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If you are considering the exciting  hobby of dollhouses and miniatures,
this may help you choose the right one for you!

What scale should I choose?
There are several scales for miniatures with the "inch" scale being the most popular. This means that 1" in the dollhouse world is equal to 12" in the real world  and is designated by 1:12. Over 99% of all dollhouse related items are this scale. By choosing this scale you will always be able to find lots of little goodies which will fit in your house.  You can also find "half-scale" houses where 1" in dollhouse equals 24" in the real world (1:24). There are also some "Barbie" scale houses at 1:2 ratio.

Who is this dollhouse for?
Consider the age, gender, and skill of the person or persons who will be building or using the house. A first time builder or a young child may do best with a small, lower budget house kit. Older children may prefer more detail and take more care with a bigger and more expensive house. Adult collectors most often prefer the larger, better quality houses. You can always build from the ground up using blueprints. A house for a family project may require a larger house that everyone can work on, maybe each having their own room(s) to do. A young boy may be more interested in a log cabin, ranch, or firehouse.

How big should I go?
If this is your first house, you may consider a small budget kit for getting your feet wet and as a learning experience. If you are sure this is the hobby for you, a better quality kit may be the way to go as you think about the future. Small budget kits are difficult to add on to, while better quality kits have add-on rooms available. If you do start off with a smaller house, you can always move into a larger one later, saving the small one for another child when they are ready. This is the tactic many new miniaturists take. If you decide to go large, remember that you can complete it a little at a time.

To electrify or not?
A small investment of around $25-40 will get your house wired now and make putting in lights later much easier. It is easier lay the ground work and hide the evidence now than to go back later and try to hide it later.  

What's your budget?
You need to decide on a budget for your project. The answers to the two previous questions will help you settle this issue. Kits start around $40.00 and go up from there. There are many styles, sizes, and qualities. Remember, you don't have to do everything at once and many miniaturists enjoy the work process and much as the finished project. By taking a bit of time you can work through your wants and wishes so you can end up with the "house of your dreams"

Some money saving tips
Miniatures and dollhouses does  not have to be an expensive hobby. There are may ways to stretch your dollar while achieving the final results you want. As stated before, instead of doing it all at once, start simple and add on as time and money allow:

• Semi-finish the interior in the beginning by painting all the walls and staining the floors. This costs very little but gives the house a realistic look. You can then add wallpaper and carpet or tile one room at a time
• Replace the kit windows with working windows or better looking pre-assembled windows.
• Paint the roof brown for now and shingle it later.
• Paint the exterior for now and add siding or stucco later.
• Start off with some basic furniture, a budget furniture kit or make your own out of scrap. As you upgrade your rooms replace your furniture in that room.
• When you start to grow your house add on rooms or upgrade to a larger house. and sell your first one or give to a relative or friend, keeping the pieces you want.
• If space is an issue try a turntable for easy access or consider getting a house that opens from the front.

• Get some advice! Visit and talk with your local retailer. There are many books on all aspects of miniatures and dollhouse finishing and construction. 

How long will it take me to build?
If you are referring the the shell of the house, it can be as little a few hours for simpler kits to a few days for larger ones. But this is only assembling the un-painted wood pieces. The majority of your time will be spent in the finishing process. Painting rooms and exteriors, adding lighting, laying carpet, wallpapering, trimming rooms, and furnishing. This is the fun! Part of the miniature and dollhouse process is the evolution of the rooms and house....don't rush and enjoy the experience.

Play it up!
Even the smallest budget kit can become an architectural beauty. One of the best ways is to add detail and beauty with building components such as working windows and doors, laser-cut porch trims, clapboard siding or some type of brick or stucco siding. Attention to small details will enhance the appearance and finish of your house. There many ways to transform a house without actually making it bigger. You could get flat sheet of wood from the lumber store and put the dollhouse on it and have instant real estate for a front and back yard It's the icing on the cake that makes it stand out !

What's a room box?
Room boxes one room in a box. Many people prefer doing a room box instead of the whole house. This allow them to create a specific type of room, display a certain style or to create a unique display for certain items or a collection of items they have.  

Common brands

• Real Good Toys "New Concept" Line:.   They are one of the better made dollhouse kits and some of the easiest to assemble and finish.  Prices range from around $100 to $400 with some models and options reaching $700. They are a bit more expensive because much of the finish work is completed at the factory. The basic house body usually assembles in 1-2 hours, depending on kit size.
• Real Good Toys "Historical Collection" Line:  These are made of 3/8" MDF* board and come with pre-milled siding and pre-cut trim, shingles, and pre-assembled windows & doors, and grooved side walls for easy assembly.
• Real Good Toys "Simplicity" Line:  These houses are simple to assemble, made from 3/8" MDF board or Cabinet Grade Plywood with pre-milled clapboard siding.  There are add on rooms and porches giving you the ability to transform the basic house into other styles with a few options.  Prices range from around $225 to $450 depending on the options.  The floor-plan cannot be altered because the center wall inter-locks with the floors. But this makes the house incredibly easy to put together, often  in under a half hour.
• Real Good Toys "Batrie" Series: kits are low priced quality construction houses. Made from 3/8" and 1/4" MDF board or plywood, the exterior walls have siding already pre-milled on to their surfaces. Windows and doors are kits and are usually no more than 4 or 5 pieces each. Each kit comes with shingles and some interior walls can be moved around or taken out. Sizes range from very small to very large and new add-on rooms are now available.
• Walmer Lilliput & Miss Muffet Kits: Manufactured by Real Good Toys, they are easy to assemble with easy to read instructions. They cost a bit more than some of the smaller Greenleaf but substantially less than the Real Good Toys houses. Prices range from $80 to $169. They are made from a combination of 3/8" and 1/4" plywood and MDF and have a strong foundation. Most now come with exterior walls made of 1/4" MDF board with pre-milled clapboard siding.  The windows are made from 4 pieces of pre-cut wood but the door is pre-assembled. Interior walls are easily moved or taken out. They are medium and can be upgraded with room add-ons, working windows, shingles, siding, chimneys and a other options. The Miss Muffet houses come with pre-assembled Lilliput windows,  upgraded porch posts, and trim.
• Celerity: Comparable in price and construction to the Real Good Toys New Concept Line except the siding is not pre-cut. They are made from cabinet grade Baltic birch plywood with smooth exterior walls. House kits are sold without windows, doors, siding, trim and shingles but are more than a shell kits because they come with steps, bay windows, chimneys, stairs and other components unique to each model.
• Greenleaf: They are made 1/8" die cut mahogany plywood.  You pop out the pieces and glue them together. The tab and slot assembly makes it easy to know where everything goes but does make it difficult to change the size and position of the rooms and there are no add-on rooms available.  They have nice houses and plans but some find the mahogany difficult to work with: requires extra prep work, difficult to sand, splinters, etc. Prices range from $40 to $300.
• Duracraft Country Dreams Collection: Medium-grade houses  made from durable 3/8" MDF board with pre-milled clapboard siding but you still have to assemble the doors and windows from 10-15 parts each. You can make assembly easier by replacing those components with some pre-assembled windows and door off our web site.  They range in price from about $90 to over $340.
• G.E.L. Products Houses: A top lines in terms of construction, price, size and options. They are medium to large houses made from 3/8" plywood or MDF board with pre-milled clapboard siding already manufactured right on the exterior surface of all the walls. The windows and doors are all pre-assembled and the kits come with turned spindles on the porches and stairs. The walls are grooved to install the center floors. Room dividers can easily be taken out or moved to change the floor-plan. There are many options and  features to upgrade.
• Lawbre: The Rolls Royce of dollhouses they are made almost exclusively of 3/8" cabinet grade plywood and only come as assembled shells or fully assembled and finished. They are large, starting in 3 to 4' wide.  Priced from about $1000 for a basic shell to well over $8000 for some of the completed models. The interiors are bare so you can finish them.
• HJB  Pre-Assembled Kouses: A good quality dollhouses but not available in kit form.  They come with pre-milled clapboard siding. Windows, doors, stairs, railing and trims supplied on the houses are tacked in place with glue for shipping but are easily removed for painting. Interior divider walls are not-moveable. 
• *MDF: Stands for Medium Density Fiberboard.  It is a compact, durable wood product that finishes well with ordinary paint. The only draw-back is that it is more difficult to cut than plywood unless you have power tools. MDF is not a particle board or press-board.