This past weekend, I was reminded of an excellent lesson in Real Estate Business by my mother-in-law.
She and her husband are down from CO for a few months renting a home in Georgetown and we get together a couple of times a week. On Sunday, she had volunteered to make dinner for us after a light hike. Upon arriving, I noticed a pork tenderloin laying on a cutting board on the counter. "Excellent!" I thought, as we all like pork.
Upon returning from the hike, I noticed the pork still sitting in the same spot - she had not refridgerated it before we left. So, by my watch [cellphone really - who wears watches anymore?] it had been sitting out for almost 2 hours. I leaned over to my wife and whispered, "We've got to leave. She's going to kill us," and explained what I worried about.
My wife: "Mom - how long has dinner been sitting on the counter?"
My mom-in-law: "Oh... I don't know... How long is too long?"
Me: "The normal recommnedation is to let the meat site for maybe 20 minutes before cooking."
My mom-in-law: "Dr. Oz says Trichinosis is almost completely wiped out now. I think we'll be fine. I'll just cook it a little longer..."
Shaking my head and saying a short prayer, I was really just hoping to make it through the night so I could complete a small Setting the Stage service the following morning.
Long story, Short: [I know - too late] I am reminded of a few things we need to keep in mind as Bu
siness People:
1. Know your Limitations
None of us can be all things to everyone all of the time. Clearly, my wife's mother is not Chef Material. And that's OK. As a Home Stager, I do not get involved in discussions of price, how long I think the home will be on the market, what the local market is doing, etc.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help
It does not get much simpler than this. If my mother-in-law had asked me when we arrived, I might have enjoyed the meal instead of fearing what may come. When Staging, I find having another Stager help me actually increases my creativity by having someone to bounce ideas off.
3. Know when to leave it to the professionals
This is why we have restaurants, carry out, and delivery. This is also why Sellers should use Real Estate Agents, and REA's should call on Home Stagers. Think of a Seller going FSBO, or an Agent doing their own Staging, as sitting down to a meal that may not have been properly prepared by someone like my mother-in-law who is not very experienced in the kitchen. There's a chance things will work out fine - but there's also the chance of food borne illness and spending the night thanking the Lord you invested in tile floors for the bathroom.
Comments(3)