Unboxing the Beachside Bungalow Dollhouse Kit by Real Good Toys

beachside bungalow dollhouse kit
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Recently I ordered the Beachside Bungalow Dollhouse kit made by Real Good Toys. It arrived on my doorstop today so I thought before I dive in I’d share the unboxing process and what everything looks like that comes with it.

If you’ve been thinking about getting this kit or another one by Real Good Toys, hopefully this will give you a good idea of the quality of their kits and what to expect.

Why I Decided To Get This Kit

There’s a bazillion options when choosing a dollhouse kit, but there’s a bunch of reasons why this one really seemed to call to me to get it.

First of all, I’ve assembled kits by Real Good Toys {RGT for short} in the past, so I knew what I was getting into. Their quality is superb {more on this below} – and so just knowing RTG quality + ease of assembly was a pretty big deciding factor.

While I do think this dollhouse might be a bit overwhelming for a complete beginner, if you’ve successfully done 1-2 room houses and enjoyed it, you could definitely do this one.

The next reason I went with this kit is simply because I absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the design of the house.

Almost a decade ago, I actually used to rent out a Sears craftsman style bungalow house – I took a screenshot from Google maps to show you what it looked like!

the old house

The house looks pretty good for being over 100 years old!

It’s not quite the same, but the first thing I thought of when I saw the Beachside kit is how much it reminded me of the old house I lived in – and how much I LOVED that house with it’s built-ins and trim work inside. That upstairs window area was fantastic!

I was but a broke college student when we lived there at the time, so this is extra fun because I can actually decorate the way I like – especially when it’s possible to DIY so much furniture and accessories for your dollhouses.

The last reason of course is because after being stuck in the house all winter long the beach has been calling me like crazy. Making a beach themed dollhouse has definitely been on my to-do list for a few years now – it’s definitely been on my list of dollhouse + miniatures themes ideas for awhile now!

As it’s only April, I still have to wait quite a bit until summer to actually go to the beach…so this will definitely keep me busy while I wait for vacation time!

Why I Recommend Real Good Toys Kits

beachside bungalow dollhouse kit

If you’ve been thinking about getting a Real Good Toys dollhouse, I highly recommend them!

This actually is my second dollhouse by Real Good Toys so I already had a good understanding of what to expect with the quality – which is amazing when compared to kits made by companies like Greenleaf.

The biggest reason I love Real Good Toys kits is they come with everything you need to actually build and finish the dollhouse. The siding is already milled into the walls! The hardwood flooring is already milled into the floors!

They include the shingles, windows, doors, stairs – something many other kits often don’t include. While there are certainly many options to upgrade any of the basic things that come with the kit, out of the box you could build a beautiful dollhouse with the only things you need to buy being shingle dye, paint, and adhesives.

The kits are also made out of THICK MDF – which means they are very strong and also not as prone to warping like the flimsy luann plywood kits made by other companies are.

If you’ve ever tried putting together the cheaper flimsy kits, you’ll appreciate how much easier everything is with a RTG kit – not to mention stronger and built to last!

If you’re looking for a heirloom quality grade kit, this is a safe bet – there’s a reason why they’re so popular in dollhouse shops!

What Comes in the Box?

Now that we’ve covered why I’m enamored with the dollhouse before even opening it, let’s get into what’s included and what you’ll find in the box!

The first thing I noticed is there are 2 smaller boxes inside the box. These boxes contain the smaller pieces that come with your kit – like the sides for the dormers, the window trim, the shingles, the door, etc.

small boxes with description of contents

The nice thing is each box is clearly labeled so I know exactly what is inside each one. Below is a preview of what’s inside of each box.

small pieces

In addition to these two boxes you have the main parts and pieces of the dollhouse, such as the walls and floors. These come neatly stacked in a pile.

beachside bungalow dollhouse kit review

It looks kind of intimidating at first, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, you can read the Beachside Bungalow manual online, which is what I started doing before the kit even arrived!

One benefit of the manual online is that it’s in full color, whereas the one that comes with the kit is only printed in black and white.

beachside bungalow instruction manual

The manual has step by step instructions that walk you through EVERYTHING, including listing all the supplies you’ll need. {Mostly just shingle dye, paint, sandpaper and adhesives.}

Here’s what the pre-milled walls look like.

pre milled walls

All of the walls already have the openings cut out for the doors and windows.

wall with door and window

Notice how they have nicely rounded corners?

Here is what the pre-milled flooring looks like:

This photo shows the texture of the pre-milled floors close-up.

pre milled flooring close up

The flooring has a veneer finish which you can optionally stain your color of choice using a wood stain like Polyshades by Minwax or of course just go with a clear coat of protective finish.

I’m not crazy about the honey-color and will probably go a bit darker when I apply the Polyshade to it, but I love how it’s a lot better than messing around with popsicle sticks!

The only downside to the floors that I think of is they don’t mimic the look of “real” hardwood with different sized lengths. Also, since the floors are done with a veneer, you can tell the wood grain pattern is the same for each board.

Still, when it comes to what’s practical – it’s definitely going to save you time and won’t be that noticeable anyway once you add in your furniture and accessories.

These Walls Are Thick!

Here’s an example of how thick the panels are. If I had to guess, they look to be a little over 1/4″ thick – below I laid one on top of a door to give you an idea. They definitely are not going to warp or bend too easily!

thickness of walls detail

In Conclusion: It’s a Great Quality Kit and I’m Excited to Build It!

As you can see, this is a pretty high quality kit and I am super excited by it arriving today. I’ll definitely be documenting each week my progress as I continue to work on it!

Tomorrow I’ll be back to post about some tips on how to plan + setup for building a dollhouse from a kit – and hopefully be able to start painting! ๐Ÿ™‚

Have you assembled the Beachside Bungalow by Real Good Toys? What are some of your favorite dollhouse kits you’ve assembled or are on your wishlist? Tell me your thoughts in the comments below!

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6 Comments

  1. Would you consider this a kit for beginners? I have never done anything like this before but I would LOVE to try. Old you recommend a good starter 1 room kit, that I could start off with. I’m even willing to go a little higher on price if it’s good quality and everything already comes with it. I live a couple hours from the nearest hobby lobby to buy supplies, so I prefer it be all-inclusive. Any advice would be appreciated. If you have time could you email me and let me know. Thank you!

    1. Hi Megan, I think this kit might be doable as a beginner, but it does take a while to put together. The Real Good Toys brand is of fantastic quality and less frustrating than a lot of other brands you’ll find, but I think I would probably try one of their easier house designs like the Victorian cottage Jr. Kit. I’ll send you an email with this info too ๐Ÿ™‚

  2. I’m so glad I came upon this! I actually found you thanks to your WONDERFUL printable 1 inch scale furniture list. (I THANK YOU FOR THAT!!!) Earlier this year, I put together a GL dollhouse because it was SO CHEAP at Hobby Lobby and I figured I could see if this was, in fact, a hobby I wantrd to add to my long list of crafting delights. When it was nearly completed, I was given an old, sorry Bellingham Farmhouse by DuraCraft. After demolishing quite a bit of it, I have been rehabbing it and having so much fun. I am 48 years young and have dreamt of having a dollhouse my whole life. After comparing the two houses, I have become obsessed with the RGT houses and am already planning the next, oh, 5 builds ๐Ÿคญ. The Beachside Bungalow is one of the houses on my list. But, I was curious about what it came with and didn’t want to watch a video for it. So, thank you for sharing your thoughts and unboxing!

    Tara

    1. Aw Tara thank you so much for your kind words, I’m glad it’s useful for you and that you are enjoying this hobby! I’d love to see some of the things you’ve made!

  3. Iโ€™m starting this dollhouse myself. I have started labeling each piece as they recommend. I need a card table to work on since my cats would interfere if I did it on the dining room table!
    Canโ€™t to paint and wallpaper! This will be the third dollhouse that I have done

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