For me it is writting docker compose files describing my services. I like to test them on my machine before pushing them to the server(s). But I guess that’s my own fault for not using something like portainer or even SSHFS.
What’s the most annoying / painful step for you?
Yes, having worked in server rooms before setting up home equipment, I chose to use consumer grade equipment. Less noise, less heat, potentially less power. My first “rack” was a wooden storage rack to hold the then 3 desktop towers. I did get the fun of building each system from scratch to get the specific bang for the buck.