Hey Doll, Here's How Much It Would Cost to Dress-up Your 'Dream House' ...
After the release of the film about one of the most iconic dolls of all time, it seems like we all want in on a little bit of the fantasy life. And what’s a doll without a dollhouse?
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This one’s the dollhouse to end all dollhouses: a multi-story, SoCal-style, bubblegum-hued paradise. We’re talking a kidney-shaped pool, swirly slide from the top floor and ample outdoor entertaining space. In some versions, you get a dancefloor complete with a disco ball, spiral staircases and walk-in closets — all in every shade of pink you can imagine.
If listed for sale today, the Malibu mansion with oceanfront property would cost somewhere around $10 million (CAD 13.5 million), according to similar listings on Realtor.com and Zillow. It’s only about $200 (CAD 270) if you pull it off a toy-store shelf — a hefty price for a dollhouse, but not so bad once you see the other number, right?
Now, you’re probably not quite “a Barbie girl in the Barbie world” for whom “life in plastic is fantastic,” as they say — and who’s had just about every career under the Malibu sun — from Astronaut to Zookeeper and everything in between — so you almost certainly don’t have that much dough just lying around. Fret not: It’s still possible to fulfill your home design dreams, even if you won’t have a make-believe amount of money.
Here’s what it would cost to add some dreamy features to your own, real home:
Palatial Pool
Perhaps your dream includes a whole lotta pool partying. And you can’t have a proper pool party without the titular feature. The toy house boasts an impressive kidney-shaped pool in the backyard. In your own space, you could elevate your pool area with all kinds of add-ons — from a fire pit to a swim-up bar to an attached hot tub. After all, the tagline is “You can be anything” — and so can your pool.
Price-wise, a kidney-shaped inground pool is going to be more expensive to install than a rectangular pool of the same type and material, simply because it’s a more complicated installation process. A normal inground pool will run you somewhere between $30,000 and $70,000 (CAD 39,000 to CAD 91,000), according to Family Handyman. Costs vary based on the material and size of the pool.
Learn More Here: Putting in a Pool? Here’s Everything You Need to Know.
… And That Slide!
Can you really have an amazing pool without a three-story pool slide? Not in your dream house, you can’t!
According to River Pools and Spas, a “large pool slide” starts in the range of $20,000 (CAD 26,700), but could cost you up to $100,000 (CAD 133,500). For that price, you’re getting an 8- to 12-foot tall, swirly pool slide with a ladder, and maybe some additional custom design features.
But a three-story slide attached to the house is — well — a different story. Our best guess? Upwards of six figures. That said, you could drop about $4,000 (CAD 5,300) on a normal, prefabricated pool slide.
As you might expect, a 30-foot exterior slide isn’t exactly a common architectural feature. (For aesthetic reasons? Maybe. For safety reasons? Almost certainly.) So, finding an accurate price for this kind of project was a bit difficult. Finding a contractor willing to tack a slide onto your Craftsman will be decidedly more so.
Pink, Pink and More Pink!
If massive structural changes to your home aren’t up your alley, here’s one on-theme improvement you could do this weekend: painting a room pink. According to Family Handyman, the typical cost to have a living room painted by a professional can range from $600 to $2,000 (CAD 750 to CAD 2,500).
If you want to paint the exterior pink to really get that dollhouse vibe, expect to pay between $3,500 and $7,000 (CAD 4,400 and CAD 8,900), according to Fixr. (Also expect a notice from your homeowner’s association if there’s a rule against certain paint colors.)
Learn More Here: How Much Do Professional Painters Charge?
Accessible Accessories
Everyone’s invited to the dance party on the top floor, so in order to make it easier for wheelchair-using guests to get to where the party’s at, the toy dollhouse has an exterior elevator.
You can install an elevator in your dream home, too. Surprisingly, it’s not the most expensive project — $28,000 to $35,000 (CAD 37,400 to CAD 46,700) for the equipment and installation, according to Lifeway Mobility. Pricing varies widely based on the type of elevator you install and how many floors it needs to visit, so it pays to do your research.
You’ll probably have to do some level of retrofitting to integrate an elevator seamlessly into your dream home. Bob Vila says you should expect to pay between $2,000 to $9,300 (CAD 2,700 to CAD 12,400) for that work.
Learn More Here: How Much Does It Cost to Install a Chair Lift or Stair Lift?
All CAD conversions are based on the exchange rate on the date of publication.