47 Skills You Need to Survive Homeownership

A stomp on a pointed shovel, that's easy—and so's electrocuting yourself when you slice into a buried power line. Which is why, says This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook, any prospective hole-maker should first call 811 to notify the local utilites in your area. They'll send someone out to your place, mark any lines you have, and save you from getting buried yourself.