Beach House (#4996)
Reviewed March 9, 2009.
# of pieces: 522
# of minifigs: 0
Pros: Attractive model,
fun to build, good playset.
Cons: None
I bought this set for my wife because she's always wanted a real beach house. We had fun building together (she worked on this model while I was building the Troll Warship). Although I may have driven her a little crazy by helping her find pieces. Here's a tip - when building with your spouse or significant other, don't rush them. Sometimes playing hunt-the-piece is part of the fun for them.
Anyway, this is a neat model with nice features such as a barbecue grill, patio set, mailbox & letter, tree and flower garden. Features on the house include a chimney, satellite dish, brick walkway, opening doors, windows and skylights. At 522 pieces, it's actually a challenging build for beginners. First-time builders may want to cut their teeth on one of the smaller Creator models.
This set includes full printed instructions for two other models to build, so effectively you have three sets in one.
Welcome to our beach house!
Here you see the skylight, satellite dish, patio with brick walk way, patio furniture, flower box and (my personal favorite) a barbecue grill!
To the left we see the front walkway, with a shady tree, covered foyer, brick walkway, doorbell, gate, and cool red mailbox with some mail sticking out. Watch out for identity theft!
To the right is a close-up shot of the outside patio. Looks cozy!
To the left we see the ultimate in air-conditioning - the skylight actually flips up! Handy for moving large furniture, too!
The set is modular, so the entire top floor is easily removable to access the interior. Note the staircase and fireplace.