picking out a 1/12 scale dollhouse to construct - 3/8" plywood kits

This is the house kit that people buy if they want a house that with care can last for a generation or more, so make sure you get the one you want!

It has several good points:

1. It is really sturdy and can take a lot of abuse.
2. They are generally much easier and faster to assemble than the diecut houses.
3. It is easier to make changes to the houses, because the windows and doors come in standard interchangeable sizes.
4. You can buy a house with all components included, or you can buy a shell and pick out the windows and doors and railings etc yourself for your own personalized house.
5. It is much easier to remodel and redecorate. I have known people who put in windows and doors etc, just tacking with easily removable glue because they like redecorating often.
6. It is much easier to electrify these houses.

And several problems:

1. It is really heavy and most are hard to move.
2. They are more expensive.
3. Make sure you know what you are getting. I have known several people who thought they were getting everything for the picture on the outside of the box at a bargain price, and all they got was the shell. Read what is included carefully and make sure it is what you want. In most houses the component package is as much or more than the shell and may not be what you want.
4. They are larger generally, so you need more room to keep them.

The come as either MDF (medium density fiberboard) or plywood. They may be either milled, which means looks like siding, or just smooth. It is really personal preference. Real Good Toys sort of explains it as MDF is smoother, straighter, heavier and easier to work with. Plywood is more traditional and it is easier to install electricity in it. Totally personal preference.

One of the biggest suppliers of this type of house is Real Good Toys . They are available all over the US in most of the same places that you can find the Greenleaf houses as well as online. Also, they are nice people to deal with whenever I needed to contact them. There are several smaller companies that make houses that are similar to the Real Good Toys but they are harder to find and do not have as many choices. There are also several companies that sell components that fit these houses, so if you have time, check around for the best deals. There are sometimes huge differences in prices for almost identical items.

Since I could not find the picture of the favorite one of this type that I did, this is a picture from the Real Good Toys site (copied with their approval) but we had an addition on the left that they did not show, also. It made it quite a bit bigger. It was for a 10 year old girl that lived about 90 miles from my shop up in Georgia. She and her mother picked out the exact colors (medium lt yellow exterior, shingles slightly darker, ivory railings), fully electrified with all light fixtures, carpeting, wood flooring, tile, wallpaper etc. It took almost a year because they wanted to do it in stages and would come down once a month with my next set of instructions. Everything was included other than furniture. The building of it was fun for all of us. Her mom was an interior decorator. We switched the doors and railings but kept the windows. I forget what color the shutters were, but it was unexpected!

          The Hawthorne

Real Good Toys Dollhouse Kits

It was so easy to build and both the mother and daughter could visualize what they wanted and explain it easily so we all had a blast! Had to deliver it though because it was so big that 2 of us drove it up to her house in a truck. No way this one finished will fit in a car and it took all 3 of us to get it into the house with a few breathless moments! Their formal parlor became the dollhouse room. A table was all set up and ready for it. It was gorgeous!!!!

 

Next I will start with some of the steps for finishing a dollhouse, either kind.