There's a lot of reasons that might convince you to build a bunk bed, rather then buying one. The obvious one, of course, being that it is simply cheaper to build one yourself then to buy one new. However, if you get the bed second hand, you could find one for as little as $150. Actually, you might well be able to get one new for that price, but I wouldn't recommend it. As I'm sure you're aware, if something is cheap there's probably a good reason for the low price tag, and it's worth spending the extra money to get a better bed.

If it is the price putting you off, then you should seriously consider building your own. It's not nearly as difficult as you might expect to construct a bed, and bunk bed kits are surprisingly easy to get hold of. You can eve, if you wish, simply purchase the plans for the bed and supply the tools and materials yourself. Well, you'd have to supply the basic tools yourself anyway, but full kits include everything that goes into the final product. Now, lets think about why you might want to do this.

In the first place, as I've already mentioned, kits are easy to put together. Not completely effortless, but you don't have to be an expert woodworker to do it. All you need is a bit of basic knowledge, and some standard tools that you'll almost certainly have lying about anyway, such as a hammer or screwdriver. If you've bought a full kit, then all you need to do is start assembling it, otherwise you'll have to pick up the lumber first. Just stop off at your local home hardware store, and they'll have what you need.

Next, think about this- if you want a design that's even slightly personalized, this is impossible to do with a shop-bought bed. You'll get the same design that everyone else has, the same color, the same everything. If you want something even slightly different, then you either have to alter one you've bought (too much work!) or build your own. that seems like a pretty good reason to me.

The second most popular reason, after the lower price, for building your own bed is that it's something fun for the whole family. A construction project, such as putting together a bunk bed, is an excellent activity to which both adults and children can contribute to. Of course, if you think your kids might not be interested, or you just don't want them involved, you can always build it yourself. Perhaps give it to them as a surprise gift. I know they'll be proud to be able to say to their friends, when asked where the bed came from, that "my dad built it for me". Or even more so, "I built it- with my dads help"!

Another reason, which I've already said something about, is that only when you build something yourself can you be sure it works as you intend it to. Whatever you're looking for in a bed, you know that when you put it together yourself you can make it exactly what you want it to be. When you buy it, you have no such guarantee. Be careful not to change the designs too much, though, as you could end up reducing the structural stability. This is really not something you want to do, especially where your children's safety is potentially concerned. On the other hand, even keeping to the plans for construction exactly, there is a lot more opportunity to alter the designs with the use of pain, stencils, stickers, or whatever else you want to use. This is especially useful if you need to match some other furniture, or just not clash with your carpets. Think about it.

The number of plans available, as well, is extremely large, so you can easily find something that closely matches what you want and then adapt it to your specific designs. You can not only choose different shapes for the bed itself, but also find whatever extra features you want. For example, you might want a bunk bed with storage lockers or drawers underneath it. Or a loft bed with something larger, perhaps a desk, or closet, under it. any of these (and more) are available.

There are some cases where a low cost bunk bed could be the right solution. If you only need the bed for a short time, and aren't worried about long lasting quality, then this might be fore you. Likewise, if you need a bed in a hurry, although I might suggest not getting a bunk bed in that situation. As with anything else, you can have it cheap or fast or good, but never all three.

However, building a bunk bed has a large number of advantages that go beyond just the money saved. Building a bunk or loft bed can be a fun family project, that serves to bring parents and children closer together. You can customize the bed as much as you wish, changing the color and design to fit whatever you wish it to, and there are a huge variety of kits and plans available for you to get started.