I have been splitting and refactoring a monstrous codebase into small chunks. Some of it into opensource projects.

Common sense says it should be faster to refactor and reorganize than to code in the first place. Right?

Humm. Not necessarily.
That depends on how careful you were on your way up.

You see, it works just like going down a mountain:

Gravity is a double edged sword. You better watch your step and hope for your nuts and bolts to be firm ( unit and regression tests ) and that you laid out the route correctly ( architecture, separation of concerns, dependencies ).

Ah, and did you know that 80% of fatal accidents happen on the way down?
( Hehe. Nice thought to have at this point )

See you at base camp ;)

Rappeling down Placa Roja. Maipo, Andes Mountains. Circa 2000.