Underwood's Painting & Home Repair

All went fine until the end of project, when contractor was doing final punch list / cleanup prior to the house going on the market.  
Contractor failed to complete a significant number of tasks, despite repeated assurances over the phone that he did so.  Unfortunately we were out of town at the time, relied on his word. 
As a result, our house went to market in a general state of disrepair, rather than the pristine condition we had paid for..  Ultimately we had to sell for significantly below our asking price.
 
Tasks that were not done but were paid for (and we were told were done) included:
o wood siding - fill & paint gaps and holes (including section of siding removed by contractor)
o interior walls (all) - patch, fill & paint all dings and holes
o guest bath - replace vanity mirror (broken by contractor);  replace vent fan;  fix door that does not latch
o master bedroom - rehang wall mirror
o kitchen - paint shelves & cabinets;  rehang coat rack
o laundry - paint dirty cabinet interiors
o basement - remove scrap wood from storage area (set aside there for contractor at his request)
o exterior balconies - eliminate blue paint splash
o basement bath - clean vinyl floors, fixtures, counters;   replace broken vent fan
o kitchen - wipe counter, sinks, fixtures, appliances, cabs & drawers;  clean oven
o wood floors (all) - final sweep, mop & polish
o tile floors (all) - final sweep & mop
o carport - remove all remaining junk items
ON THE POSITIVE SIDE:  completed work was fairly-priced, and finished in reasonable time.  Contractor was quick to suggest economical solutions.
RECOMMENDATION: As much as this contractors' work ethic impressed at the beginning, we learned the hard way how important it is to visually confirm for with your own eyes that all work is completed before releasing final payment.