KentuckyFox

It should definitely keep you busy. I bought my kit from a lady on Craigslist. She had the kit for 20 years and she told me that several people in her family had opened the box to build the kit, took one look at the pieces and walked away. LOL. I should have taken that as a warning. If you get frustrated, print out a Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon and buy an Alison, Jr. I can't sing the praises of that kit enough. There are a couple of "eek!" moments, but each completed part looks so good and fits together so well that it is worth it and the finished product is a beautiful and sturdy dollhouse. I've received plenty of compliments on my Alison from a lot of people, even those that have no interest in dollhouses. The SF550 is just "eek!" from beginning to end, in my opinion. LOL.

While building this kit I felt like it was designed for professional carpenters rather than crafters or miniaturists. They sure don't give you any shortcuts.

A small handsaw would probably do the job, but I didn't have one. I had to use an exacto knife because that was all I had. And none of the parts are labeled. You have to refer to the parts guide in the very back of the instruction manual and compare the measurements of every little piece to make sure you are using the right ones. That's how I messed up my tower...I accidentally used two pieces of siding trim (that holds the whole thing together) that were the wrong length and angle. I didn't realize my mistake until the glue had set and couldn't get the pieces apart without breaking them. I hope I haven't scared you off - it may be easier for you. I wouldn't build it again, but in a way I'm glad I did because now every other kit seems like a breeze in comparison. Just make absolutely sure you are using the right pieces and read the instructions over a couple of times before you glue anything.

The instruction manual has a copyright of 1982. I'm not going to lie - of the three dollhouse kits I have built, the SF-550 was the most difficult and time consuming and I wasn't very pleased with the finished house. Lots of tears, lots of cursing. I ended up not even installing the windows, and my measurements on the tower and the floor inserts were off by a fraction of an inch, which was enough to make the whole thing lopsided. Nothing is pre-cut, you have to do all the measuring and cutting yourself. I wouldn't try it again even if someone gave me a free SF-550 kit. But maybe your patience (and mathematics and carpentry skills) are better than mine. The SF-550 almost stopped me from ever wanting to build another house - but as soon as I finished it I bought an RGT Alison, Jr. (a much better investment) and remembered not every kit is a pain in the you-know-what. Good luck!