Compass vs true north, country by country
A compass does not point to true north, and the gap changes from city to city. Vastu needs true north, so your score corrects it for your own city.
| Country | City | Compass vs true north |
|---|---|---|
| France | Lille | 2.2° east |
| France | Paris | 2.1° east |
| France | Saint-Denis | 2.1° east |
| France | Nanterre | 2.1° east |
| Italy | Turin | 3.4° east |
| Italy | Milan | 3.7° east |
| Italy | Bergamo | 3.8° east |
| Italy | Brescia | 3.9° east |
| Spain | A Coruña | 0.8° west |
| Spain | Bilbao | 0.8° east |
| Spain | Barcelona | 2.1° east |
| Spain | Badalona | 2.1° east |
| Portugal | Braga | 0.7° west |
| Portugal | Porto | 0.8° west |
| Portugal | Vila Nova de Gaia | 0.8° west |
| Portugal | Aveiro | 0.8° west |
| Belgium | Antwerp | 2.6° east |
| Belgium | Berchem | 2.6° east |
| Belgium | Mechelen | 2.7° east |
| Belgium | Ghent | 2.4° east |
| Switzerland | Basel | 3.4° east |
| Switzerland | Baden | 3.6° east |
| Switzerland | Winterthur | 3.7° east |
| Switzerland | Zurich | 3.7° east |
| Austria | Vienna | 5.4° east |
| Austria | Döbling | 5.4° east |
| Austria | Floridsdorf | 5.4° east |
| Austria | Donaustadt | 5.4° east |
| Sweden | Kiruna | 11.3° east |
| Sweden | Luleå | 11.4° east |
| Sweden | Umeå | 9.9° east |
| Sweden | Sundsvall | 8.2° east |
| Norway | Tromsø | 11.3° east |
| Norway | Bodø | 8.0° east |
| Norway | Trondheim | 5.3° east |
| Norway | Ålesund | 3.3° east |
| Denmark | Aalborg | 4.5° east |
| Denmark | Randers | 4.5° east |
| Denmark | Aarhus | 4.6° east |
| Denmark | Herning | 4.1° east |
| Finland | Rovaniemi | 13.5° east |
| Finland | Oulu | 12.7° east |
| Finland | Vaasa | 10.2° east |
| Finland | Kuopio | 12.6° east |
Calculated for 2026 with the World Magnetic Model WMM-2025 (NOAA / British Geological Survey). "East" means a compass points to the east of true north.
Vastu in France
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in France as in India, from Pondicherry's French quarter to Paris. The compass correction is small, between about 0° in Brittany and 3½° east in Alsace (2° east in Paris). What needs care is the plan itself: French floor plans name rooms their own way, many flats are small with a dégagement (inner hall) at their centre, and listings describe flats by the number of main rooms, so a T3 is not the same as a three-bedroom home.
French homes, read correctly
Séjour or salon, cuisine, chambre, salle de bain, salle d'eau, WC, entrée, dégagement, cellier, buanderie, bureau and balcon are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, shower room, toilet, entrance, inner hall, storage, laundry, study and balcony.
In France a T3 (or F3) has three main rooms: usually a séjour and two chambres. Kitchen, bathroom and WC are not counted. The report reads every room on the plan, counted or not.
A shower room and a separate WC are each scored by their direction. The north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids.
A cellier or a cave (cellar) is read as storage. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as a living room, with the kitchen corner scored as a kitchen by its own position. Traditionally best for cooking: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
Your own front door is the main door that is checked, with its exact position (pada) on its wall, not the door of the building.
The dégagement: when the centre of the flat is a hall
Many French flats are planned around a small inner hall, the dégagement, with the bedrooms, the bathroom and the WC opening off it. Classical Vastu cares a great deal about the centre of the home, the Brahmasthan, which it asks to be kept open, light and free of toilets, stairs and heavy walls. A dégagement at the centre is usually fine for Vastu if it is kept clear. A WC or a bathroom that falls at the centre is one of the issues the report flags, with fixes that need no building work.
Copropriété, renting and the syndic
Most flats in France are in a copropriété, where the règlement de copropriété and the syndic cover the façade, the windows and the shared parts. Choose Own it (building rules) in the tool: the report leads with fixes inside the home and marks anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make without the landlord.
Questions about Vastu in France
Does Vastu work in France?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in France as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a French flat or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plan and reading French rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
What is the difference between a T3 in France and in Portugal?
In France a T3 has three main rooms, usually a living room and two bedrooms. In Portugal a T3 has three bedrooms. For Vastu the label does not matter: the report reads every room on the plan by its direction.
Can I upload a French plan with French room names?
Yes. Séjour, chambre, cuisine, salle de bain, salle d'eau, WC, entrée, dégagement, cellier, buanderie and balcon are understood. You see how each room has been read on the confirm screen and can change it. The report itself is in English.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in France?
Only a little: about 2° east in Paris, 3° east in Lyon, 2° east in Toulouse and 4° east in Strasbourg, and almost nothing in Brittany (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
The WC is in the middle of my flat. What can I do?
Tradition prefers the centre of the home open and free of toilets. In a flat that cannot be changed, the report suggests no-cost fixes: keep the WC door closed, the room clean and well aired, and the area around it uncluttered.
Vastu in Italy
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Italy as in India, so its guidance applies to an apartment in Milan as much as to a farmhouse near Latina. The compass correction is small, about 3–5° east across the country (4° east in Milan). Italian homes bring their own questions: most families live in a condominio with shared rules, plans show rooms such as the ripostiglio and the taverna, and listings often praise a doppia esposizione, a flat that faces two ways.
Italian homes, read correctly
Soggiorno, salotto, cucina, angolo cottura, camera, camera matrimoniale, cameretta, bagno, ripostiglio, disimpegno, ingresso, studio and balcone are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, main bedroom, child's room, bathroom, storage, hall, entrance, study and balcony.
Read as the main bedroom. Traditionally best: South-West, traditionally the zone of earth and stability, for the head of the household.
A separate kitchen or a cooking corner in the soggiorno is scored as a kitchen by its own position. Traditionally best: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
Storage rooms, cellars and lofts are read as storage. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A garage is read as parking; a taverna (basement living room) is uploaded as its own floor and scored room by room.
Doppia esposizione: which sides face out
Italian listings often state the exposure (esposizione) of a flat: a doppia esposizione or a tripla esposizione means it has windows on two or three sides, and many buyers look for a south or a south-east exposure for light. Vastu reads the same sides differently. Tradition prefers the north and east of a home open and light, and the south and west more closed. A flat that opens to the north and east fits that well; one that opens mainly to the south and west can still score well when the rooms are placed right, and the report suggests how to use those sides.
Separately from Vastu, in Milan the midday sun is about 21° above the horizon in December and 68° in June, always to the south; in Palermo, about 28° and 75°.
Living in a condominio
Most Italian apartments are in a condominio, where the regolamento di condominio and the owners' assembly cover the façade, the balconies and the shared parts, and some works need a permit from the comune. Choose Own it (building rules) in the tool: the report leads with fixes inside the home and marks anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make without the landlord.
Questions about Vastu in Italy
Does Vastu work in Italy?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Italy as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to an Italian apartment or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the planimetria and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Can I upload an Italian planimetria?
Yes. The planimetria from the listing, the cadastral plan (planimetria catastale) or the architect's drawing all work. Italian room names are understood, and on the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. The report is in English.
Is a flat with a south exposure good for Vastu?
Tradition prefers the north and east open and light, so a flat that opens only to the south is not the classical ideal, but it can still score well. What counts most is the main door's position (its pada) and where the kitchen, the bedrooms and the bathrooms fall.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Italy?
A little: about 4° east in Milan, 4° east in Brescia, 4° east in Rome, 5° east in Bari and 4° east in Palermo (World Magnetic Model). That can move a room near a zone boundary, so VastuIQ applies it automatically.
I live on a farm or in a rural house. Can I check it?
Yes. Upload the plan of the house you live in, or use the Quick score with your phone compass if there is no plan. Farm buildings outside the home are not scored; the report reads the house itself.
Vastu in Spain
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Spain as in India, so its guidance applies to a piso in Barcelona as much as to one in Bengaluru. Indian families have lived in Spain for generations, among them Sindhi trading families in Las Palmas, Tenerife and Ceuta. On the mainland the compass is within about 2° of true north (1° east in Madrid, 2° east in Barcelona); in the Canary Islands it swings the other way, about 3° west in Las Palmas. Spanish listings also describe a flat in a way that matters for Vastu: exterior or interior, and its orientación.
Spanish homes, read correctly
Salón, salón-comedor, cocina, dormitorio, dormitorio principal, baño, aseo, recibidor, pasillo, trastero, lavadero, despacho, terraza and balcón are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, main bedroom, bathroom, toilet, entrance, hall, storage, laundry, study, terrace and balcony.
A full bathroom and a separate toilet are each scored by their direction. The north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids.
A storage room inside the flat is read as storage; a trastero in the basement is outside the flat's outline and need not be uploaded. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Terraces and balconies are read as outdoor areas, a tendedero (drying area) as a utility area. Traditionally best for terraces: North, North-East or East.
A penthouse with a terrace, or a duplex over two floors, is uploaded floor by floor. The main door is the one into your home.
A pooja room or a shrine shelf is read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
Piso exterior or interior, and its orientación
Spanish listings usually say whether a flat is exterior (its main rooms look onto the street) or interior (they look onto an inner courtyard or light well), and often give its orientación: sur (south), este (east) and so on. Both matter for a Vastu reading. Classical Vastu asks for the north and east of a home to be the most open and light, and the south and west heavier and more closed.
A flat whose main windows and balcony face north or east fits Vastu well; in Spain these are also the cooler sides in summer.
The sunniest flats in winter. The report suggests how to use those rooms, for example for bedrooms and storage, and leads with fixes inside the home.
An interior flat is read the same way, by the direction its windows face. What decides most of the score is inside: where the front door sits on its wall (its pada) and where the kitchen, the bedrooms and the bathrooms fall.
The Canary Islands
In the Canary Islands the compass correction runs the opposite way from the mainland: about 3° west in Las Palmas and 3° west in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. The islands also lie much further south, so the midday sun is high: about 85° above the horizon in June and 38° in December, against 73° and 26° in Madrid. VastuIQ applies the exact figures for your island and town.
The comunidad de propietarios
Most flats in Spain belong to a comunidad de propietarios, whose statutes cover the façade, the balconies and the shared parts, and some works need a licence from the ayuntamiento. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home, marking anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself.
Questions about Vastu in Spain
Does Vastu work in Spain?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Spain as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Spanish piso or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plano and reading Spanish rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Is a piso interior bad for Vastu?
No. An interior flat is read by the direction its windows face, like any other. It may get less light, so the report suggests keeping the north-east part of the flat the brightest and least cluttered.
Can I upload a Spanish plan from Idealista or a developer?
Yes. Save the plano image or PDF and upload it. Spanish room names are understood, and listing plans often have no north arrow: turn the arrow on screen to match the building on a map.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Spain?
On the mainland only a little: about 1° east in Madrid, 2° east in Barcelona, 0° east in Seville and 1° west in A Coruña. In the Canary Islands about 3° west in Las Palmas and 3° west in Santa Cruz de Tenerife (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Is a south-facing flat good for Vastu?
Tradition prefers the north and east open and light, so a flat open only to the south is not the classical ideal, but it can still score well. The front door's position and the placement of the rooms matter more than the orientación alone.
Vastu in Portugal
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Portugal as in India, and Lisbon's Hindu community, many of whose families came from Mozambique with Gujarati roots, has long kept its own temples and traditions here. On the mainland the compass is within about 1° of true north (1° west in Lisbon), so that correction is tiny; it grows to about 4° west in Madeira and 7° west in the Azores. Portuguese listings already describe a flat's sun exposure, nascente (east) or poente (west), which tells you a lot about its Vastu before you upload the plan.
Portuguese homes, read correctly
In Portugal the number after the T is the number of bedrooms. A suíte is a bedroom with its own bathroom and is read as the main bedroom. Traditionally best: South-West, traditionally the zone of earth and stability, for the head of the household.
Sala, cozinha, quarto, casa de banho, hall, corredor, despensa, arrecadação, lavandaria, escritório, varanda and terraço are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, entrance, hall, pantry, storage, laundry, study, balcony and terrace.
A balcony is read as outdoor space; an enclosed marquise is also read as outdoor unless you change it on the confirm screen. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A storage unit in the basement is not part of the flat's outline and need not be uploaded. A storage room inside is read as storage; a garage as parking.
Read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
A detached or semi-detached house is checked as a whole home: upload each floor, and the main door is checked with its exact position (pada).
Nascente, poente: sun exposure and Vastu
Portuguese listings often give a flat's exposição solar: nascente (east, morning sun), poente (west, afternoon sun), sul (south) or norte (north), or a combination such as nascente/poente. Vastu uses the same directions.
| Listing says | Sun | Classical Vastu view |
|---|---|---|
| Nascente (east) | Morning sun | Favoured: an open, light east is what the texts ask for |
| Norte (north) | Even, cooler light | Favoured for open and light spaces |
| Sul (south) | Sun most of the day | Preferred closed and heavier; workable with the right room placement |
| Poente (west) | Afternoon sun | Preferred heavier; bedrooms and storage suit it |
The exposure is only part of the reading. The report scores your front door's exact position (pada) and where every room falls, so a poente flat with good room placement can score better than a nascente flat with poor placement.
Madeira and the Azores
On the islands the compass correction is larger than on the mainland: about 4° west in Funchal and 7° west in Ponta Delgada. Each Vastu zone is 45° wide, so on the Azores a reading near a zone boundary can land in the wrong zone if it is not corrected. VastuIQ applies the exact figure for your town. Funchal is also the furthest south of any Portuguese city, so its midday sun is higher: about 81° in June.
Condomínio and renting
In a flat, the condomínio and its administration cover the outside and the shared parts, and some works need approval from the câmara municipal. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home. Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make without the landlord.
Questions about Vastu in Portugal
Does Vastu work in Portugal?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Portugal as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Portuguese flat or moradia. What matters is setting north correctly on the planta and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
Is a flat with nascente exposure good for Vastu?
East-facing (nascente) openings fit classical Vastu well, because the texts ask for an open, light east. But the exposure is only part of it: the report also scores the front door's position and every room.
What does T2 mean, and does it matter for Vastu?
In Portugal a T2 has two bedrooms (in France a T2 means two main rooms). For Vastu the label does not matter: the report reads every room on the plan by its direction.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Portugal?
Hardly on the mainland: about 1° west in Lisbon, 1° west in Porto and 0° west in Faro. More on the islands: 4° west in Funchal and 7° west in Ponta Delgada (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Can I check a new-build flat from the developer's plan?
Yes. Upload the planta from the brochure, set north from the site plan or a map, confirm the rooms and you get a free score in a few minutes, so you can compare units before you sign a contrato-promessa.
Vastu in Belgium
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Belgium as in India, so its guidance applies to an apartment in Antwerp as much as to one in Ahmedabad. Antwerp has one of Europe's best-known Indian communities: Gujarati and Jain families who have worked in the diamond trade for generations, with a Jain temple in Wilrijk. The compass correction is small, about 3° east in Antwerp. What Belgium adds is two languages: a plan may say keuken or cuisine, slaapkamer or chambre, and VastuIQ reads both.
Belgian homes, read correctly
Living, woonkamer, keuken, slaapkamer, badkamer, toilet, inkomhal, berging, wasplaats, bureau and terras are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, entrance hall, storage, laundry, study and terrace.
Séjour, salon, cuisine, chambre, salle de bain, salle d'eau, WC, hall, débarras, buanderie, bureau and terrasse are read the same way. You can change any room on the confirm screen.
A terraced house (rijwoning) or a bel-étage house with the living floor above the garage is uploaded floor by floor; each room is scored by its direction.
Storage rooms and cellars are read as storage. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Gardens and terraces are read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A prayer room or a shrine, including a Jain or Hindu home shrine, is read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
Bel-étage and terraced houses
Many Belgian houses are narrow and deep, built in rows, and the bel-étage puts the garage and storage on the ground floor with the living floor above. Vastu reads each floor by direction around the centre of the home, so the garage below and the living floor above are scored separately. On a narrow plot the outline cannot change, but the use of each room can: which room becomes the main bedroom, where the kitchen worktop sits, and what fills the centre of the house.
Renting and the co-ownership association
In an apartment you own, the co-ownership association (VME in Flanders, ACP in Brussels and Wallonia) and its rules cover the outside and the shared parts. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home, marking anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself.
The light in a Belgian home
Belgium lies far north of India. In Antwerp the midday sun is only about 15° above the horizon in December and about 62° in June, always to the south, and daylight runs from about 7.9 to 16.6 hours. A north-facing window gets almost no direct winter sun, which is why classical Vastu's wish for an open, light north-east usually means good lighting and pale colours here, rather than more glass. These are measurements shown beside the Vastu reading, not Vastu rules.
Questions about Vastu in Belgium
Does Vastu work in Belgium?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Belgium as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Belgian apartment or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plan and reading the rooms properly, in either language. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
My plan is in Dutch. Or French. Does that matter?
No. Common room names in both languages are understood, and on the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. The report itself is in English.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Belgium?
A little: about 3° east in Antwerp, 3° east in Brussels, 2° east in Ghent and 3° east in Liège (World Magnetic Model). That only matters for a room near a zone boundary, and VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Where should a home shrine go?
Tradition places a prayer space in the north-east, with the north and the east as alternatives, and keeps it away from toilets and under stairs. The report shows the best place in your own plan.
Can I check a new-build apartment from the developer's plan?
Yes. Upload the plan, set north from the site plan or a map, confirm the rooms and you get a free score in a few minutes, so you can compare units before you sign.
Vastu in Switzerland
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Switzerland as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Zurich as much as to one in Hyderabad. The compass correction is small, about 4° east in Zurich. What shapes a Swiss reading is that most households here rent, so the report leads with fixes that need no landlord approval, and that Swiss listings count rooms their own way: a 3.5-room flat has an open living-dining-kitchen area counted as a half room.
Swiss homes, read correctly
Swiss listings count the rooms and add a half for an open kitchen-dining area or a large hall. The report reads every room and space on the plan, whatever the count.
Wohnen, Zimmer, Küche, Bad, Dusche/WC, Reduit and Waschküche; séjour, chambre, cuisine, salle de bains and réduit; soggiorno, camera, cucina and bagno are all understood.
The Reduit inside the flat is scored as a store room. Cellar and attic compartments sit outside your flat's outline, so leave them off the plan.
A laundry inside your flat is read as a utility room. A shared laundry in the building is outside your flat and is not scored.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
The door into your flat, not the building entrance, is the main door. Its position on its wall (the pada) is checked from the plan.
Renting in Switzerland: Vastu without changing anything
Most households in Switzerland rent, and the flat is handed back in its original state, so building work is rarely an option. Vastu still helps in two ways: choosing the right flat before you apply, and arranging the one you live in. Choose Renting in the tool and every fix in your report is one you can make yourself: which room is used for what, where the bed and the desk go, colours, lighting and keeping the north-east and the centre clear.
From the listing on Homegate, Comparis or the agency's site.
Listing plans often have no north arrow: match the building on a map.
Check two or three flats side by side before the viewing.
Use the no-cost fixes once you move in.
Owning a flat (Stockwerkeigentum, PPE)
Owners of a flat in Stockwerkeigentum (PPE in French-speaking cantons) share the façade, the roof and the stairwell with the other owners, and changes there go through the owners' meeting. Pick Own it (building rules) and the report keeps those parts out of its fixes; anything structural is flagged "If renovating" for you to raise with the meeting. Separately from Vastu, in Zurich the midday sun is only about 19° above the horizon in December, so in a valley or a north-facing flat the classical wish for a light north-east is best met with lighting and pale colours.
Questions about Vastu in Switzerland
Does Vastu work in Switzerland?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Switzerland as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Swiss flat or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plan and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
What does 3.5 rooms mean for Vastu?
Nothing in itself: the count is a Swiss listing convention, where an open kitchen-dining area or a large hall counts as half a room. The report reads every room and space on the plan by its direction.
My lease forbids any changes. Is a Vastu report still useful?
Yes. Set the tool to Renting and nothing in the report touches walls, fittings or paint you would have to restore on move-out. It works with what you can move: which room sleeps whom, where the bed and desk face, what stays out of the north-east and the centre.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Switzerland?
A little: about 4° east in Zurich, 3° east in Basel, 3° east in Geneva and 4° east in Lugano (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
My plan is in French or Italian. Does that matter?
No. Common room names in German, French and Italian are understood, and on the confirm screen you see how each room has been read and can change it. The report is in English.
Vastu in Austria
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Austria as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Vienna as much as to one in Kolkata. A compass here points about 5° east of true north in Vienna, enough to move a room that sits near a zone boundary, so VastuIQ corrects it. Austrian homes bring their own plans: the Altbau flat with a long Vorraum and a small Kabinett, the Wohnküche, and a large share of rented and subsidised flats where the fixes must need no building work.
Austrian homes, read correctly
Wohnzimmer, Wohnküche, Küche, Schlafzimmer, Kinderzimmer, Kabinett, Bad, WC, Vorraum, Abstellraum, Loggia and Balkon are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, child's room, small bedroom, bathroom, toilet, entrance hall, storage, loggia and balcony.
The small room typical of Viennese flats is read as a bedroom; change it on the confirm screen if it is a study or a store room.
The entrance hall is read as the entrance. Your flat door is the main door that is checked, with its exact position (pada) on its wall.
A kitchen with a dining or living area is read as a kitchen by the position of the cooking area. Traditionally best: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
A storage room in the flat is read as storage; a cellar compartment is outside the flat and need not be uploaded. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Altbau flats: long halls and the centre
A Viennese Altbau flat often runs along a long Vorraum, with rooms opening off one side and high ceilings throughout. Classical Vastu cares about the centre of the home, the Brahmasthan, which it asks to be kept open and free of toilets, stairs and heavy walls. In an Altbau the centre often falls in the hall or between two rooms; the report shows where it is on your plan and how to keep it clear. A WC or bathroom near the centre, common where one was added later, is one of the issues it flags, with fixes that need no building work.
Renting, Gemeindebau and owning
A large share of Vienna's homes are rented, many of them municipal (Gemeindebau) or subsidised flats, where changes to the fabric need consent. Choose Renting and every fix in the report is one you can make yourself. If you own a flat (Wohnungseigentum), the owners' community and the property manager cover the outside and the shared parts: choose Own it (building rules) and anything structural is marked "If renovating".
Questions about Vastu in Austria
Does Vastu work in Austria?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Austria as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to an Austrian flat or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the Grundriss and reading the rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
How does Vastu treat a Kabinett?
A Kabinett is read as a bedroom by default, and scored by its direction. If you use it as a study, a prayer room or a store room, change it on the confirm screen and it is scored for that use.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Austria?
Yes, a little: about 5° east in Vienna, 5° east in Graz, 5° east in Salzburg and 4° east in Innsbruck (World Magnetic Model). That can move a room near a zone boundary, so VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Can I use Vastu in a Gemeindebau or rented flat?
Yes. Choose "Renting" and the report leads with fixes that need no building work and no landlord approval: how rooms are used, where furniture goes, colours, lighting and keeping zones clear.
Can I upload a plan from willhaben or a developer?
Yes. Save the Grundriss image or PDF and upload it. Austrian room names are understood, and if the plan has no north arrow, turn the arrow on screen to match the building on a map.
Vastu in Sweden
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Sweden as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Kista or a villa outside Gothenburg. Two things stand out here. The compass points well east of true north, about 8° east in Stockholm and more in the far north, enough to move rooms near a zone boundary. And daylight swings further than almost anywhere people live: Sweden is a land of long summer evenings and short winter days, which shapes how a home is used, though not its Vastu directions.
Swedish homes, read correctly
Vardagsrum, allrum, kök, sovrum, badrum, WC, hall, förråd, klädkammare, tvättstuga, arbetsrum, balkong and uteplats are read as living room, family room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, hall, storage, walk-in wardrobe, laundry, study, balcony and patio.
A "3 rok" (rum och kök) has three rooms plus a kitchen. The report reads every room on the plan, whatever the count.
A laundry inside the home is read as a utility room. A shared laundry in the building is outside your flat's outline and is not scored.
A storage room inside the flat is read as storage; a källarförråd (basement storage unit) is outside the outline and need not be uploaded. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Your own front door is the main door that is checked, with its exact position (pada) on its wall, not the door of the building.
The midnight sun in the far north
North of the Arctic Circle, in Kiruna and Gällivare, the sun does not set for weeks around midsummer, and around midwinter it does not rise. Classical Vastu never had to deal with this. VastuIQ keeps the classical directions, which do not change with the light, and the report states the sun facts for your town plainly, including when there is no sunrise or no sunset at all. Even in Luleå, just south of the Arctic Circle, December has only about 3.1 hours of daylight.
Bostadsrätt, rental flats and the BRF
In a bostadsrätt, the housing association (bostadsrättsförening, BRF) sets rules for the outside, the shared parts and some changes inside, such as moving walls or plumbing. Choose Own it (building rules): the report leads with fixes that need no approval and marks anything structural as "If renovating". In a hyresrätt (rental flat), choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself.
Questions about Vastu in Sweden
Does Vastu work in Sweden?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Sweden as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Swedish flat or house. What matters is correcting the compass and reading Swedish rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
How far off is a compass in Stockholm, Gothenburg or Malmö?
About 8° east in Stockholm, 5° east in Gothenburg, 5° east in Malmö, 10° east in Umeå and 11° east in Kiruna (World Magnetic Model). Vastu uses true north, so VastuIQ corrects every reading for your city.
Does the midnight sun change Vastu?
No. Vastu follows directions, and north, east, south and west do not change with the season. The report shows the sun facts for your town, including the midnight sun and the polar night in the far north, separately from the Vastu reading.
Can I upload a plan from Hemnet or a broker?
Yes. Save the planlösning image or PDF from the listing and upload it. Swedish room names are understood, and listing plans often have no north arrow, so turn the arrow on screen to match the building on a map.
Can I use Vastu in a rental flat?
Yes. Choose "Renting" and the report leads with fixes that need no building work and no landlord approval: how rooms are used, where furniture goes, colours, lighting and keeping zones clear.
Vastu in Norway
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Norway as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Oslo or a house near Stavanger, whether you work in IT in the capital or in energy on the west coast. A compass in southern Norway points about 3–5° east of true north (5° east in Oslo, 3° east in Stavanger), and in the far north the gap grows to about 11° east in Tromsø. Norway's light is the other thing to know: the winters are dark, the summers barely have a night, and north of the Arctic Circle the sun stays up, or down, for weeks.
Norwegian homes, read correctly
Stue, kjøkken, soverom, bad, WC, entré, gang, bod, vaskerom, kontor, allrom, balkong and terrasse are read as living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, entrance, hall, storage, laundry, study, family room, balcony and terrace.
A sleeping loft (hems) is read as a bedroom on its own level; upload it as a separate floor if it has its own plan.
Count only a bod inside the flat; a basement or outdoor bod belongs to the building. Heavy storage sits best, by tradition, in the south-west, south or west of the home.
Read as a utility room. Traditionally best: North-West or South-East, the air and fire zones.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
For a flat, the door into the flat; for an enebolig or rekkehus, the main entrance. Its position along its wall (the pada) is checked from the plan.
The midnight sun and the polar night
Above the Arctic Circle, from Bodø to Tromsø and Hammerfest, summer brings weeks of unbroken daylight and winter the mørketid, when the sun stays below the horizon. No Sanskrit text was written with a polar night in mind. The directions themselves are unaffected, so your score works exactly as it does in Oslo; the report simply prints the local sun facts as they are, even when a day has no sunrise. The compass correction is also larger up there: about 11° east in Tromsø. In homes where daylight is scarce for months, the classical wish for a light, open north-east is best met with good lighting and pale colours.
Borettslag, sameie and renting
Many flats in Norway are in a housing co-operative (borettslag) or an owner section (sameie), where the board and its rules cover the outside, the shared parts and some changes inside. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes that need no approval, marking anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself.
Questions about Vastu in Norway
Does Vastu work in Norway?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Norway as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Norwegian flat or house. What matters is correcting the compass and reading Norwegian rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
How far off is a compass in Oslo, Stavanger or Bergen?
About 5° east in Oslo, 3° east in Stavanger, 3° east in Bergen, 5° east in Trondheim and 11° east in Tromsø (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ corrects every reading for your town.
Does the midnight sun change Vastu?
No. Vastu follows directions, and those do not change with the season. The report shows the midnight sun and the polar night as sun facts for your town, separately from the Vastu reading.
Can I upload a plan from FINN.no or a developer?
Yes. Download the plantegning from the prospectus or the FINN listing. Most prospectus plans include a site map, which is the quickest way to find north; otherwise line the plan up with the building in a map app.
Can I check a flat in a borettslag?
Yes. Mark the outline of your own flat; its front door is the main door. Choose "Own it (building rules)" so the report leads with fixes that need no approval from the board.
Vastu in Denmark
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Denmark as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Copenhagen as much as to one in Kolkata. Danish compasses read about 4–5° east of true north (5° east in Copenhagen); VastuIQ takes that off before placing any room in its zone. Danish plans have their own logic: a værelse that may be a bedroom or a study, the bryggers by the back door, and a large share of co-operative and rented flats where the fixes must need no building work.
Danish homes, read correctly
Stue, alrum, køkken, soveværelse, værelse, badeværelse, bad, toilet, entré, gang, depot, bryggers, kontor, altan, terrasse and have are read as living room, family room, kitchen, bedroom, room, bathroom, toilet, entrance, hall, storage, utility room, study, balcony, terrace and garden.
The utility room by the back door is read as a utility room. Traditionally best: North-West or South-East, the air and fire zones. If it is also your everyday entrance, the main door is still the front door.
A plain "room" is read as a bedroom; change it to a study, a guest room or a prayer room on the confirm screen if that is how you use it.
A depot inside the flat counts as storage. The kælderrum in the basement belongs to the building, so leave it off the plan.
Read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
A pooja shelf or prayer room is read as a prayer space. Traditionally best: North-East (Ishanya), traditionally the most sacred zone.
Andelsbolig, ejerlejlighed and renting
Many Danish flats are co-operative flats (andelsbolig), where you own a share of the association, or owner-occupied flats (ejerlejlighed); many more are rented. In all three, the association or the landlord has a say over the outside, the shared parts and some changes inside. Choose Own it (building rules) or Renting in the tool and the report leads with fixes you can make yourself: which room is used for what, where the bed and the desk face, colours, lighting and keeping the north-east and the centre clear.
The light in a Danish home
Denmark lies far north of India. In Copenhagen the December sun is up for about 7.0 hours and only about 11° above the horizon at midday; in June it is up for 17.5 hours and about 58° high. It is always to the south at midday, so south-facing rooms get the most winter light and a north-facing room gets almost no direct sun from autumn to spring. Classical Vastu still asks for the north-east to be the lightest and least cluttered part of the home: here that usually means pale surfaces and good lighting rather than more glass. These are measurements, not Vastu rules.
Questions about Vastu in Denmark
Does Vastu work in Denmark?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Denmark as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Danish flat or house. What matters is setting north correctly on the plantegning and reading Danish rooms properly. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
How does Vastu treat a bryggers?
A bryggers is read as a utility room, which tradition places best in the north-west or the south-east. If you use it as your everyday entrance, the report still checks the front door as the main door.
Do I need to correct my compass for Vastu in Denmark?
Yes, a little: about 5° east in Copenhagen, 5° east in Aarhus, 5° east in Odense, 5° east in Aalborg and 4° east in Esbjerg (World Magnetic Model). VastuIQ applies it automatically.
Can I upload a plan from Boligsiden or a broker?
Yes, the plantegning in the sales material works as it is. Broker plans are often printed without a north arrow; the matrikel map or any map app shows how the building sits, and you set north to match.
Can I use Vastu in an andelsbolig or a rented flat?
Yes. The association's rules and a rental contract both limit building work, so pick the matching option in the tool and the report sticks to things you can decide alone: the use of each værelse, furniture placement, colour, light and keeping the north-east free.
Vastu in Finland
Yes. Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Finland as in India, so its guidance applies to a flat in Espoo as much as to one in Bengaluru. But Finland has one of the larger compass corrections in Europe: about 10° east in Helsinki and 13° east in Rovaniemi. Each Vastu zone is 45° wide, so a gap that size puts a wall or a door near a zone boundary in the wrong zone if it is not corrected. Finnish homes also bring a room the classical texts never described: the sauna.
Finnish homes, read correctly
A listing such as "3h+k+s" means three rooms, a kitchen and a sauna. On the plan, the abbreviations OH, MH, KH and KHH are read as living room, bedroom, bathroom and utility room, and a room labelled sauna is read with the bathroom.
The classical texts do not describe a sauna. VastuIQ reads it with the bathroom, as a wet room, and scores it by its direction; the north-east and the centre of the home are the places tradition avoids for wet rooms.
A kitchen or a kitchenette is read as a kitchen. Traditionally best: South-East, the zone traditionally linked with Agni (fire). North-West is the usual second choice.
Read as a utility room. Traditionally best: North-West or South-East, the air and fire zones.
Storage and walk-in wardrobes are read as storage and a closet. Traditionally best for heavy storage: South-West, South or West, where heavy storage is traditionally placed.
Open and glazed balconies are read as outdoor areas. Traditionally best: North, North-East or East.
Where does the sauna go?
Many Finnish homes have their own sauna, often next to the bathroom. Vastu has nothing to say about saunas directly, so VastuIQ reads one the way it reads a bathroom, by its direction. Traditionally best for a wet room: North-West or West. North-East is traditionally the zone to avoid. A sauna at the centre of the home is flagged as well. Some families see its stove as fire and prefer the south-east; if that is how you think of it, you can mark it differently on the confirm screen. Either way, in a flat the sauna stays where it is: the report's fixes are about the rooms around it.
Housing companies and renting
Most Finnish flats are owned as shares in a housing company (asunto-osakeyhtiö), which looks after the building, the outside and the shared parts, and renovations must be notified to it. Choose Own it (building rules) and the report leads with fixes inside the home, marking anything structural as "If renovating". Renting? Choose Renting and every fix is one you can make yourself. Separately from Vastu, in Helsinki the December sun is up for about 5.8 hours and the June sun for 18.9.
Questions about Vastu in Finland
Does Vastu work in Finland?
Vastu Shastra is organised around directions, which are the same in Finland as in India, so its room-by-direction guidance can be applied to a Finnish flat or house. What matters most here is correcting the compass, which points 10° or more east of true north. Vastu is a tradition; it does not promise outcomes.
How far off is a compass in Helsinki or Tampere?
About 10° east in Helsinki, 10° east in Turku, 11° east in Tampere, 13° east in Oulu and 13° east in Rovaniemi (World Magnetic Model). Vastu uses true north, so VastuIQ corrects every reading for your city.
How does Vastu treat a sauna?
The classical texts do not describe saunas. VastuIQ reads a sauna as a wet room, with the bathroom, and scores it by its direction. You can change how it is read on the confirm screen.
What does "3h+k+s" mean for Vastu?
It is the Finnish way of listing a flat: three rooms, a kitchen and a sauna. For Vastu the count does not matter; the report reads every room on the plan by its direction.
Can I upload a plan from Oikotie or Etuovi?
Yes. Save the pohjapiirros image or PDF and upload it. Finnish room names and the common plan abbreviations are understood, and if the plan has no north arrow, turn the arrow on screen to match the building on a map.
Vastu for homes in other countries
Written by Manoj Jangra, founder of VastuIQ. Last updated 9 November 2026.
Vastu Shastra is a traditional and cultural practice. VastuIQ reports are not engineering, legal, financial or medical advice and do not promise any outcome.