When I build houses, if I like the initial design I package the lot to a file. I never have done this with an occupied lot, only in the build stage.

When checking through my packaged lots with the Clean Installer last night, I was glad to see that custom content objects had been identified but totally freaked out to see that some of these lots had up to 50 Sims included - CAS and townies.

Is this "normal"?

I think all the sims that the sims living on the lot know are included in the lot, that's why so many character files. You wouldn't install those sims physically with the lot, but the character files would be included, and that can be a problem if you install a lot of lots like that without cleaning up the character files and end up with several hundreds of characters in the neighorhood.

That's right - you get a "grey" file for every sim they ever knew including all the ghosts in the family tree. That's so all their memories, relationships and family tree go with them intact. It's kind of a nice idea, but it makes a big addition to the new 'hood. If you delete all the extra files out of the package, you don't delete all the junk either. I know for sure you leave a mess in memories - met unknown, kissed unknown etc - these memories are unlinked in the new 'hood and that is "a bad thing" - could mess up memories of other sims. I think you may also still be taking extra SWAF and DNA info for unknown sims, but I'm not sure.

The awesome modder JM Pescado says never package lots with played sims, never move occupied lots to the lot bin or delete sims from the sim bin. All these things are bad and will leave a mess in your game files. There are threads on MATY about how to clean up game files in SimPE www.moreawesomethanyou.com is the site.

Example of lingering problem - I think I've finally cleaned up the mess in my hood from putting an occupied lot in the lot bin over a year ago. but then I thought I'd cleaned it up months back and found I hadn't. I had about 550 SimWantsAndFears files and should have had about 365. I was getting lots of wants roll up completely blank or there but with missing icons.