Yes, sometimes I think it's the last little bits that are the hardest. It doesn't help that I'm a complete "non-finisher." I seem to have difficulty finalizing things :o

Oh, Errant, I get it! Most of us do. ;o) I am finally to the point where the dust bunnies are ready to run us out of the house and clam it for their own, the laundry is piled up, we have been eating frozen meals or out or pizza for two weeks, but I am GETTING the kitchen done, lol!

The worst part is all this attention-to-detail stuff has to happen at the end of a project, when most of us are just sooo over it.

I always figure finish work to be half or more the time of any building project. Even then, you often go over that estimate.

When we built houses, it was drywalled in three months. It then took two of us another eight to nine months until ready to move in, but that includes outside finish work.

I still haven't painted the door or trim leading from my kitchen to the garage and my remodel was completed a year ago. And I just recently got pulls on the cabinets.

What's "finish?"

Does that involve trim? I figure I might afford (or have rooms ready for) that in about 10 years. Good thing I'm OK with the ... well, shall we say "rustic" look?

So it goes, right?

It makes it hard to 'finish' the details when major appliances are 'useable'. I'm like errant - I never get to the decorating stage of finishing a room. For my kitchen, I still need to look at bs, an entry door, a storm door, paint the swing door, change out or paint basement door and make those decisions, purchase and arrange installs. I'm already telling contractors...next year timefram for those things. But I'm so over this kitchen already!

I painted all the trim except windowsills before install but still have not caulked most of it, nor filled or touched up the nail holes. Also, all windowsills are waiting for paint. At least I primed them! It's been at least 18 months. They look grimy :(

Whatever. We should get to do the kitchen by next March and I have a suspicious I might need to repaint the trim to match whatever white comes on the cabinets (shoot me now..), so I'll deal with it then. We were supposed to do it next month but DH just broke his ankle really badly :(

I hear you on the finish taking twice as long as the initial steps. The demo, load bearing beam, electrical, plumbing, drywall, flooring, painting, cabinet install happened in less than three weeks. I was really hopeful that we will be done in 5 weeks. But no..
The last two weeks have been just twiddling thumbs waiting for the granite install. That is not counting the 'final coat' of poly that had to be redone-not once or twice but three times!!
I am so stressed by all the decisions we still have to make-it doesn't help that every step of the way I have been immobilized by analysis paralysis. We just have to make decisions and write big checks-I can't even imagine how much longer our kitchen reno would have taken if we had the time or the skills to DIY.
Much Kudos to all you DIYers-at least you can look at the final product and be proud of all your hard work!

Yeah, the initial stuff is so drastic! An obvious! Sometimes I wonder, as I am making sure paint gets in all the right crags and crevices, if it is worth it. I know it is, but it sure doesn't feel like it!

CEF, I knew you could relate! I admire your patience and perseverance more than you can ever know.

And analysis paralysis? I think they invented the term for me. :o(

As a GC for over 35 years, I can attest to the last few weeks of any project, big or small, to be the most challenging both for the owner and the contractor... have sympathy for both ;)

CEF - Technically, finish is the final surface that you see when you walk into a house. Once the drywall is in, all the structural and mechanical work is completed. It is fully functional and you can live in it by just hooking things up but few would consider it finished.

Legally, the only inspection after drywall is the final and what the inspectors look at is safety related: lighting, steps, railings, clearances, ventilation, etc. They have no say on how the place looks.