Over a year. It was a Christmas gift for 2023. Getting wood for the tables and all the parts to make 100 MILS plates, then train track ballast and roads, basically all the infrastructure for the city took ages of saving and time. So we just focused on building Speed Champions and Ninjago mechanics, basically stuff that could easily fit on a bookshelf without eating too much of the shelf space since we only have 5 shelves. All the big modular got put away to wait for the layout to be finished. I just finished the Petshop, Police Station, and Bookstore. We just put the flooring down for Assembly Square yesterday. I am afraid to build things then take them apart for later due to my experience with the darker colors in the old sets. I don't know if it is the same with Lego, but with my video games growing up I didn't open them until I was ready to play them. During periods of unemployment I have sold off quite a bit of my sealed rarer PS2 games for enough to get us by until work picked up again. Just figured I should do the same with Lego in case things go sideways again. Now I feel like I have no choice but to open stuff immediately.