My husband put this together so I can't really help with assembly.  He didn't have any issues.  

It is high, because of the bed and drawers, so my son has to use a step stool to get up in bed.  

The shelves are narrow so books do not fit on them; however, my son had fun decorating the shelves with stuffed animals, cars and pictures.  

Leave space on the sides....my son loves crawling through the space underneath from one side to the other.  If he is hiding, we know where to find him!

We haven't used the 2nd bed - we haven't even gotten a mattress yet so I can't give any feedback on that.

I definitely would recommend this to others because it is a great value and sturdy product.  I would just let them know the things I mention (which is all about preferences - not quality).

 

Pros: Fit our needs, sturdy, crawl space is fun for my son