Plot Vastu: facing, shape, slope and what to check

A plot is the one stage where Vastu can be followed without compromise, because nothing has been built yet. The checks below are what many consultants commonly look at before someone buys land or draws up plans.

Plot facing

The facing of a plot is the side that meets the road. North and east facing plots are the most often preferred, because they let the main entrance sit in the north, north-east or east. West and south facing plots are workable, as a west or south entrance is acceptable when it is placed carefully along that side.

What matters most is where the entrance falls along the road side. A door in the south-west or south-east corner of the plot is traditionally avoided, whichever way the plot faces.

Shape, slope and the raised side

Square and rectangular plots are commonly preferred, with all four corners at right angles. A plot that extends in the north-east is often welcomed, while a plot with a cut or missing corner, especially the north-east, is commonly avoided. Triangular and irregular plots are usually considered hard to plan.

The ground is commonly expected to slope down towards the north, east or north-east, so rainwater flows that way. The south and west sides are kept higher, in line with the rule of heavy in the south and west, light in the north and east.

Roads and surroundings

Roads on the north or east side of a plot are commonly welcomed. A road that runs straight into the plot and ends there, a T-junction known as veedhi shoola, is traditionally checked carefully, as its effect is said to depend on which side it hits.

Many consultants also look at what stands nearby: a large building that overshadows the north or east, a tall tower casting a shadow over the plot in the morning, or a drain running along the north-east boundary.

Soil and open space

Traditional texts describe testing the soil by digging a pit and refilling it to see whether the soil is enough to fill it again. Firm, fertile soil is commonly preferred, and land filled with debris or waste is avoided. Alongside this, a soil test by a structural engineer is a sensible practical check.

Where the house stands on the plot follows the rule above: build towards the south-west, and leave the larger share of open space in the north and east for a garden, a lawn or parking. An underground tank or borewell suits the north-east, north or east.

What to check before buying

Visit the plot more than once, at different times of day, and note where the sun rises, which way rainwater runs and what surrounds it. A compass reading taken from the middle of the plot settles the directions.

• Facing and where the main entrance can go.
• Shape, corners and any cut or extended corner.
• Slope and which sides are higher.
• Roads, junctions and buildings around the plot.
• Soil quality and any sign of filled land.
• Clear title and approvals, checked by a lawyer.

Adjustments without rebuilding

• On an irregular plot, many consultants suggest building a square or rectangular house within it and using the leftover area as garden.
• Levelling or regrading the land so it slopes towards the north or east is commonly suggested before building.
• A boundary wall that is higher on the south and west is a commonly given adjustment.
• Planting tall trees on the south and west edges is often suggested where those sides are open.

These are traditional practices that many families follow. They vary between Vastu schools; for your own home, a consultant can say which matter most.

Related Vastu guides

• Vastu for house construction: Building a new house: the plot, the start of digging, the foundation, walls, doors, roof and moving in.
• Vastu directions: Deity, planet, element and the right rooms for each of the eight directions, and how to find them at home.
• East facing house Vastu: Main door position on the east wall, a room by room layout and the common mistakes in east facing homes.
• North facing house Vastu: Kubera’s direction: where the door goes on the north wall, the room layout and what to avoid.
• Water tank Vastu: Where the borewell, sump, overhead tank and septic tank go, and the directions to avoid.

Your personal best directions come from your Kua number. Check your whole home with the house Vastu calculator, see whether your house number suits you, and find your lucky number. More tools: all free calculators.