As a Gift - Unless you are going to help with the work of building the dollhouse keep it simple as you are expecting someone else to do all the work of building and decorating. Some dollhouses come assembled and finished inside and out. Other dollhouses are completely finished and just require simple assembly. Some dollhouses are assembled and need to be finished inside and out while others came as a kit and require complete assembly and finishing.

For a Young Child - You will need a dollhouse that is playable. Sturdy construction is important. Have a minimum of tiny architectural details that can break from play, stay away from intricate porches with lots of railings. Be aware of interior doors as they can also break from play and are very hard to repair. Other dollhouses are made from thin 1/8" plywood and won't hold up to play.

For the Beginner - Unless you will have only one dollhouse ever your first dollhouse should be one that is somewhat easy to build and not to large. Once you gain some experience you can challenge yourself with more complex dollhouses.

For the Serious - At this point almost any dollhouse is good. What you need to think about is what you want with the dollhouse. Do you want a theme, special types of rooms, particular architectural style or custom construction?

Considerations:

Size - The larger the dollhouse the more room you will need for display and play. Front opening dollhouses can go against the wall and do not require as much space. Rear opening dollhouses need to be out from the wall, especially if you want to see the front and still access the back. If you want your dollhouse to sit on a turntable you will need enough clearance to rotate the dollhouse. Some people like their dollhouse to sit on a larger base which allows for a yard and landscaping.

Style - There are many architectural styles available for dollhouses. The most popular is the Victorian Era dollhouse and there are a wide variety models to choose from. Other styles include Federal, Georgian, Cape Cod, Colonial, Tudor, Farmhouses, Townhouses and Cottages. There are historical dollhouses such as The Lincoln House, Queen Anne and The North Park Mansion to name a few. Then there are the specialty dollhouses such as Log Cabins, Lighthouses, Stores, Churches, Firehouses and Schools. There are many other styles of dollhouses that are also available; we have listed the most popular here.

Difficulty - Do you want to go straight to play and or do you want a fun project to do? Dollhouses come assembled and finished inside and out ready to play, completely finished and just require simple assembly, assembled and need to be finished inside and out and as kits that require complete assembly and finishing. The larger the dollhouse the more work there is. Some dollhouses such as those made of 1/8" plywood require even more work as you must also build the doors, windows and other components that come pre-assembled with most dollhouses.

Materials - The two main considerations are what the material is and how thick is it. Dollhouses can be made of plywood or MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) or a combination of both. Plywood cost more, is lighter, makes wiring and light installation easier and is easy to repair. MDF cost less, is heavy, wiring and light installation is a little harder and very difficult to repair

- Smooth Plywood is typically 1/4" or 3/8" thick and the outside walls of the dollhouse are smooth.

- Milled Plywood again is typically 1/4" or 3/8" thick and the outside walls of the dollhouse have the clapboard siding cut into it so you do not have to apply siding to the dollhouse.

- Milled MDF is typically 1/4" or 3/8" thick and the outside walls of the dollhouse have the clapboard siding cut into it so you do not have to apply siding to the dollhouse.

- Thin Plywood of 1/8" thickness is used on dollhouses where the parts come stamped on sheets of 1/8" plywood and are punched out. Construction is slot and tab with glue. Great for adults but not recommended for play.

Scale - Dollhouses and miniatures come in different scales or sizes. We will list those here in order of popularity.

- One inch scale: The international standard for dollhouses is 1:12 scale, also called 1 inch scale, 1" scale and 1/12th scale. This means that the dollhouses and miniatures are one twelfth the actual size where 1 foot in real life is 1 inch in miniature. A man who is 6 ft. tall would be a 6 inch doll. A ceiling that is 9 ft. high would be 9 inches in a dollhouse. This is by far the most common scale of dollhouses and miniature and recommended for young children, hobbyist and most collectors.

- Half Inch Scale: The next most common scale is 1:24 scale, also called half inch scale, 1/2" scale and 1/24th scale. This means that the dollhouses and miniatures are one twenty-fourth the actual size and where 1 foot in real life is 1/2 inch in miniature. A man who is 6 ft. tall would be a 3 inch doll. A ceiling that is 9 ft. high would be 4 1/2 inches in a dollhouse. A small scale that is with hobbyist and collectors and growing in popularity. Not recommended for young children or beginners.

- Quarter Inch Scale: Very small indeed. Also referred to as 1:48 scale, quarter inch scale, 1/48th scale and 1/4" scale. This means that the dollhouses and miniatures are one forty-eighth the actual size and where 1 foot in real life is 1/4 inch in miniature. A man who is 6 ft. tall would be a 1 1/2 inch doll. A ceiling that is 9 ft. high would be 2 1/4 inches in a dollhouse. Not a very common scale and very hard to find items for. You are best off going to miniature shows for these items and some shows specialize in this scale.

- 1/144 Scale: The smallest scale yet. These items are so small that they are used as dollhouses for dollhouses. That's right; they are the perfect size to go in your 1" scale dollhouse. There are even some miniatures for the inside such as furniture.