Vastu for homes in the USA
You can check the Vastu of a house in the USA online from its floor plan, the same way as a flat in India. Three things differ: a phone compass can be off by up to 15 degrees, American layouts have rooms the old texts never described, and you usually cannot change the facing of a home you have already bought.
These rules are a draft rule set, pending review by our consultants. Treat them as a guide, not a verdict.
1. A compass in the USA can be 15 degrees off
A compass points to magnetic North. In Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru that is within about a degree of true North. Across the USA the gap, called magnetic declination, is much larger. Under the 16-zone school a zone is 22.5 degrees wide, so a 13 degree error moves a room more than half a zone.
| City | Declination |
|---|---|
| New York | 12.5° west |
| Boston | 13.9° west |
| Chicago | 4.2° west |
| Houston | 1.7° east |
| Dallas | 2.5° east |
| San Francisco | 12.8° east |
| Seattle | 14.9° east |
Our phone compass reading is magnetic and is not yet corrected for declination. For a US home, set North with the satellite map match, which uses true North. How to find North for Vastu.
2. Reading an American floor plan
- Open kitchen. Tag the cooking area as the kitchen, not the whole open space. The stove is what the kitchen rules are about.
- Several bathrooms. Tag every one, including powder rooms. Each is read in its own zone. See Vastu for the toilet.
- Two floors and a basement. Upload each floor as its own plan with the same North. Zones are measured from the centre of each floor.
- Garage, laundry, mudroom. These are not in our rule table and are not scored. A consultant can review them.
- Internal staircase. Read like any staircase. See Vastu for a duplex.
3. South and west facing homes
South and west facing house Vastu are the most searched facing questions in the USA. The reading depends on the school and on the exact zone of the main door, and the rest of the plan matters as much as the facing. The answers below and the facing pages give each reading.
Before you make an offer
Ask the agent or builder for the floor plan of each house you are serious about. Check each one, save it, and compare up to 8 side by side.
Consultations
Consultations are online, from the floor plan and the location. See how to consult our Vastu experts.
Questions people ask
Can a Vastu shastra consultant check my US home online?
Yes. A consultation works from the floor plan and the location, so no site visit is needed. Start with the online check to see where each room falls.
Is a south facing house bad as per Vastu?
It depends on the school and on which zone the main door is in. 16-zone: SSE neutral, S neutral, SSW avoid (4 of 5). Traditional 8-direction: S avoid (2 of 5).
Is a west facing house good as per Vastu?
It depends on the zone of the main door. 16-zone: WSW neutral, W neutral, WNW avoid (3 of 5). Traditional 8-direction: W neutral.
Do I need my birth details?
No. The check uses only the floor plan and North. Astrology is not part of the score.