Vastu house plan: what to look for before you build or buy
A Vastu house plan is a floor plan whose rooms and entrance sit in the directions traditional texts prefer. Start with North, then place the entrance, kitchen, master bedroom, toilets and pooja room, and keep the centre open. No plan satisfies every rule, and traditions differ, so aim for the important placements.
2 min read ·
Where do I start with a Vastu house plan?
Start with a correct North, because every Vastu plan depends on it. Confirm it on site with a compass app, then mark it on the plan. The facing of a house is the direction its main entrance opens to, so north-facing, east-facing and so on describe the entrance, and not a score.
The facing alone does not make a plan good or bad. What matters is where each room falls and where the entrance sits along that side.
| Element | Preferred | Avoided |
|---|---|---|
| Main entrance | North, north-east, east | South-west, south-east, south |
| Kitchen | South-east | North-east, south-west, north |
| Master bedroom | South-west | North-east, south-east |
| Toilet | North-west, west-north-west, east-south-east | North-east, south-west, centre |
| Overhead water tank | South-west, west | North-east, north |
| Underground tank or borewell | North-east, north, east | South-west, south-east |
Where should the main rooms go?
Traditionally, the kitchen stove goes in the south-east, the master bedroom in the south-west, and the pooja room in the north-east. Toilets go in the north-west, west-north-west or east-south-east. The living room is preferred in the north, north-east or east.
The staircase is traditionally in the south-west, south or west and turns clockwise as you go up. Odd numbers of steps are a commonly stated preference, which you can present as tradition.
How should I treat the centre and the entrance?
Leave the centre of the plan open, with no toilet, staircase or heavy construction. The entrance should be well lit and uncluttered. Larger windows are traditionally on the north and east, and fewer or smaller ones on the south-west and south.
What if the plan cannot match every rule?
Choose which placements you care most about and accept the rest. Plots are often irregular, and flats come with their layout fixed. Any structural change belongs with a qualified architect or engineer, who will also check the plan against local building rules.
If a room does not match
These need no building work.
- List the mismatches and separate those in avoided directions from those that are only not preferred.
- Adjust what is non-structural, such as which room is used as the bedroom or where the stove sits within the kitchen.
- Raise the plan with your architect before construction, when changes are cheapest.
- Ask the architect or engineer and the local authority about anything that touches structure or approvals.
In VastuLive
Upload or photograph your floor plan, or sketch one in the app. VastuLive reads the rooms, the entrance and the North marking, asks you to confirm them if unsure, and returns a score with a finding for each room.
See how the app worksQuestions
Which facing is best for a house plan?
Traditions do not rank facings as simply good or bad. A house faces the direction its main entrance opens to, and what matters is where each room falls and where the entrance sits along that side. Most texts prefer an entrance in the north, north-east or east and accept the west, but traditions differ.
Can I check a plan before construction?
Yes, and before construction is the cheapest time to adjust it. Confirm North on site with a compass app, mark it on the plan, then check the entrance, kitchen, master bedroom, toilets and pooja room. Raise any structural question with your architect, who will also check the plan against local building rules.
Does a plan need to be square?
Not necessarily. Many real plots are irregular, and no plan satisfies every rule, so choose which placements matter most to you and accept the rest. Ask your architect how to handle a cut corner. For any structural change, ask a qualified architect or engineer and the local authority.
Is a Vastu plan the same as an approved plan?
No. A Vastu plan places rooms and the entrance by traditional preferences, while approval is a legal and structural matter handled by the local authority. A plan can meet one without the other. Ask a qualified architect or engineer about local building rules, and treat Vastu as a separate set of preferences.
Keep reading
Based on traditional Vastu texts and practice. Traditions differ, and nothing here promises a result. For structural, legal or safety questions, ask a qualified architect or engineer.