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Tiny House Challenge

cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
edited March 2018 in The Sims 3 Builders
There is a movement for tiny homes that I find very appealing. We've had contests before on building on a 10x10 lot and that in itself is challenging.

I was looking through the builders forum in the Sims 4 section and saw a challenge to build a tiny home. There was a lot of interest and, though I find Sims 4 lots unappealing, I like the tiny home concept and thoroughly enjoyed the creativity.

I wondered how many Sims 3 players would enjoy this challenge as well.

I started with the 16-tile challenge and built an 8x2 home on a 10x10 lot. Adding a porch to the front and a nice garden in back, it didn't look too bad. It played well for one, even after inviting another sim in. But, I like more ins and outs to a structure, more fun with roof lines, and really, a bit more elbow room.

roof_up_original.jpg

l0wu_original.jpg

http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9156347

So, I thought to make a 5x3 with an extra bump out on one end for my next 16-tile attempt. BUT, the roof line would NOT cooperate and I had to go with a 6x3 main area and a bump out of 1x2. So, instead of following the 16-tile challenge, I just went with a tiny home on a tiny lot.

roof_up_original.jpg

l0wu_original.jpg

l0wd_original.jpg

http://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=9157295

I'd really love to see the interest in this that I noted in the Sims 4 section. Of course, Sims 4 is the current game and thus more likely to have more interest. However, there are still simmers who love Sims 3 and love a challenge. So, surprise me!

Feel free to build your tiny home with a second floor and/or basement. Also, bump up the lot size if you prefer but try to keep the foot print of the home within, at least, a 10x10 grid square.
Less is more!

Check out ideas here:
https://www.pinterest.com/electricfizz/sims-3-tiny-home-ideas/


Post edited by ciane on

Comments

  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    Oooh!! I love this! I love making tiny houses in Sims, truly a challenge! (Definitely made easier if you have the all-in-one baths!)

    Yours are lovely examples! Small but not plain or simple. I love the complex rooves, that adds so much to the character and keeps it from looking like a single-wide trailer. That first one looks like a delightful little cottage!
  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    I remember a challenge a long time ago to build tiny 10x10 commercial lots and that was really fun.

    I love making tiny houses although I tend to use the entire grid in the process. I'll play along and see what I can come up with. :)
  • cwaddellcwaddell Posts: 4,960 Member

    This sounds interesting.

    I don't know what the 16 challenge is but am guessing that the footprint takes up no more than 16 squares of the grid. Is that a requirement for a tiny house? Are second floors allowed? Any limits on cost?
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    cwaddell wrote: »
    This sounds interesting.

    I don't know what the 16 challenge is but am guessing that the footprint takes up no more than 16 squares of the grid. Is that a requirement for a tiny house? Are second floors allowed? Any limits on cost?

    Yes, I had read a 16-tile challenge on the sims 4 thread as I was looking through all the pages; but I am not really sure where that came from (maybe another similar challenge?) I found the 16-tiles doable, but extremely limiting, especially for playing with roof lines. So, NO, 16-tiles isn't a requirement, just kind of a guide.

    YES, second floors are allowed. Most tiny homes have a loft for bedroom(s) and additional space.

    No limit on cost. Have fun!

    @Kgaff - tiny commercial lots is a great idea too!

    When we built on 10x10 lots in the past, we did tend to use most of the 8x8 building room. I'm hoping to see maybe only half of that used for the building to allow more green space. :smiley:

    @creativemetaphor - I love fun roof lines! I love to see variety in building materials, windows, walls, fences, and rooves.

  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    edited November 2017
    I did two tiny houses today. One used about two-thirds of the lot on the first one and the other came out about 8x7.

    I cannot believe how I managed to get the cost over 20,000 simoleons on each but I did! I think using the All-in-one is the most expensive way to go but what can you do?
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    You are going to share pics, right, @Kgaff?
  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    @kgaff LOL yeah I'm not trying to make them starters, but I did manage to make three minis today, all 16 tiles! (well okay, one is technically 17 because it has two half-tiles...)

    Very fun! Will share pics but do want to play test first. Which should be interesting as my game isn't playing with with the actual sims lately! lol
  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    edited November 2017
    Yeah, I managed to play test half of one build before crash so I'm just gonna post a few pictures and worry about that later

    Litenby Cottage
    Inspired in part by @ciane 's first build which looked so much like a tiny little cottage!
    All-in-one bath and a large garden
    littenby-cottage-1.jpg
    littenby-cottage-3.jpg
    littenby-cottage-4.jpg
    littenby-cottage-9.jpg

    Casa Pequeña
    Inspired by the US's South West adobe style homes
    Fresh air kitchen, all-in-one bath behind, and a flat roof with ladder
    casa-pequena-1.jpg
    casa-pequena-2.jpg
    casa-pequena-7.jpg
    casa-pequena-8.jpg
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    Love them both! I can't wait to see the other one you made.
  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    Here's some pics of my first one. It looks like I must try and go smaller but it's so hard for me!!! Such awesome builds @creativemetaphor !

    I need to follow your lead @ciane and try to go more compact but I do like having a bit of room to move around in.

    This is on a 10x10 lot. It has everything a sim needs to start out. I manged to fit in a desk and a funky semi-circular sofa. It also has a small lounge area in the backyard.

    24491172868_d6430f502d.jpg

    Here's the rest of the pics
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  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    edited November 2017
    Oh, I love that, @Kgaff! Very nice. You did get a lot in! I love that your counter seats two and that you have room for a nice couch. The lounge out back and the bench out front and the asymmetric look are great! I LOVE the way you used that plate rack with the book shelf on top. I rarely use that plate rack as it doesn't slide up and down, so it's limited. Very nice choices!

    I have built another one this morning too, but I haven't play tested it yet. I built it at the university, where I'm playing right now. It's Sunday. So, I'll send a sim over and see if they can test out a house they aren't living in. Nope, I can't just wander in an empty house. Maybe some one can move there.
    Post edited by ciane on
  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    @kgaff Oh how adorable!! So cozy looking, and I love that couch :mrgreen: The green makes the whole build feel very soothing


    I finished screenshotting my third from yesterday and then did another because reasons. lol


    The Little Princess
    This is technically 17 tiles with the angled walls.
    the-little-princess-1.jpg
    the-little-princess-2.jpg
    the-little-princess-3.jpg
    the-little-princess-4.jpg

    Micronesia
    Stilt-house with sauna! Just cause it's small doesn't mean it can't have some luxury
    micronesia-1.jpg
    micronesia-2.jpg
    micronesia-3.jpg
  • soocoolsimsoocoolsim Posts: 6,260 Member

    O my gosh these tiny houses are so totally and absolutely cute. Each of you rocked this and I love how each home has their own special vibe. I am sooo bad at tiny lots I'm not even gonna try. Great idea ciane. Looking forward to seeing more tiny lots pop up here :smiley:
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    Oh nice! I love the little Victorian. The sauna is great too! See how much fun this is? And how addictive!
  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    @creativemetaphor Love the mini vic. I think your builds qualify as 'Micro mini" :)

    That little tropical one is great B)

    I have two more to show you but it will have to wait until tomorrow, football tonight takes priority!!! GO PATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • suzsessuzses Posts: 2,433 Member
    Love all the tiny houses. <3 I think this sounds fun. I played a 4x4 challenge (which is 16 squares), and boy that little house was cramped. In the challenge, though, you kept adding 4x4 sections and eventually it became a big house. We (some of us) did 10x10 lots for a Build n Share challenge a year or two ago, which seem almost palatial in comparison. :p I think I'll play around with this this week.
    Ackney-upon-Sherne Collab on the forum here
    My Sims 3 Studio
    My forum builds thread
  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    @suzses Can't wait to see what you come up with!

    @kgaff now I suddenly want to do a micro-mansion. All the rooms without all that wasted space :lol:
  • AlphaFFrogAlphaFFrog Posts: 1,250 Member
    edited March 2018
    :star: Yay this thread and all the tiny treasures in it! :star:

    @creativemetaphor your mini masterpieces really live up to the creative part of your name :o I love the Micronesia idea!

    @Kgaff your small slice of suburbia is perfectly formed and so homely for something so tiny, great exterior <3

    I've got an old 10x10 bakery/cafe that I built yonks ago when experimenting with the bakery/oven/savvy sellers sets (turns out running a business is hard work :o Who knew? :| ). I've neatened it up for some pics below. Also I've been waiting for ages for the feeblest excuse to try a micro home, it looks like so much fun/a tears inducing challenge! :love:

    If you don't like excessive use of blue/tweeness/bad picture taking then look away now :*

    Dainty Delights

    h4K6tnB.jpg?1
    Tea on the terrace:
    fAOhrz4.jpg?1
    Various cake eating areas: Abandon diets all ye who enter here!
    wLDe8r1.jpg?1
    ug2kNyk.jpg?1
    YHPXb4u.jpg?1
    Basement/Play Area:
    1YWHyaO.jpg?1
    Post edited by AlphaFFrog on
  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    @AlphaFen <3<3<3 I love it!! It is blue over load but I love the layout and all the choices you made like the fencing around the bakery counters and the powder rooms and well...just all of it. There is a place in Indianapolis called the Cake Bake Shop and this reminds me of it.

  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    So now, I must admit, I am addicted to tiny houses and I can't stop!

    Here are three more I did and I have so many other ideas

    Itty Bitty Nautical Theme

    Flickr album here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/154029363@N06/albums/72157662595394208
    37681504874_96f95361b6.jpg
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    Itty Bitty Asian Theme
    Flickr album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/154029363@N06/albums/72157688437986421/with/26620010449/
    26620010449_01240a4c83.jpg
    38395690621_1fd65e3d5e.jpg

    26620004639_9b30744f1e.jpg

    26620002589_70da4df016.jpg

    Itty Bitty Tree House
    Flicker Album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/154029363@N06/albums/72157690569356366

    38340948356_bacb8a7292.jpg
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  • KgaffKgaff Posts: 1,614 Member
    edited November 2017
    AlphaFen wrote: »
    :star: Yay this thread and all the tiny treasures in it! :star:

    @creativemetaphor your mini masterpieces really live up to the creative part of your name :o I love the Micronesia idea!

    @Kgaff your small slice of suburbia is perfectly formed and so homely for something so tiny, great exterior <3

    That is a great name and I'm going to steal it >:) "Small Slice of Suburbia" Thanks
  • creativemetaphorcreativemetaphor Posts: 1,543 Member
    @kgaff I am far more amused than perhaps I should be over the fact that when I clicked on the link for more of your Asian build pictures, I got a "Bad Panda" picture with the 'oops, we're sorry, we can't display the page, etc'.

    But it's cleared up now, so no worries and drat! I was going to do an Asian one, but ran out of time (and steam) :mrgreen: Looks amazing! Love every tiny little square of it! The nautical and tree-house are just fabulous as well but I really love that Asian!

    @AlphaFen What a fabulous little delicatessen! Love the fresh air dining on the second floor :)
  • cianeciane Posts: 16,996 Member
    LOVE them ALL!

    @AlphaFen - That is such an icy, pale blue. I love it!!!

    @Kgaff - The nautical is so very pretty! I love the big picture window on the end like that.
    The Asian one is very peaceful. Very nice choices!
    The tree house actually looks like a tree house. Great shape and perfect trees!
  • AlphaFFrogAlphaFFrog Posts: 1,250 Member
    edited November 2017
    @creativemetaphor Thanks :blush: I originally called it Dainty Delights Delicatessen but changed it as I wasn't sure if it counted as a deli or not. That and I got into an odd habit of alliterating all my builds. Which I'm pretty sure is @ciane fault and if it's not I'm blaming her anyway o:)

    @Kgaff Thank you for the compliment of your blatant thievery you blatant thief :blush: Also for the lovely things you said about the bakery <3 I'm glad it's like something in real life and I wasn't way off base with my theme :) I really like your new builds (treehouse with tree table! :D ) and I don't know how you fit all that stuff in the nautical build and still make it look so spacious! <3 Between the building brainstorm of you and @creativemetaphor they'll be nothing left to build :p
    Kgaff wrote: »
    @AlphaFen It is blue over load

    You're right...... I should add more blue :*
  • Jude525Jude525 Posts: 1,696 Member
    By Odin's beard! This is phenomenal! (Be warned, lot of exclamation marks here) I am so glad that I've stumbled in here. I wish I'd gotten in sooner, because I'm overwhelmed with all the wonderfulness happening at once. Oh, but wait, IT'S ONLY BEEN 3 DAYS!!!! You people are nuts!

    @creativemetaphor, Litenby Cottage is absolutely charming. And you actually managed to find room in Casa Pequeña for a brick pizza oven!

    @Kgaff, just give me a shed out back for all my holiday decorations (I'm a bit of an addict) and drop the bed to floor level (I don't do ladders) and I could totally live in your first house. But that nautical house! While I "could" live in the first house, I "want" to live in this one. But, there is no download link. Is it on your exchange page, or somewhere else? Please say yes.

    It reminds me of a tiny stilt style house I once built in Lunar Lakes. The backstory was that the girl who lived there was third generation. Her grandfather had been a naval captain before taking to space travel, and had left her a couple chests with nautical themed items, which she used to decorate her home. It was also all cool shades and an open plan. I wish I still had a copy so that I could share it here.

    @AlphaFen, I love the bakery. I don't believe you can have too much blue. And I think stacking rooms is a great way to utilize a small footprint.

    So, obviously, now you've got me thinking I have to try this out. Gonna have to think a little to try and come up with something unique. Y'all have thrown so many different styles in the ring already. I really think I may try a stacked house, similar to @AlphaFen's bakery. Mainly because that is a concept I've played with before. I actually had a dream once years ago of a house like that and have never gotten it out of my head.

    I don't know if I am into the 16 tile approach. Here's why. I watch the tiny home shows on TV, and I feel there is a line between a tiny home and a free-standing dorm room. I am a fan of the former, not the latter. Of course, ask anyone who knows me and they will laugh out loud, with milk coming out of their nose, at the concept of my living in such a small space.

    I like stuff. Lots of stuff. I won't deny this. But I have a small income. If I am ever to own a home, it will have to be modest. And a smaller home means lower taxes and lower utility bills. So I play with this idea a lot. Honestly, I don't see myself going this small. I've mentioned my love of holiday decorating. Just finding room for a Christmas tree in most tiny homes is a challenge. Although I have determined that having a decent sized shed to store the decorations off season reduces the need for closet space in the actual house.

    And, I used to entertain. And hope to again. Living in the American northeast, this cannot be done outside throughout the year. But in the Sims, I can. So, my small house challenge here will give me a chance to play with ideas that I might otherwise have done in another life. Like, say, maybe, a SimLife?

    By the gods, I am so incapable of being brief. Like, maybe, "hey, great job, everyone. I think I wanna play." Yeah, that.
    aka Jude
    I own the store as of 1+7/17/17

    My Studio

    My build thread in the Creative Corner
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