view of it and with the head of the bed against a wall.

This will give the support behind you at the wall and the space ahead of you by allowing you a view of the door, both protecting you and encouraging a peaceful sleep.