Is swapping out windows yourself really worth the hassle?

"Murphy's law seems especially fond of window replacement projects..."

Haha, couldn't agree more with this. When I replaced windows on my '70s ranch, I thought I'd prepared for every possible issue - measured twice, ordered carefully, even watched a ton of tutorials. But once I actually started pulling out the old windows, surprise! - the framing was uneven and some of the sills had hidden water damage. Ended up spending a whole weekend just repairing and reinforcing frames before the new windows could even go in.

That said, once it was done, it felt pretty awesome stepping back and seeing the finished project knowing I'd done it myself. There's definitely something rewarding about tackling these jobs yourself if you're okay with rolling with the punches. But yeah, totally second your point about budgeting extra time and money for unexpected trips to the hardware store - it's practically guaranteed you'll need something you didn't anticipate...

I've seen this happen more times than I can count. DIY window replacements seem straightforward until you uncover what's hiding beneath.

"the framing was uneven and some of the sills had hidden water damage."

This is exactly why I usually recommend homeowners do a thorough inspection before ordering windows. Even then, surprises still pop up. Still, like you said, there's a real satisfaction in getting it done yourself - just gotta be ready for those curveballs and extra trips to the store...