Item was in great condition upon delivery. Took me about 3 - 3 1/2 hours to assemble. My only complaint was that the instructions state to not use power tools for assembly, so I had to use the hex keys they included. Which, naturally, after 3 hours and 60 or so screws (some of which were 4 inches long), my hands were dead. Other than that, it went together well. No alignment issues. Seems structurally solid. The bed is for my 4 year old, but my 9 year old son often uses the bed as well when they are playing together, so I think it should last a while. I also really like the loft aspect of it, we were able to use a couple of previously purchased bookcases, turned them on their sides for shelving under the bed. And the space behind the shelving allows for an additional play area under the bed, or for extra storage. Overall, I am very happy with this unit, and I am thinking about getting something similar for my son as well.