MOC wip Haunted house need help/advice

[Fuppylodders]

Hi people,

When I saw the haunted house I knew I wanted to get it, I loved it! Then I started seeing other peoples haunted house mocs and I wanted to do something a bit more than build TLGs version. So, I got TLGs version, built it, still love it but as I said, I wanted something more. So I bought another haunted house. My idea was to basically use the bits from both, try to mate together 2 built houses. I figured Id use LDD to help me achieve this. Id be able to remove one side wall off both houses, use those 2 side walls to extend it further and have a larger house. Once built, Id build it on a nice base to build a scenario around it.

So far it appeared to be going ok, I had even built a centre spire (using additional bits) and after some research on conservatories, I added one of them in too after inspiration from a picture I found (again, additional bits required.).

Now my problem starts.

I had initially wanted to build a basement underneath, quite like how Sergio has on his, but due to a lack of current parts, I have left it out for the time being. Another problem occurred. How to open the house.

After removing the hinge bricks from the chimney, as I had repositioned the chimney, I needed it to open. But to do that now, the roof gets in the way of it opening.

So do I make it like typical modular houses, and make removable floors, by adding a row of tiles to each floor?

Also, Im now not sure it is wide enough. Looking at Others, they are huge. Mine looks like it has the width, but not the depth (front to back)...

I am also now unsure of the entire house itself. There are some things which I really like, like the balcony doors being able to open up onto a balcony, the main front door (and steps/wall leading up to it), the conservatory and the spires (or at least, the pointed roof bits). The thing is, after seeing just how amazing Sergio's is, mine pales in comparison. Im ok at building if I have a starting block to build from, but to go from completely scratch, I struggle. But now there isn't a lot that would be so impressive about the one I am doing, as it is basically just 2x 10228 houses stuck together with some things moved around...

Do I start again?

Do I make more depth to the house?

What do I do to the interior?

Do I make removable floors, or can someone see a potential way to make hinged bricks work?

Here is a link to the current state of where Im at with it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66283772@N04/sets/72157633510954542/

Edited May 16, 2013 by Fuppylodders

[Redhead1982]

It looks nice as a model. I'd suggest making it modular if you can with removable floors. And if you plan to make it haunted, I'd skip some glass from the conservatory at the back to make it more realistic.

[TheLegoDr]

I think you have enough depth. It looks very dominating from the front for sure. There are houses around here that look like that. Larger from the front, but they don't look incredibly deep front to back, but they are still a huge 3-4,000 square foot house.

I think for play value, I would prefer the hinge opening effect. I love that on the original. But at that size, it would be difficult to incorporate. As weird as it may sound, would there be a way to hinge both sides and also the back, so it opens up into multiple sections instead of just down the middle like the official set? I'm thinking hinges in the middle on each side, then you have the seam on the back that opens up. Maybe even have hinges on each side (picture the back split into fourths. Use the furthest left and furthest right quarter mark as hinges, with the middle being the seam to open) with the seam in the middle of the back. Just an idea. I don't know how it would work in real brick.

Having a modular building is very doable, but then you lose some access to the interior at that size. It works for modulars because they are smaller scale width/depth. Unless you had sections it might work okay.

Otherwise, I think it looks great. I would not say it just looks like two official sets thrown together. It looks very unique compared to the official set. You can see the inspiration, but it is very different.

Keep up the great work. I'd love to see more!

[Fuppylodders]

Thank you Redhead and LegoDr. I shall play around with making broken glass in the conservatory, probably more so when I do it in real bricks as the random placement will literally be random and not too... thought of... if you know what I mean? But yes, a few trans clear cheese slopes on the upper portion of it and some 'shattered' glass on the floor. My intention is to have some green vines climbing up the window through the triangle corner holes (where I couldnt figure out how to make into glass) as though it has broken through, with some glass on the floor.

That is not a bad idea at all LegoDr. It would make it more manageable for space for the rear half to open in 2 left and right halves/quarters. Id really like to achieve this, and keep it open up this way as it is almost like a 'play house' that has actual playability to it rather than having to remove floors to gain access to each level. But now again, the problem persists:-

If I was to have hinges on the middle of the left and right sides, the roof overhang prevents it opening up, as the wall that the hinge would be on is positioned further back than the roof overhang meaning the overhang is physically in the way. Can anyone think of a way to overcome this?

Thank you also for the comment that it doesnt look like 2x10228s put together... After messing around with it and staring at it for sooo long I start to lose sense of what I am trying to achieve and start to see 10228 too much

[shaggysanchez]

I was also thinking of hinging it the same way the LegoDr recommended but my thought was a bit different to help make it easier with the roof sections on the side. In a house that large it is not uncommon to see multiple fire places. I know it would change your design up a bit but you could put a fire place with chimney on each end of the house giving you the ability to put the hinges in them. Then you could have it open where the current chimney is located. This would also mean you would need to change the side door but you could move that to the rear of the house or possibly even have enough room to squeeze it in next to the new chimney but it might be a little cramped like that.

With that said I really like what you have done with the 2 haunted houses and love the conservatory in the rear.

Edited May 17, 2013 by shaggysanchez