Wooden Playhouse

[JennsBabySky]

Hi everybody,

We have decided to get our daughter a wooden playhouse for Christmas. We live in California. From searching on the web, it seems most are shipping from the Virgina area (most are built by the Amish). Shipping alone is about $500. Before investing this much money in a playset, I was hoping for some real life recommendations on whom to buy from (or whom to avoid). Also, I can find the playhouse for about $350 cheaper if I buy through Ebay. I've never purchased anything this expensive on Ebay before, is this too big of a risk?

So far, my favorite style is the 8' x 6' Victorian with a smaller child's dutch door for entry and a larger adult size door on the side. This seem to be readily available from various companies on the web, but none locally. What I can find locally is either outrageously expensive and/or does not have the larger adult door. My husband really wants this door, so that when she outgrows the playhouse, he will have a shed. The child size door by itself is too small to be functional for a shed.

Any thoughts/recommendations/ideas?

Thank you,
Jennifer

[raynjen]

I don't know if you came across this website yet, but it is at least on your side of the continent - http://www.homesculptures.com/wsn4DB8.html

I think you might be going about this backwards. It would be much easier to find/build an attractive shed and modify it for children than the opposite way around. You might check with your local home stores (HomeDepot, Lowe's, etc.) for the names of the people who install their sheds. Usually those contractors are willing to work with you on what you want. Perhaps it would be less expensive to buy a stock shed from one of these places and have the contractor add a few touches and paint.

It is too bad that you aren't looking for Texas Hill Country style - I got a guy in that area who does awesome stuff with cedar!

Jen in Okinawa
Mom to a wonderful preschooler,
who is almost three, Noelle!