The short answer
Before a renovation, settle three things in this order: the fixed points of the layout, the part of the home you break into first, and the date the works begin. Do all three before your designer draws and before your contractor is booked, because each one is free to change at the planning stage and costly to change afterwards.
The checklist
Before any design
- See the feng shui consultant before your interior designer draws.
The consultant sets the fixed points and the designer designs around them. Done the other way round, conflicts are found inside a finished plan. The full order is in Who do you see first?
- Prepare five things.
- A floor plan with dimensions. A clean photo or PDF is fine. A rough sketch without dimensions is not.
- The compass facing of your main door, in degrees. Stand inside looking out, take three readings from slightly different positions and average them. Stay away from steel doors, meter boxes and large appliances.
- Birth dates and times for every occupant, children included. If a birth time is unknown, say so. Do not guess.
- Your renovation scope: which walls come down, which rooms are hacked, whether the kitchen and bathrooms are retiled and repiped, and what is only cosmetic.
- Your key collection date, your contractor's start date, and any hard deadline.
- Settle the six fixed points.
Each becomes permanent once the carpentry goes in.
- The main door: its facing degree, the swing, and what it looks at when it opens.
- The stove: where the fire sits and which direction it draws from.
- The beds: head positions for each person, based on their own chart.
- The desks: where the person who earns, studies or decides sits, and which way they face.
- Layout and walls: which walls can come down and which openings should not be widened.
- The order of works and the start date.
Finishes, colours, materials, lighting and storage belong to your designer.
Before you book the contractor
- Find out which part of the home the work is in.
In 2026, two sectors need a properly selected date before any hacking, drilling or demolition: the South and the North.
Sector 2026 Can you renovate? What to do South Tai Sui (the Grand Duke) plus the #5 Yellow Only on a properly selected date Delay heavy works, sequence this sector last, select the start date against your birth chart North Sui Po (the Year Breaker) plus the Three Killings Only on a properly selected date Do not break ground first here, start elsewhere, select the date against your birth chart West #3 Jade Yes, with a selected date Agree scope and price in writing first, fix the completion date, avoid mid-project changes Northwest #2 Black Yes, with a selected date and a tight schedule Keep works short, move vulnerable occupants out for the duration, clear debris daily Southwest #7 Red Yes, with a selected date Secure the site, do not leave valuables on site overnight, keep the schedule tight Northeast #4 Green Yes Proceed with normal date care, consider siting a study or home office here East #8 White Yes, and it is favourable Renovate on a selected date, do this sector early, keep the finished space in daily use Southeast #9 Purple Yes Proceed on a clean start date, keep the finished area bright and in regular use Not sure which sector your work is in? The free 2026 Renovation Answer Tool gives a verdict in three taps.
- Check what kind of work it is.
Type of work What it means in 2026 Whole home renovation It will touch both the South and the North. Have the sequence of works set as well as the start date, so the afflicted sectors are not the first ones hacked. Kitchen or toilet Hacking tiles and piping disturbs the ground the most, so treat the start date as part of the job, not an afterthought. Bedroom or living room Follow the guidance for the sector it sits in. Moving in, light touch-up Painting and furniture are low-disturbance. Avoid drilling into walls in the South or North, and keep your start outside the two periods below. - Block out the two periods that apply to everyone.
- 13 August to 10 September 2026 (the 7th lunar month).
- 7 December 2026 to 4 January 2027 (the year's clash month).
Do not begin new works inside either one.
- Have the start date selected, not guessed.
The almanac removes the days that are unsuitable for everyone. Your birth chart then picks from what is left. A day can be clean by the almanac and still clash with the person paying for the renovation, or the person who sleeps in the room being hacked. No calendar or app can see that, because it does not know who you are.
When you brief the designer and contractor
- Hand over one written page.
The fixed points as a list, the same points marked on the plan, which items are fixed and which are preferences, and the start date and order of works.
- Set the order of works.
Do not break ground first in the South or the North. Start somewhere else and move into them later, on a selected date. If the East is part of your renovation, do it early.
During the works
- Keep the site tight in the sectors that need it.
- West: Put the full scope, price and timeline in writing with your contractor before anything starts. Set a firm completion date and resist mid-project changes to the scope. Tell your immediate neighbours the working hours before the first day.
- Southwest: Lock the site properly and never leave tools, materials or valuables unattended overnight. Keep the works on a tight schedule rather than letting them drift. Count and sign off materials on delivery instead of trusting the tally later.
- Northwest: Keep the works short and continuous here rather than stretching them over months. If an elderly family member or the main earner sleeps or works in this area, move them elsewhere for the duration. Keep the site clean and well ventilated, and clear debris daily rather than letting it sit.
Planning a 2027 renovation?
The sector guidance above is for 2026. 2027 guidance will be added.
What this checklist cannot do
It cannot choose your start date. That needs the almanac matched against the birth charts of the people living in the home, and that part I do personally.
Frequently asked questions
Can I renovate the South part of my home in 2026?
Only on a properly selected date, and never as the first sector you break into. Painting and furniture changes are a different matter.
What dates should I avoid for renovation in 2026?
13 August to 10 September 2026, and 7 December 2026 to 4 January 2027. Both apply to everyone.
Should I see the feng shui consultant or the interior designer first?
The consultant first, before the designer draws. See Who do you see first?
Is painting or moving furniture affected?
They are low-disturbance. The concern is hacking, drilling, demolition and piling.
What do I need to bring to a renovation consultation?
A floor plan with dimensions, the compass facing of your main door, birth dates and times for every occupant, your renovation scope, and your key dates. Step 2 has the detail.
Where to go next
- The full reasoning: Feng Shui Before Your Renovation
- The order of professionals: Who do you see first?
- Building from the land up instead: Feng Shui Before You Build
Want the exact start date matched to your birth chart?
That's what I do. Send your floor plan, your renovation scope and the birth dates of everyone living in the home, and I will come back with the fixed points your designer needs and a selected start date.
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