After-sales support · parts and instructions
Assembly, Fittings and Spare Parts
A flat-pack dollhouse moves the last stage of manufacture to whoever opens the carton, and that is a commercial decision rather than a detail: the instruction sheet, the fittings bag and the parts policy decide how many buyers come back with a complaint. This page sets out what assembly actually involves on the models in this catalogue, what arrives in the carton, and how a missing or broken part is matched and replaced. It is written for the buyer who will handle the after-sales, whether that is a shop, a distributor or a marketplace seller.
Assembly runs from about 20 minutes for a tabletop cottage to 60-90 minutes for a three-storey house, with a fittings bag, a parts list and an instruction sheet in the carton. Spare hinges, figures, furniture pieces and fittings are quoted per model and packed with the next production run, matched on the model reference, the part position and a photograph.
At a glance
| Assembly time | about 20 minutes tabletop, 40-60 minutes standard, 60-90 minutes large; two people for the large band |
|---|---|
| In the carton | panels, fittings bag, parts list, instruction sheet, and loose furniture where the model is furnished |
| Fasteners | cam locks and dowels, screws and wooden blocks, or a mix; metal or nylon hinges on working doors |
| Pre-fitted parts | hinge plates, stairs and glued sub-assemblies vary by model and are stated on the specification |
| Spares lead time | quoted per model and packed with the next production run; not a separate parts shipment |
| Spares allowance | typically two to three fittings bags and 1-2 per cent of hinges and figures per hundred units |
How it runs
- Record the model reference, the part position and a photograph when a part is missing or broken; the photograph is what identifies the part match.
- Send the record with the order reference so the part is quoted against the right model and the right finish.
- Agree the replacement quantity and whether it ships with the next order or is packed into a current run.
- For a retail or marketplace claim, replace the part rather than the product where the part is the fault - it is cheaper and it keeps the sale.
- Agree a standing spares allowance with the order for any model sold in volume, so a claim has stock behind it from day one.
What assembly involves
- Panels, cam locks and dowels for the carcass, screws and wooden blocks for the heavier joints, and metal or nylon hinges on the doors. Most of the catalogue assembles with a screwdriver; a few models need a hammer for the dowels.
- Numbered panels, a fittings bag divided by step and a parts list with codes are the three things that reduce assembly claims. Ask for all three on the specification rather than assuming them.
- The commonest assembly mistakes are cam locks fitted the wrong way round, hinges mounted before the door is aligned and the wrong screw length in a 12 mm panel. All three are documentation problems before they are customer problems.
- Pre-fitted hinge plates and pre-glued stairs cut 20-30 minutes off a standard house and remove the two steps that generate the most calls. Ask whether the model has them; it is not visible from the product photograph.
The fittings bag and what belongs in it
- Screws, dowels, cam locks, hinges, door knobs, wall stickers, chimney, stairs where they are loose, and the small furniture pieces on a furnished model.
- The parts that go missing are the small ones: knobs, stickers and single chairs. A bag divided by step number with a printed list is the cheapest fix in the whole order.
- On models with loose figures, the figure count per carton should be agreed before production, because a six-figure family packed short is the complaint that gets a whole order returned.
- Labels and warnings travel in the same pack. A missing age label is a compliance problem at retail, not just a paperwork one, so confirm that the carton label and the product label are in the artwork proof.
Spare parts, matched and shipped
- Spares are quoted per model: a hinge for a standard house is not the hinge for a large house, and a figure from one family set does not match another.
- The matching information is the model reference, the part position and a photograph. With those three, a part can usually be identified without the buyer sending the product back.
- Parts ship with the next production run rather than as a separate shipment; a parts-only parcel to a single shop is uneconomic and slow.
- For a first order, a standing allowance of two to three fittings bags per hundred units, plus 1-2 per cent of hinges and figures, covers the claims that arrive in the first season without a parts order.
Assembly instructions as a product feature
- A clear instruction sheet is a competitive advantage in this category, because most complaints are about the build rather than the house. Ask to see the sheet before the order; a two-page photo sequence beats a four-page text sheet.
- Instructions in the destination language are a printing decision and belong in the artwork proof. A sheet in English is not enough for a French or German retail listing.
- A QR code to a video is worth adding where the buyer controls the carton print. It costs nothing on the sheet and it answers the assembly question without a support call.
- For a marketplace seller, put the assembly time in the listing. A customer who expects 40 minutes and gets 40 minutes does not leave a review about it.
FAQ
How long does a flat-pack dollhouse take to assemble?
About 20 minutes for a tabletop cottage, 40-60 minutes for a standard two-storey house and 60-90 minutes for a three-storey or 133 cm model, with two people for the large band. The difference is mostly pre-fitted parts and the number of painted panels. A model with pre-fitted hinge plates and glued stairs builds in about two thirds of the time of the same structure with everything loose. Ask for the assembly time on the specification for the models you stock, and put it in the listing copy rather than letting the customer find out.
What spares should a buyer hold for a dollhouse range?
Start with two to three fittings bags per hundred units, 1-2 per cent of hinges and knobs, and a small number of figures and loose furniture pieces for the models you sell most. Hinges, knobs and stickers are the parts that go missing or fail; figures and chairs are the parts that disappear in a shared setting. A standing allowance agreed with the order is cheaper and faster than a parts order after the first claim, and it ships in the same carton sequence as the goods rather than as a separate consignment.
Can a single missing part be replaced?
Yes. Send the model reference, the part position and a photograph and we will identify the part and quote it. For a retail or marketplace claim it is usually better to replace the part than the product: the sale is kept and the cost is a hinge or a chair rather than a full return and a carton. Parts are packed with the next production run, so the timing depends on when that run is; a buyer running a continuous listing should hold a standing allowance instead of ordering parts one at a time.
Set the spares allowance with the order
Tell us the models and the channel; we propose a parts allowance that covers the first season without a separate parts order.