Different cultures, different ideas on how homes should be built December 20, 2007

Realtor magazine reports that builders are starting to take different cultures’ opinions into account in designing layouts for their homes. Builders are listening when Asian buyers say that it is bad feng shui to have the stairway lead right to the front door, they say that it allows the luck to run right out. Some builders in the South and West are building homes with more bedrooms that are smaller, so that Hispanic immigrant families can stay together, as is their tradition. Many Hindu families would prefer that their home faces east and has the kitchen in the center. I have actually seen this in my office, when a couple only wanted to look at homes facing east. Some Indian buyers refuse to buy a foreclosed home because they believe it is important to buy a home where the previous owners had been happy and prosperous. Because America is such a melting pot, it is important to take different cultures into consideration.