I’m with you on not sweating every hidden corner. I spent hours fussing over a laundry room wall, and in hindsight, nobody notices but me. The visible seams in the living room? Totally worth the effort. But yeah, closets and behind appliances—I just make sure it’s solid, not flawless. If something pops up later, a little joint compound fixes most issues. Unless you’re dealing with a bathroom where moisture’s a thing, I think perfectionism can be overrated.
Yeah, I hear you. I used to obsess over every single joint, even in places like behind the furnace where literally no one will ever look. Now, I just make sure the main areas are clean and smooth—closets get the “good enough” treatment. Never had a buyer complain about a closet seam yet.
Funny, I used to be the same way—sanding every joint like it was going in a museum, even in the crawlspace. Eventually I realized the “three looks” rule: if you can’t see it from three steps away, don’t sweat it. For me, the main rooms get the full treatment—multiple coats, feathered edges, all that. Closets and behind appliances? That’s where I stop fussing. Never had complaints either, and it saves hours. I still get a little twitchy leaving a less-than-perfect seam, but you gotta pick your battles, right?
I get where you’re coming from, but I can’t quite let myself off the hook that easily. Maybe it’s just my nature, but every time I’ve cut corners in a closet or behind something, it comes back to haunt me. Like, sure, nobody’s crawling behind the fridge with a flashlight... until you sell the place and the inspector decides to poke around. Or you move appliances for a reno and suddenly those “hidden” seams are right in your face.
I’m not saying every joint needs to be glass-smooth, but I’ve found that spending an extra 10 minutes here and there saves me headaches down the line. Plus, once you get into a rhythm, it’s not that much more effort—muscle memory kicks in. Maybe I’m just stubborn, but I’d rather do it once and not worry about it later. Guess it depends on how much peace of mind is worth to you.
Man, I hear you on the inspector thing. Had a place once where I thought, “Eh, nobody’s ever gonna see behind this water heater.” Fast forward to closing day—buyer’s agent is poking around with a phone flashlight, and there’s my shoddy tape job, front and center. Never again. It’s wild how those “hidden” spots always find a way to show up at the worst time.