Refactoring someone else's code is a lot harder (and annoying) than writing from scratch!

Its always easier to judge something after the fact.

Break it down into chunks of single role responsibility. Then split that SRR code into it's own services. Just do baby steps with someone else's code. Sometimes you also need to write a flowchart or a data diagram.

as i always tend to say:

it depends

No.

Refactoring is challenge. Refactoring is competition against the limitations of your brain construction. Refactoring is pushing the limits. Refactoring is a great source of experience.

Refactoring makes me feel alive again.

I once rewrote a bad app and nobody even noticed. Stealth, baby. One of the perks working with office normies.