So like others I read the reviews first and seemed like some people were saying the stand wouldn't line up right or the instructions aren't clear. Lots of great reviews too though so I took a chance and purchased it.My husband and I put it together in a little over an hour (he really did like 80% of the work while I helped put screws in a few pieces and held things when they needed to be pushed together). We aren't mechanically inclined but we've put together a fair amount of furniture in our time together. We could see where people might have thought things were not drilled right too because the stand uses PILOT holes instead of pre drilled ones in a lot of places. It's like this so when you screw it in, the fit will be VERY tight (after all it's holding a 200lb+ aquarium so you want this). DO NOT OPEN UP THE PILOT HOLES BEFORE PUTTING IN THE SCREWS OR THE STAND WONT BE STABLE! Also, doing this typically voids the warranty on any fish tank because you've "modified" the stand.As to the instructions, the only part you have to pay VERY close attention to because it's not super clear is the middle where you first start putting pieces together after putting in some screws. Take your time and read it and it will be fine.To make sure everything lays flat, MAKE SURE you put your screws in VERY straight. Also to get the top down all the way we used a rubber mallet and gave it a few whacks to make sure everything was nice and snug.All in all, I'm very happy with it. Looks a lot better in the living room than standard metal type stands.