Fung shui master Gladys Mak Ling-ling says: 'You don't have to come to me if you are [buying a property as an investment] because the fung shui of the house will only affect you if you live there.'
Fung shui masters are being consulted on everything from the love lives of celebrities to the outcome of political elections, so such a frank admission of the limitations of fung shui is rare.
But because even investors have to live somewhere, what Ms Mak has to say about aligning the nature of the house and the person living there will interest even the most ardent speculator.
Ms Mak said it was important to consult a fung shui master as early as possible before moving in to a property so that there was plenty of time to make changes.
'Many people come to me when they experience problems. But people should come to me before they renovate their house because a lot of things can't be changed after it is renovated,' she said.
'I can only solve the existing problems but I cannot make the fung shui of the house as profitable to you as it could be.'