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Beacon Hill


OkiKatKin

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Hey all new to the doll house world but not to crafts. My husband wants to buy me the Beacon Hill house for my first project but I've been reading some very bad reviews on the wood quality and it requiring a lot of wood fillers and what have you. I really like this house and would like to hear all your opinions on the house. It just seems like people went in a little over there heads and expected an easier project. Thanks in advance for all information.

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I haven't made one so I'll let the people who have made them weigh in on the quality of the Beacon Hill. That said, I have seen some really gorgeous Beacon Hill houses members here have made. The house I am working on, the Aster, has required wood filler; although I can't honestly say if it is because of flaws in the house or my inexperience with building. IMHO, with sanding, wood filler, drywall compound, etc. the end product can be very nice. My thoughts are, if you like it, go for it!

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I love my Beacon Hill! It is 1/8"plywood, like all Greenleaf houses, and is diecut tab and slot. Which means you will have to punch out pieces, and you will have to sand. But it is totally worth it for the beautiful house! It is thinner than some other brands, but that just means for me that it is easier to modify and much lighter. So far, and I have the main part of my build done, I have not had to use any wood filler or spackle. I will probably put some on the edges of the bay windows, but just because I like those edges smooth, not because of gaps. You can see the tabs and slots on the outside, but most people put on siding, paperclay, or stucco, so those cover them. If don't wish to do either of those treatment, then just cover them with spackle, sand, and paint. I've done that on many houses and it turns out fine.

Good luck! Hope you get it, it's a beautiful house, and you'll love it! :)

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I loved it! My first house was a Real good toys house, and the beacon hill was my second (and still working to finish the small details but all put together). You do have to sand a lot and use some wood filler, but it is a tab and slot house - that's to be expected just by design of the house. I say if you like the design of the house, GO FOR IT! :) I love mine, it is challenging at times, but it is so worth it. She is such a fun build! :D

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This is all great news and what i expected considering the bad reviews from other sites. Seems like people just didn't do any research before the purchase. Any suggestions on were to buy from only because i'm a little confused considering Green Leaf says the house retails for $225.00 and when you go to add it to your cart it's $250.00. Are there any perks to ordering directly form Green Leaf due to it's higher cost.

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Hmmm... On the Greenleaf site it is listed at $248. A few years ago it was $225, so maybe whatever you were reading with that price was old literature. Benefits of ordering from Greenleaf are free shipping, fast shipping, great customer service, and you know that the kit is not old and has been stored properly.

HBS www.miniatures.com has good prices. They regularly have sales, usually 15-20% off. It is slightly cheaper there, and their free shipping starts at $225, so if you use no discounts, that'll make it.

eBay is always a good place to look too. I have always had good luck buying kits there, not all have though, so you will need to be careful. Also, you don't know how the kit has been stored.

I think places like Overstock.com, Amazon, and ToysRUs also carry it, but I'm not sure of their prices. Oh, I think even Home Depot carries it.

Good luck!

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Hi and welcome! Check out overstock and Amazon. Overstock was @ 155 + 2.95 shipping and Amazon had all kinds of prices, the lowest @ 167.00 with free shipping.( Hope it's OK to put prices) Janet

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HELLO,

MY BEACON HILL CAME TO ME BY WAY OF A FRIEND AS A GIFT, IT WAS ALREADY BUILD FOR THE MOST PART THERE WERE SOME PARTS MISSING ON IT AND I HAD TO STRIP SOME OF IT DOWN BECAUSE WHO EVER OWNED IT BEFORE USED GLUE-GUN TO PUT IN THE WINDOWS AND IT WAS A MESS.

I HAVE SINCE REFURBISHED MOST OF IT, BUT I REALLY LOVE IT CAN'T WAITE TO GET IT FINISHED

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Hey all new to the doll house world but not to crafts. My husband wants to buy me the Beacon Hill house for my first project but I've been reading some very bad reviews on the wood quality and it requiring a lot of wood fillers and what have you. I really like this house and would like to hear all your opinions on the house. It just seems like people went in a little over there heads and expected an easier project. Thanks in advance for all information.

I just have to reply to this...! I got mine from overstock (which seems to constistently list the best prices) and was amused reading the customer reviews on that site; it's obvious to me that some folks didn't know or like what's involved in a die-cut house build, especially a more complex one like the BH. It has its own special considerations, but having built a number of die-cut houses and an MDF one (San Fran), I'll take the die-cut any day. It's all about the trim! And spackle is one of the best investments one can make (thanks havanaholly!). Sure, it's alot of sanding and fitting but that's part of the building experience! I thought that the BH was one of the more "intellectually challenging" houses and I really enjoyed that aspect of it; if I build one of my houses over again, I'll pick the BH because I enjoyed it so much. Looking forward to seeing your build!

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GL houses are much more challenging to build than most company's, but the details make it so worth the time. The wood is thinner, and the parts are numerous. They are "drama queens" and fight back, at times, but the trade back is that they aren't boring square boxes. My Beacon Hill is still only partially built because she's pouting about extensions I'm making in some rooms, and she and I agreed to take a step-away. I'm building a GL Brimbles Mercantile (will be a small public library, instead of a store) right now.

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I'm almost finished with my Beacon. I absolutely love it! Like others have said the work is way worth it. It is beautiful if you take the time and do it right. I took couple of pics from early on in the build. I meant to take some all along the process but didn't. I'll have to take some more now.

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My first attempt at dollhouse building was a Beacon Hill. I hadn't found this site yet so was completely unprepared and used hot glue because the instructions said so. The house was given away because I got so frustrated with the results of the glue that I couldn't bring myself to finish. However, if I had used regular glue and wood filler along the edges to smooth the finish, it would have been amazing. I didn't find the actual house hard to put together as the instructions were clear, and looking at pictures a few years later it didn't look as bad as I thought at the time. I'm actually kicking myself for getting rid of it as now I could have taken it apart and re-did it. For a first timer as long as you read the instructions and don't mind a bit of sanding (which you'd have to do with any house) and DO NOT use hotglue, I say go for it. Rather build a house you're in love with then one you're doing because it's "easier", I think you'd have better results that way. I hope you get it and post lots and lots of pictures.

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I got mine from overstock (which seems to constistently list the best prices) and was amused reading the customer reviews on that site; it's obvious to me that some folks didn't know or like what's involved in a die-cut house build, especially a more complex one like the BH.

Agreed, the people who leave reviews like that seem not to be familiar with die cut kits. Which is fine -- everyone's entitled to their opinion after all, and they may not have gotten what they're expecting -- but it's kind of like ordering meatloaf at a restaurant, and then being disappointed that it didn't taste like chocolate. :p

It does take a lot of prep work to make a die cut kit look nice. But if you love the design, it's worth it!

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  • 3 weeks later...

We are also new to this and are doing a Beacon Hill. We haven't used a lot of wood filler but we have done quite a bit of sanding. This is our 1st also. I fell in love with the house when I saw it and it has a lot of potential for change and up-grading. Reading a lot of posts really helped us like before putting up all the walls wire and paint or wallpaper 1st. Actually we are finding it easier to lay some of our hardwood flooring before putting up some of the walls.

Hey all new to the doll house world but not to crafts. My husband wants to buy me the Beacon Hill house for my first project but I've been reading some very bad reviews on the wood quality and it requiring a lot of wood fillers and what have you. I really like this house and would like to hear all your opinions on the house. It just seems like people went in a little over there heads and expected an easier project. Thanks in advance for all information.

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I'm doing the Beacon Hill as my first build as well and would have to give it mixed reviews. Of course it is a beautiful house, and I didn't expect it to be easy with this much detail. The sanding does get a little tedious, but is not the end of the world. I wish the instructions were a bit more clear in some areas, i.e. some times when it says to refer to the photo I can't see what I need to in it, or can't tell which photo. But it has been easy enough to get the general structure together without too much frustration. I think if you are willing to put in the time and attention to detail this house is well worth it.

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I have never understood all the negativity with regards to die-cut wooden kits. They do require extra prep (why, oh why, is this an issue? It's a HOBBY!), and the end results make it all SO worthwhile.

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I agree with Havannaholly. It is a hobby after all. And, should you choose another house, i.e. MDF, you will find those have their own problems. i.e. to heavy and if you put on the glue you do not have the second chance to take that piece off re arrange it or try again, its a done deal. I personnly like the Greenleaf houses as they are not boxes with windows, they have charm and personality and they are easy to move and your can change them into anything you like. I say, but the Beacon Hill, check out the instructions, gets some good glue and have at it. You will not be disappointed one bit. Good luck and have fun.

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I love my Beacon Hill! It is 1/8"plywood, like all Greenleaf houses, and is diecut tab and slot. Which means you will have to punch out pieces, and you will have to sand. But it is totally worth it for the beautiful house! It is thinner than some other brands, but that just means for me that it is easier to modify and much lighter. So far, and I have the main part of my build done, I have not had to use any wood filler or spackle. I will probably put some on the edges of the bay windows, but just because I like those edges smooth, not because of gaps. You can see the tabs and slots on the outside, but most people put on siding, paperclay, or stucco, so those cover them. If don't wish to do either of those treatment, then just cover them with spackle, sand, and paint. I've done that on many houses and it turns out fine.

Good luck! Hope you get it, it's a beautiful house, and you'll love it! :)

For those bay edges, I used round bamboo skewers and they look wonderful!

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What we find helpful is I saved a site I found cynmini.blogspot.com and we refer to the pictures when in question. It really has been quite helpful.

I'm doing the Beacon Hill as my first build as well and would have to give it mixed reviews. Of course it is a beautiful house, and I didn't expect it to be easy with this much detail. The sanding does get a little tedious, but is not the end of the world. I wish the instructions were a bit more clear in some areas, i.e. some times when it says to refer to the photo I can't see what I need to in it, or can't tell which photo. But it has been easy enough to get the general structure together without too much frustration. I think if you are willing to put in the time and attention to detail this house is well worth it.

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My first house was also the Beacon Hill. I fell in love with the look from seeing pictures of it on line. I knew it would be a challenge, but I couldn't stop dreaming about it. It has been almost five years now since I built it, and I can't believe how amazing this house looks in person. It is so beautifully detailed. It is truly one of my prize possessions :ohyeah:

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