We purchased two of these units to flank our fireplace instead of doing built-ins (too expensive for now). We are so happy with how they look  that we may not even worry about building shelves in at all. Each unit arrived well packed in two boxes and on its own pallet wrapped in plastic. My husband and I were easily able to unpack them in the garage and haul each piece into the house for assembly. Putting them together is a breeze... just place the top piece on top of the bottom and screw the brackets into the back. Units are very solid and sturdy. We did go ahead and use Safety First straps to anchor them to the wall due to their height and the fact that we have kids. Overall we are very happy with our purchase!