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Theorist
Original Poster
#1 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 8:01 AM
Default House Building ...
I'm curious 'bout how ya'll do your houses. Do you prefer to download or make your own or a bit of both? What do you look for/ build towards... do you go for functionality or realism?

And any other things ya might think of to toss in and comment on 'bout what you like with houses, or any building actually.

In the past I usually went for practicality and functionality over realism or decorated, however, I want to move/ grow beyond what I normally do, to branch out and add some more of the realism. Such as right now I'm building a house that for starters has a drive way and a garage. I made sure that each of the three bedrooms has a closet and a bedside table. I'm still debatin if I want to add dressers as I strongly dislike in game ones as they don't really match or are just so HUGE. I gave the master bedroom a nice sized bathroom (en suite .. is that how it's spelled?) as well as a walk in closet instead of the EAxis ones. I also put in a walk in pantry (that's just due to the size of the house it works in it as not every house will get that. I DL'ed a working washer and dryer and put those in the basement as well as some light switches and a few other things.

So the part that I'm tryin to do now but sorta gettin stuck (partly why I'm here.. needed a quick break away...lol) is figurin out if I want to add in duct work in the basement. There are so many pieces it's a bit confusing and not sure I really want to figure it out. I mean EAxis made the duct work, but unless I'm missin somethin (which happens more than I'd like... lol) they didn't give us a unit to attach it too - no heater or a/c unit, no junction boxes, or anything of the sort.

So what do you do for your houses ....
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Mad Poster
#2 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 9:29 AM
House plan sites. That's my usual go-to. Sometimes I'll edit them a bit but I like to take the plans and make them in my game. A mix of realism and playability. I like to stick to one colour scheme for the whole house unless it's supposed to be kind of a higgledy piggledy design.

When I'm not building for a specific family, I'll add bathroom fixtures, kitchen counters + sink, and lighting. Everything else I leave for the family to add when they move in. Otherwise, building takes me an age and although I enjoy it, I get burned out too easily. Plus, I end up deleting half the stuff before I move a family in because it's too expensive for them!

There are wall vents which match the ducts but yeah I think you have to pretend the heating unit. There's probably a CC one somewhere.

I use the sims as a psychology simulator...
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#3 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 9:38 AM
Do you prefer to download or make your own or a bit of both? I do both. I build only when I feel like building.

What do you look for/ build towards... do you go for functionality or realism?
Also both. For downloading I prefer small houses with interesting architecture. If it's very simple I may as well spend 5 minutes and do it myself. I like Plasticbox's houses with split level stairs and pretty roofs.

I like pretty houses, I like colour often outside as well as inside. Makes it hard in my medieval hood with all the boring brown, grey and cream.
When I build for upload I spend a lot longer and like to decorate different ways with Maxis objects. In game I don't often do that, preferring cc.
I tend to like plenty of bathrooms since I hate bathroom pileups. To closets I much prefer the built ins, but I don't mind a chest of draws in an alcove with shelves and knickknacks above. I rarely use any of maxis wardrobes unless a bedroom is really large and it's needed to complete a set. Like you I think they are huge. I don't worry about ducts or pipes unless it's for upload and I think the place could do with some.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Mad Poster
#4 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 9:56 AM
I will download simple, one level houses. I don't like basements at all. Once I download the house, I will frequently change the furniture and make it cheaper to own one. The fripperies, such as closets, I usually delete. They're a waste of valuable space, to me.

Receptacle Refugee & Resident Polar Bear
"Get out of my way, young'un, I'm a ninja!"
Grave Matters: The funeral podium is available here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/e6tj...albits.zip/file
My other downloads are here: https://app.mediafire.com/myfiles
Mad Poster
#5 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 10:47 AM
I prefer to download them. The less CC, the better, though I make exceptions. Mostly functionality.

I'm secretly a Bulbasaur. | Formerly known as ihatemandatoryregister

Looking for SimWardrobe's mods? | Or Dizzy's? | Faiuwle/rufio's too! | smorbie1's Chris Hatch archives
Mad Poster
#6 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 12:11 PM
Do you prefer to download or make your own or a bit of both?
I do both. I'm a little picky in what I like, so I don't download just about anything - the rooms need to be big enough and placed so they work for photoshoots. I'll often use a downloaded house as a base, and either rebuild areas I don't like or redecorate. I do occasionally make houses from scratch, but it's not one of my talents, so they usually end up being 2-3 storey high and very straight-forward (with no fancy building tricks such as split-level stairs or the like).

What do you look for/ build towards... do you go for functionality or realism?
Both. I like when my sims' homes are both functional and look like someone could live there. I also use a little clutter to give the house personality.
Mad Poster
#7 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 1:49 PM
I do both. I tend to really enjoy downloaded ones because I didn't build them. I enjoy the ideas other people have and having them in my hoods adds variety.

I'm the queen of the box. Some of that is because I don't tend to plan out my houses in advance. If a sim buys a lot, he's a lawn dweller until he builds the house himself. It's usually done room by room. Once he gets enough simoleons to erect walls, he and his family live in one room until they can add on another. It's actually quite fun to do it that way. But, the downside is it tends to be boxy.

I do try to give them porches and balconies as I build, and that can break up the boxiness. But, often, they decide they need the space. So, the porches and balconies get closed in, and the box just grows.

I do like colors, though. So, their houses are as colorful as I can make them.

As for the dresser/versus closet discussion, I use both.

"Fear not little flock, for it hath pleased your Father to give you a kingdom". Luke 12:32 Chris Hatch's family friendly files archived on SFS: http://www.modthesims.info/showthread.php?t=603534 . Bulbizarre's website: https://archiveofourown.org/users/C...CoveredPortals/
Link Ninja
#8 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 3:40 PM
For homes - I started out building my own and over the years I've tweaked them to make them a bit better because I had no idea what I was doing form a structural stand point. This example of a weirdo house and this example of an old one I kept tweaking to look better over the years. I try to get a lot of functionality out of the places I build or download, because I would consider myself a player more than a builder so for another example, a lot of my homes do not have closets but every room and even some common rooms contain dressers or wardrobes so sims can easily change outfits. I never went so far as to look up floor plans to build but I had some of my architectural engineer friends in college build sims homes in my game and they turned out pretty great. Here's one - and my friend started adding water closets which are kind of realistic and make for a good bathroom separator so a sim can take a bath and another can use the toilet at the same time without getting offended at each other's state of undress.

I decorate more realistic however. I match colors so they look coherent and look like they belong in a scheme and I'm a fan of wood floors and neutral palettes and mixed exteriors. I try to avoid the horizontal paneling on houses as much as possible. I like modern builds a lot too. Interiors used to look so blah to me when only having functionality in mind. A potted plant, shelf with knick-knacks, wall art, a mirror over an end table, a coffee table under a flatscreen all make a home seem...more occupied if that makes sense. Not that I'm running around and throwing out clutter like confetti but deco items can make a room go a long way for that sweet spot of looking realistic and being functional.

After I discovered I could download homes around 2010, I gave up building them entirely. Triciamanly's homes dominate my hood now but I also download from other builders on MTS (especially apartments) like Liv, plasticbox, KarenLorraine, Phaneoh, SparklyPotato, Keef1973 etc.

I do however still build a lot of my own community lots because I have three custom down towns that needed buildings.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Mad Poster
#9 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 4:01 PM
I am an extremely lazy builder.

I mostly use my own houses in my game, because they suit my play style (there's a blue one, and a red one, a green one and a yellow one... and they all are just the same ).

There are things that I want my houses to have - even if they are small.
A back door.
A wide enough front porch so that the best seller can be delivered (because I don't know if the Sim living there is going to want to write a novel).
A kitchen with a dining table and chairs because I hate counters.
A WINDOW IN THE BATHROOM
And at least one tile around everything.

So while I do download some houses, especially smaller ones, since I really don't like building small starters, it is generally just easier to build my own.

Inside - just the basics go into a house; I will decorate when the Sims have money and can afford things (same with gardening). I like landscaping, but the sims have to be able to afford that too.
So once they can afford an expensive house, they may get a landscaped garden too.

When it comes to community lots, I put more effort in at times - it does depend on the hood, though. A very fancy restaurant may not fit into a tiny hood where there are 5 farmers trying to survive. So they may get a cheap looking diner instead. (My big hood is nice in that way - anything fits somewhere).
Mad Poster
#10 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 5:03 PM Last edited by gazania : 13th Nov 2017 at 9:09 PM.
Download or make your own or a bit of both?

I prefer to make my own, just for the challenge, or because the lots out there don't exactly have what I want. However, admittedly, some lots may either be out of my skill level, or some people simply make better versions of what I had in mind. Why reinvent the wheel? I don't purport to be a lot builder of all trades.

House plans inspire me, but I don't follow every detail. My imagination needs a little prodding.

What do you look for/ build towards... do you go for functionality or realism?

Functionality is key. Accessibility is at the top of my list. Pretty is nice, but stompy Sims are annoying. They need to go where they need to go. I'd rather build a simple layout with minimal clutter than an elaborate and pretty one that I can't use. I like at least two doors. I also strongly prefer expandability. I like being able to add a floor or an extra room, or enclose a porch if needed. Sometimes, though, I can't do this, but I download or build the house with that in mind.

Realism? I have my quirks. I like parking lots on or near community lots. Zarathustra's lots are wonderful, though I'll use those as hood deco for reasons described in the download. I like two-tile hallways ... usually ... and two-wide stairs, or other way of accessing a second or third floor other than the stairs. Kitchens MUST have cabinets, and I like toilet paper in bathrooms, with soap if I'm not using a Maxis pedestal sink that has it. At the very least, a counter where I can imagine the Sim can GO for the soap or TP!

But I don't strive to make every detail picture-perfect real. This is a fantasy in my head, after all.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Alchemist
#11 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 9:09 PM
downloaded a number of lots from the missmaxiod site.
the rest of the lots in my game are pre-made.
would start creating lots soon.

functionality vs realism; not sure on either.
Instructor
#12 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 10:32 PM
Up until last year, I build my own and sometimes downloaded homes. I was tired the mess downloading homes created, so I stopped completely. I was also tired of how ugly my own builds were, so I decided to start using home floor plans. Man, my experience with building is so much better. I honestly use to hate building, but now I can't wait to build homes for my sims.

When looking for floor plans, I look for some realism. I like the plans that has decorated interior pictures, so I can emulate each room into the game. My sims seem to enjoy my new building aspects, as their homes are finally presentable and roomy.



There's no drama, like Sims drama.

Currently Playing: Sims 2 again!




Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#13 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 11:06 PM
What mess? You can download CC free houses.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Instructor
#14 Old 10th Nov 2017 at 11:51 PM
Quote: Originally posted by joandsarah77
What mess? You can download CC free houses.

Yeah, I know, but back in 2008, the CC free homes didn't appeal to me. So, I would install homes with a gutter full of CC and have a bunch random packages in my DL folder. Of course, I would delete some the packages, and the houses would be missing some of their elements. It just became process I got sick of. So, I decide to stop downloading homes completely. Back then, I was not organized or knowledgeable with downloads. Now, It's just too fun to built my own homes, that I don't need to download them.



There's no drama, like Sims drama.

Currently Playing: Sims 2 again!




Mad Poster
#15 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 12:08 AM
Yeah, I went through that "all mine" period, too, and I guess I still do it to a great extent.Let's face it ... for many, there is a great feeling you get when you finally put the finishing touches on the lot and see your Sims move freely through it.

Personally, I am no fan of lots with huge lists full of content unless I like the lot so, so much I'm willing to overlook them (it happens once in a very long while!). When I built the two lots on here, and while building my current one, I try to keep the CC list to what I hope is a manageable number, and to a point where I hope it should take five, ten minutes tops to get rid of the content you don't want and put in your preferred choices. A lot with 100 flashing things, vases and sofas all over the place, etc. can look a little daunting!

I found while building my lots only, though, that sometimes, you overlook some perfectly good lots by others. For instance, I wanted a diner. Peni Griffin made a great diner that looked pretty much like the diner I was envisioning in my head. I could have built a diner myself, but sometimes, I like a break from building, and Peni Griffin did what I'd probably do. I figured i could focus on another building instead.

Thanks to ALL free-site creators, admins and mods.

RIP Sunni ... truly a ray of light.
Field Researcher
#16 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 1:33 AM
Do you prefer to download or make your own or a bit of both?
Right now, I'm kinda splitting the difference: building from scratch, but using floorplans from houses up for download.

What do you look for/ build towards... do you go for functionality or realism?
Here, I'm very much "Functionality First": what good's a realistic house if it's nigh-unusable?

WARNING: Professional Lurker Alert!
Quote:
"Ew, trees [WooHoo-ing]."

-- "Oral Pollination", Not Always Right
Scholar
#17 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 2:20 AM
I make most of my own lots, though I also have a few pre-builds. Pre-build houses tend to be appearance-first, though if it's an apartment/flat, I also expect it to work. Residential/commercial lots tend to be relatively simple for me to fix to something I'd like... ...unless I built them myself, for some reason. Probably because I like building long, semi-decorative swimming "lanes" too much. The fact I like my houses fairly small, prefer them to have slightly too few than too many items, and don't mind the occasional routing fail is not helpful either.
Forum Resident
#18 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 5:06 AM
While I do download (once in a blue moon) lots, I usually build my own. It's easier because Clean Installer doesn't work on my computer.

I tend to balance functionality and realism. I don't create a broom closet or a pantry, but I'll have upper cabinets and shelves in the kitchen, and I may even put a small washer/drying there too. Sometimes I have closets, but depending on the house size, I may not. *shrugs*

I try to surf through plans for my usual buildings, but occasionally, I just build my own. Again, it depends on who the house is intended for, and that will depend on how the house looks.

For my physical health, I can't eat cheesecake everyday.
For my mental health, I imagine eating cheesecake everyday.
It's a delicate balance.
Theorist
Original Poster
#19 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 5:44 AM
Quote: Originally posted by AliaD85
While I do download (once in a blue moon) lots, I usually build my own. It's easier because Clean Installer doesn't work on my computer.

I tend to balance functionality and realism. I don't create a broom closet or a pantry, but I'll have upper cabinets and shelves in the kitchen, and I may even put a small washer/drying there too. Sometimes I have closets, but depending on the house size, I may not. *shrugs*

I try to surf through plans for my usual buildings, but occasionally, I just build my own. Again, it depends on who the house is intended for, and that will depend on how the house looks.


I like all answers, but your answer is more of what I was curious about. Such as if ya put those little things in that are in real homes, but are basically non-essential to the sims. I was gonna put an coat closet in the entry of this house, but I didn't like the aesthetics of how it looked, so instead I went for the coat rack that's in game. I do however like the little pantry I put in. It serves for looks, but because it has some deco stuff in it the sims can go in their and view the stuff to increase their ... I think it's fun.. no?
Lab Assistant
#20 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 10:28 AM
I like to build my houses on my own but many times when it's a huge lot it just takes too long. But on the other side I almost only play on beach lots and it's hard to find a nice house that's also on a beach lot. I usually just download community lots and do the rest on my own. And I also never plan, I look at some nice houses and just start building
e3 d3 Ne2 Nd2 Nb3 Ng3
retired moderator
#21 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 1:47 PM
I like to build, that's one of the most fun things to do for me.

I do copy get inspiration from other people's lots, though. :lovestruc
The Great AntiJen
retired moderator
#22 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 3:54 PM
I like building stuff and usually build things I want for a specific purpose but I also like interesting and creative builds by other people. What I think is interesting and creative, of course, is very subjective.

I no longer come over to MTS very often but if you would like to ask me a question then you can find me on tumblr or my own site tflc. TFLC has an archive of all my CC downloads.
I'm here on tumblr and my site, tflc
Scholar
#23 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 4:39 PM
I usually build my own, but they're pretty boring really - usually very boxy and 99% function over form. Either that or I'll take a Maxis-made one and re-work it to suit. I have also tried using floor plans, but the only time I managed to get a gorgeous house, I lost it in the "laptop death and subsequent reset" episode of 2015 I think it was... unfortunately I've not been able to locate that plan again

I have downloaded houses and loved them, but I find so many get tarted up with terrain paint, which, while looking great on the right terrain, looks horrible in a hood where they don't match (think deep green grass paint in a desert hood - ugh!). This is one of the main reasons why I loathe it, as unlike walls and floors, the paint isn't deletable without messing with landscaping, and impossible to lose around the edge of a lot no matter what you do. I suppose the LotAdjuster might help matters if one is willing to make the lot bigger or smaller, but I prefer to use that for more appropriate reasons, like shrinking a lot to enable terraced housing or expanding to accommodate a new driveway etc.

I suppose there's always the option of "download and copy design onto unpainted lot", but that kind of defeats the whole object...

No need to use my full name, "Selly" will do just fine.
Mad Poster
#24 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 4:40 PM
The only lots I download have roofs I can't do. I HAVE to change Maxis lots; the mix of time periods and styles drives me crazy. It helps to have the age-appropriate CC, but even without them, a good builder can stick to the plan. And price IS an issue, so even if I will need a bigger lot later for my heritage family, I start small and build cheap- whither it's gothic, revival, Victorian, 60's (my fav) or futuristic.

Stand up, speak out. Just not to me..
Theorist
Original Poster
#25 Old 11th Nov 2017 at 4:46 PM
Quote: Originally posted by Selly_2009
I usually build my own, but they're pretty boring really - usually very boxy and 99% function over form. Either that or I'll take a Maxis-made one and re-work it to suit.

I have downloaded houses and loved them, but I find so many get tarted up with terrain paint, which, while looking great on the right terrain, looks horrible in a hood where they don't match (think deep green grass paint in a desert hood - ugh!). This is one of the main reasons why I loathe it, as unlike walls and floors, the paint isn't deletable without messing with landscaping, and impossible to lose around the edge of a lot no matter what you do. I suppose the LotAdjuster might help matters if one is willing to make the lot bigger or smaller, but I prefer to use that for more appropriate reasons, like shrinking a lot to enable terraced housing or expanding to accommodate a new driveway etc.

I suppose there's always the option of "download and copy design onto unpainted lot", but that kind of defeats the whole object...


I've never had any issues gettin rid of terrain paint or messed with any of the landscaping, however that's just me :P
Landscaping is one of those things that for my own builds I generally don't do. For builds that I might upload (still have a handful of houses I need to complete and take pics of so I can upload ...lol) I go by MTS guidelines of doin at least some. I see some houses with these beautiful landscapes/ gardens and stuff, but most times it's from CC and not ingame stuff. Maybe that should be on my next list of things to look for and DL ... nice plants, trees, and such.
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