A neighbor's blunt comment about my crooked fence changed my whole approach to post setting

I spent a whole weekend digging holes and setting fence posts for a new privacy fence in my backyard. My neighbor came over, looked at the first three posts, and said "you know those are all leaning left, right?" I was annoyed at first, but I stepped back and saw he was dead on. He told me to use a longer level and check every post from two directions before the concrete set. Now I do that on every project and my fence actually looks professional. Has anyone else had a neighbor save them from a shoddy DIY job?

2 comments

2 Comments

elliotc104d ago

Nothing worse than thinking you've nailed it just to have someone point out the obvious. That feeling of annoyance fades fast when you realize they just saved you from a whole lot of hassle down the road. A good neighbor like that is worth their weight in tools, for real.

west.alice4d ago

Happens all the time with stuff way beyond fix-it jobs too like when someone points out a blind spot in your thinking before you run with a bad idea. That little sting is just the price of getting better at things.