Looking back, I am very glad that the basement arrived when it did and that I decided to make the basement before I continued with the main house. It turned out to be a smaller, more manageable project, helpful for the future, almost like a pilot project where you can make some mistakes on a smaller scale.
I learned how important it is to try and try and try again before you fix anything. How important it is to calculate the order in which certain steps are taken. I learned that it is worth while taking the time it takes. Sometimes not even worth while, but imperative. For instance, it took me three days to glue the walls together, and there were just three walls. I should allow a week or more for the main house. Glue, dry, glue, dry. I know that the walls won't fit perfectly, and that it is ok, sooner or later, after a lot more work, they will.
I will now be more confident in making the stairs in the main house. I will definitely make more secret corridors. I know that it takes ages to sand the windows so that they fit the openings. And I know how to put in the glazing. I know how long it takes to paint the doors and to put them in, with surrounds. And I know that it is worth while spending time and effort to age and distress doors and walls to make them look natural.
I know that I need to think about skirting and other tiny details. I know that it will take me much longer than I had expected to put in lights, and I am still not sure whether I will wire or use batteries.
It took me six weeks to finish the basement (or at least work on it to this point), but it doesn't say much. Some days I worked more than others, many days I didn't work at all. But if I say that it took me 106 hours to get this far I think it puts things into perspective.
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