1st time open door, wedding new home

[myfs_123436]

Hi,I just got my house keys and opened the door for the first time. Intending to start renovation within the next 1 - 2 weeks. Used your online auspicious date search and found that this Wednesday is a good day and the next good day will be more than 2 wks later. Can I go to my place and symbolically knock 3 times on the wall or floor to mark the start of renovation, even though after knocking, actual renovation work will not start until 1 - 2 wks later? Knocking 3 times and praying at 4 corners (no joss sticks, just simple praying) is sufficient as dong tu procedures? Any preference on where to knock (eg mid of living room floor) or where not to knock (which direction offend Grand Duke, etc)?

During the renovation period, it's ok to get a monk to come over and bless the house? Or we need to wait until renovation is completed?

As the renovation may nt be in time for our wedding, we intend to do as much as possible, then pause the reno works a wk before the wedding (by then master bedroom reno should be completed), to do the an chuang procedures and also because we will be going back to our home to change into teadress on wedding day. After that,any uncompleted reno works (for living/dining room) will continue when we gofor honeymoon.Sodo we do the move-in procedures when we pause the reno for an chuang and wedding? Thenwhen reno continues after the wedding, need to knock 3 times again? Or if the uncompleted reno portion is only assembly of shelves and cabinets, no hacking, can it be considered as not renovation and thus, renovation would be considered completed before the weddingeven thoughsome of the ID and carpentry stuff have not been fixed up?

[Cecil Lee]

1. Yes usually even if one is not using joss sticks, prior to knocking three times, one may consider saying this phrase in mandarin or one's dialect: " To all the gods, apologies, I am starting renovations in (on) ______ such a such a date (can be next week, next month etc..)

2. This year try not to knock three times at the North (Grand Duke location) and South (three killings location). Otherwise, can either knock on the gloor or on the wall three times.

Quote:

Jo H. wrote:
Hi,I just got my house keys and opened the door for the first time. Intending to start renovation within the next 1 - 2 weeks. Used your online auspicious date search and found that this Wednesday is a good day and the next good day will be more than 2 wks later. Can I go to my place and symbolically knock 3 times on the wall or floor to mark the start of renovation, even though after knocking, actual renovation work will not start until 1 - 2 wks later? Knocking 3 times and praying at 4 corners (no joss sticks, just simple praying) is sufficient as dong tu procedures? Any preference on where to knock (eg mid of living room floor) or where not to knock (which direction offend Grand Duke, etc)?

3. Knocking at all four corner (and not forgetting the center of the living room or living cum dining) is more of a Cantonese dialect group thing. As the Cantonese believe that each home has 5 spirits or god. Spirt of the North, South, East, West and Centre. Thus, if one uses the 1st time open procedure that I had drawn out, this caters to the Cantonese idea of setting out 5 types of fruits each for each of these gods.

4. Preferably, if one gets a monk to come in, usually it is after the completion of the renovation. Some do get a monk to bless the home BEFORE they start renovations (or immediately when they get their keys and get the monk to come in to bless the home. Frankly, there is no Hard or fast rule, here. The situation is fluid.

5. Preferably the home should be completed before one do the an chuang procedure. You may do the an chuang procedure. And later on when you want to move in then do the move-in procedure. No longer need to knock three times again.

6. The main consideration during the move-in is that the master bed should be set-in and one should sleep overnight in the home. And the stove should be "ready" or installed in the kitchen.

7. Again, all these procedures should more importantly meet one's needs i.e. should try to fit our present situation and not become a slave of our domain. The idea is that everything done should be smooth and in addition, it should not create any stress or despair if we are not able to follow pont-by-point. More importantly it should bring us memorable feelings.

[myfs_123436]

Hihi, thanks for your quick reply..

Meaning I say the phrase you mentioned, knock on any floor or any wall not in the north and south directions, and do simple prayers at 4 corners of the living/dining room this Wednesday to symbolize the start of renovations. Then actual renovations start in 1 - 2 wks time. (I'm not cantonese so I can do away with knocking at all 4 corners and just knock at one spot). Right?

To find out which wall is not the north and south direction, I look at the floor plan and just find a east or west wall?

Since we cannt complete the renovations before the move-in to be in time for the wedding, I believe the best we can do in this situation will be: Before the wedding, the master bedroom renovations will be completed and we will pause renovations for the whole house, clean up the place, do the move-in procedures, stove is "installed", put sofa and dining table in place, sleep-overnight, and a few days later, do the an chuang procedures. Around 1 wk later after the wedding, sofa and dining table to move into 3rd bedroom temporarily and renovations will continue again for the living/dining room and 2nd bedroom. (no hacking, flooring and painting completed, mainly doing the interior deco stuff such as fixing up tv console, feature wall, put back sofa and dining table after completion.)

Any other major contradiction in the flow above, as compared to the best scenario of moving-in and an chuang after renovation completion?

Thanks much for your advise.

[Cecil Lee]

1. Yes, since you are not a Cantonese a simple knockin say at the east or west wall will do.

2. Other points you had mentioned sounds reasonable or OK.