building my first house

[rachel1]

hi from a newbie (well i just registered ive been reading the threads for a while)

i am just about to take the plunge and build my first house, as i cant afford to buy a kit i have decided i am going to make it from scratch so i am at the planning stage. i am studying for a degree in interior design so am hoping i can use this as my corsework aswell (we make models anyway so my tutor said i can use this) when i have finished using this as my work i will keep it either for myself or one of my kids

anyway i was just going to ask if anyone has any advice for a first timer?
thanks
rachel

[St.Vale]

Hiya Rachel1

Welcome to the forums, it will be very interesting following your progress with this house. Have you decided what type it will be and what era?

Val

[sharen]

hi rachel
welcome to the forum....good luck on building a house from scratch, i would love to do this but im no good at wood work..... i`d think what size house you want and what ere and type of property you would like to furnish......please keeps us updated with your progress:)

[rachel1]

hiya thanks for the welcome

it has to be a modern house because of the project at colledge i was thinking it cant be to large because of space but not too small because of the kids (they will trash it if its tiny) also i need to add quite alot of detail to the interior so a larger room would be ideal

maybee 10x10cm rooms would be good

i am currently drawing plans and photographing as i go along (i have to prove i have drawn plans and ajusted them etc)

i dont get online much during the day so i will post my progress as and when i can
thanks
rachel

[tinah]

10 x 10 cm rooms would be very small.
What size are the rooms in a 1: 24th scale house,does anyone know?

[mad-on-miniatures]

Hi rachel 1,

I'm also planning to make my own...........I can't find anything suitable for a Bridal shop project that I want to do..........so hence making my own.........we could maybe, collaberate our ideas.......

I'm getting the MDF cut by my local B&Q store, it's about a fiver for a piece 1220 mm x 600 x 9mm..........not all stores do the cutting, I am informed........so it may be worthwhile to check beforehand.........and I'm not sure how many pieces I will need..........only drawn the pictures as yet.....I've NOT actually made any measuremnets...........My husband is going to route' out the grooves, so that it goes together more easily, but this is also not completly necessary........

If you take a look on the web site for the DHE or other Dolls House manufacturers.........they will give you the sizes of the "overall " finished item of most houses / shops..........of course you are not limited to these if you are making your own........Keep us up to date with your progress.........I'll do the same.......;)

1 12th scale is..........1 inch for every 1 foot

1 24th scale is 1/2 inch to every foot..........I think

[rachel1]

hiya,
thanks for the reply
your right i drew out 10x10 and it was really small so a rethink on that one may be in order


mad on minitures our bnq dont cut the wood for you here but my partner told me that homebase might so i am going to try there

i need to really think on the scale because i have the prefect house drawn out but sizing is really an issue, i looked on the main site and saw some kits that i fell in love with but this would be cheating so i cant buy them yet (also i cant justify spending over 100 pounds on a dolls house to my partner)

[sharen]

10 x 10 cm rooms would be very small.
What size are the rooms in a 1: 24th scale house,does anyone know?

hi
that would be very tiny 10x10cm more like a 1/48th room .....1/24ths is roughly 15x15cm or 6x6" lol

[Cindy]

Hi

I'm a new member too. Have got Fern Villa Quickstyle. Not as easy as I first thought to assemble, but it really is a good idea to dry-build first. Hubby has been very helpful - everything I glued came unstuck, but he seems to know instinctively how much glue to put on without it squishing onto the surrounding paintwork. All the windows I put together needed re-gluing!

The lifting roof was quite difficult to attach. We would either have a small gap at the top (where the hinges go) or a small gap at the bottom where the panel touches the attic floor. After numerous attempts, him indoors came up with a good idea. Lay the "lifting" panel with the window apertures on its "back on the fixed flat piece of the roof. The hinge had already been attached to the fixed roof. Find a piece of card the appropriate thickness and slide a piece in from each side (we used 1mm thickness, but 1.5mm or 2mm might have been better). You can then mark the lifting portion where you need to put the hinge screws. More than one pair of hands is useful!

There is a small gap where the lifting roof panel touches the attic floor. Might put a small magnet either side to hold it down. Will decide on that when the lighting is in place, if I can see light through the gap.

I am now getting up my courage to start wallpapering.....

Cindy

[mad-on-miniatures]

Hi Cindy,

Glad you have managed in the end.......two pairs of hand is definately, better than one.......I too have the Fern Villa, with Basement.......not the Quick style though........so paintwork still to be done on mine........:rolleyes: show us some pictures in Home Sweet Home.......as you will find out we are all very nosy for pictures.......LOL :D

[coodencat]

Hi Cindy as others have said welcome to the forum. :cool:You will find a lot of help here for odds and ends. Hmmm what would we do without the "fellas" they come in handy sometimes. My husband suggested something I had not thought of and saved me a lot of hard work. Also one of the parts of my house was not quite cut out properly so again another job for him. Am not sure why we cannot do these things for ourselves we are creative, think we could but helps the "fellas" think they are useful :D
good luck with your house
tc carol (cc)

[Cindy]

Hi M-o-m

One thing at a time - got to learn how to put the pictures on the computer. Anyway, it is only all white inside, and no stairs yet. Thought I might carpet the stairs before I glue them in.

Cindy

[ann hagger]

Do the measurements accurately. Remember to include the thickness of the wood.
I found a local 'small'local firm that will cut the wood did it very well - but don't go on a Saturday!.
Do you really want to use MDF? I find that plywood is much lighter and easier to handle.
Masking tape is excellent for doing a 'dry run'
If possible do all the decoration, floors as well as walls and ceilings before you assemble the house.
I try and visualise who is living in the house, and what each room is inhabited /used by: ie. a retired missionery (taken to drink and foreign artefacts) a clock shop room, a craft room, a retired spinster rather stuck in the 1930s and so on. These re e.g.s from my houses.
Window sills are a good idea - but you can add them and curtains later quite easily.
One annexe (to what I call my Hampstead house - they have mod. cons but also antiques) has an en suite bathroom - there is not much scope in a bathroom - unless it is very untidy!

If the house is going to be lit, visualise what lamps are going to be where - they need not necessarily light up.

I hope some of this will be helpful: it is just what I hve experienced.
ann

[ann hagger]

What I forgot to say, is do think about having windows not only at the front: my first house has a window on the stair case with arched top (like my grandmother's proper house in essex) Also in the Naturalists room he has like a bow window on which he has plants.
ann