The tree arrived neatly packaged. Assembly is relatively straight forward and easy however there is some weight to the bottom and mid sections when lifting into place. At first glance the sections will appear somewhat sparse but no worries, the finished product will look much better. Do plan on spending some time (a few hours at least) properly fluffing up and spreading the branches, and do this one section at a time as you are assembling. It's a bit tedious work, but well worth the look once finished. Overall I'm extremely pleased with the tree. It looks realistic, appears well made, and a good value for the money.