Kevin Marciniak

WOW! What a name for a book…”Eat That Frog”. This book was recommended by the owner of RE/MAX Realty 100…Jeff Benson. Periodically Jeff will give us short books to read that can easily be related to real estate. Frogs in this title relates to the biggest, most important task that you are likely to procrastinate on. This is a quick easy read, one that I would recommend.
The one concept in this book that I thought I would share with you has to do with setting priorities. This is called the ABCDE method. Begin each day by writing down all the things you must do. Then next to each item, you label them either A,B,C,D or E.

An “A” item is defined as something that you must do. This is a task that will have serious positive or negative consequences if you do it or fail to do it. An example of an A task may be finishing a report for your boss. If you have more than one A task, you prioritize these by writing A-1, A-2, A-3 and so on.

A “B” item is defined as something that you should do. It only has mild consequences if you do or do not do it. This means that someone may be unhappy or inconvenienced if you do not complete this task. Always complete the A list before you tackle the B list.

A “C” task is defined as something that would be nice to do but there are no consequences if you do not get this done. An example of this may be having lunch with a coworker or phoning a friend you haven’t talked to in awhile.

A “D” task is defines as something you can delegate to someone else. By doing this, you can devote your time to the “A” list that must be done.

Finally, the “E” list is defined as those things that you can eliminate altogether and it won’t make any difference. This may be something that was relevant to you at one time, but not now. For every minute that you spend on an “E” task, you are taking away from the most important “A” tasks that need to be done.

The Dale Marciniak Team is a good example how we utilize this approach in many matters. The A list and the B list get done. Delegation is achieved by utilizing the people that we have on our team. Dale Marciniak, being the team leader, handles all the problems that may come up. He is the “go to” guy with concerns or questions that we have. Kevin Marciniak is his backup and handles some of the listings and most of the offers that buyers write on homes. Kathy and Sue maintain the office in an organized fashion so that each transaction is handled correctly and efficiently. Everything that is not delegated to any one of us apparently is not important and therefore eliminated. Real estate is a constantly changing field and therefore changes need to be made monthly. Monthly meetings are an integral part of keeping the Dale Marciniak Team an efficient team and one that can serve your needs whether buying or selling!

The last time I wrote a blog, I talked about how to make your home have more curb appeal in anticipation of selling in the Milwaukee market! Now I am going to share my thoughts with you on the inside of homes and how you can easily make your home more presentable (and therefore appealing) to buyers without incurring a lot of costs.

CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN. Dale was telling me that he was on a listing appointment the other night and came home very disgusted as this was a home that he sold these people about 8 years ago. “I can’t believe it. I don’t think they have vacuumed for at least 5 years. There were all sorts of hairballs on the steps, clutter etc….” And this is one of the easiest things you can rectify if you are trying to sell. Granted, everyone has a different degree of “cleanliness”, however if your home is competing against all of the others that are on the market, yours had better be in tip-top shape!

Wash windows inside and out…including the screens. If there are any tears or holes in the screen, repair them! While doing this, check drapes and window treatments. Vacuum any dust and send dirty drapes to the cleaners or put them in the washer.

Move furniture and vacuum beneath large items. If a room appears too crowded, consider putting some furniture in storage. Consider asking an objective person to see what their perception is of how crowded the rooms appear. After all, you have lived in your home for awhile and are use to the space limitations it presents. Clean carpets if needed. You can rent a carpet cleaner at any local hardware store and that is very inexpensive.

Clean and reseal grout lines. The cement based material between wall, floor, bathroom and countertop tiles is extremely porous and stains easily. There is grout cleaner that you can buy…just take a toothbrush and scrub at the grout lines. Follow up with grout sealer that can be easily applied with a small foam pad.

With changing seasons, hold a family wardrobe check as you sort out clothes that you are not wearing. Closets always appear larger if there is less in them. Have a rummage sale to get some extra cash, give to Goodwill or pack them away in boxes…JUST GET RID OF THEM!

Wax wooden furniture. Wipe surfaces with a soft cloth dampened with water and mild dishwashing liquid. Apply paste wax, such as Butcher’s wax a small area at a time with a cotton rag. Let wax dry and buff with a clean soft cloth. Please, please, PLEASE wipe down your kitchen cabinets and put some lemon oil on them! Again, this is an area that I frequently see neglected when I show homes.

Schedule a family garage clean-out! Create efficient storage for sporting goods, garden tools, recreational vehicles and the like. Rent a storage garage if you need to!

Happy cleaning! Just remember…homes that shine sell quicker than homes that don’t. Different people have different concepts of the word clean, so do your best to assure a quick sale. The Dale Marciniak Team