I had my dad and father-in-law come help with this project. We are all pretty much beginners, but have done some building in the past.
Because I'm not experienced, I didn't find the plans to be in depth enough. Some parts weren't not fully explained and took some guesswork.
I also didn't know what a Kreg Jig was or how expensive it was! This upped my cost by $100. It was well worth buying however, and will be used again in future projects.
We added a railing to the platform since the bed is up against a window with a screen. If the kids were to fall off the platform and hit the screen, they could fall 2 stories. The railing is just screwed into the side of the platform and can be removed at any time.
Overall, I love how it turned out and so do my kids! It fits the toddler-sized DIY bed that my husband and I built right underneath so my 4 year old and 2 year old can now share a room.
More details and pictures are on my blog: http://themombot.com/crafting/2014/05/09/details-our-diy-bunk-bed
