[BagJo]

For me, it makes a big difference if the model or miniature is for personal use or for sale. For personal use, I don't usually go all out, but if I'm selling the piece it's worth it to go the extra mile. Sanding mold lines, texturing, acid washing decals, all that stuff goes a long way when someone is paying a premium.

With a lot of practice, "cleaning" your pieces before assembly goes pretty quickly too. A lot of it depends on the model, a gundam or figure-rise is going to take longer than an average miniature, because a miniature usually has less pieces.