I absolutely love this table, so glad I came across it online! It was so easy to assemble- just 16 screws and nuts, If you can do IKEA, this is a piece of cake! Yes, you do need 2 people to hold up the table top in the final step unless you are a Popeye. After it was assembled, I was amazed how beautiful it was. My last dining table had 4 legs and they always got in the way when I had a bigger party. Now, I love the single pedestal- lots of leg room, and the style is very elegant. Mine came without any stripped screws or misfits (one screw had some sap or glue on it, I removed it with a small screwdriver, no problem), so I'm 100% satisfied.