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Good House Plans?
NerdySims99
Posts: 150 Member
So I've recently gotten back into designing houses for sims, normally I only create buildings if I absolutely have to (for example; orphanage for the Orphanage challenge, asylum for the Asylum Challenge, and so forth) but recently I've really liked making my own just for fun! Only problem is that I'm not the best at creating actual house plans, I much prefer just to have a plan ready and start building it. So my question is to the people that use already made house plans instead of making their own, what are some good places (or books even!) to find house plans? 
"You've gotta be stirring my pasta."
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I search for plans on Google- 3 bed/2 bath single story house plans... and see what I can find.
Thanks!
With my current family, I started out with just two Sims I created, and plopped them onto a large, bare lot. I then paused the game to keep them at the mailbox, and began by creating a foyer, and built out on both sides, from the back of the foyer. I kept the interior space as open as I could, and created a large kitchen to the right (if you face the house from the front), and next to the kitchen I put in a "guest" bathroom, and then left some open space at the back of the house. On the left side (rear) I put in a library/reading room with two bookcases and a three seater sofa between them, and at the left front side of the house I put a sitting room which I left open to the rest of the house. In front of the sitting room I put a fireplace which I've since moved into the sitting room (this is the best thing about Sims life. It's so easy to move things). I then built an upstairs with a double staircase off the foyer and put a large open interior space off the stairs, and kind of to the left, and moving forward toward the front of the house I built a bathroom with cabinets, a sink, a shower, toilet, and bathtub. On the other side, I decided to have a kind of loft/balcony look so I used the fence tool to put in a banister. Then, if you're still facing the house from the front, I built a "guest" bedroom (which I knew would eventually house a kid), and next to/behind the bedroom I built a nursery (which currently houses three children; a toddler and two babies, and will soon have another baby added to it).
I was using the open hall space to put an exercise station beneath the windows, but since the toddler will soon become a child, he'll need his own room, so I just moved the exercise station to a different part of the upstairs, still in the hallway, and now I have the next child to-be ready with his own room. Next to that, in the back part of the house on the inner right side is the en-suite bathroom for the parents. Finally, I have the parents' room. In front of their bathroom I have just installed a set of stairs that now go up to a third floor, and that lets out onto a large landing, and so on the way front of the house which starts with the foyer on the first floor, and the kids' bathroom on the second floor, has a large balcony on the third floor. There is nothing on the right side of the house on this level, but off the landing I have the girl to be's room, and it's got EVERYTHING. I'm spoiling her rotten. She's got her own fireplace, desk (well, all the children have their own desks so they can do their homework), a bookcase, a sitting area for watching T.V. or lounging; toys, the child's oven, the dollhouse. Everything a girl could want.
Anyway, just start with some walls and go from there. Let your imagination take hold and run with it. It's the Sims!
An above post - thinking about what kind of fsmily will live there. That really helps as well.
> I used to be bad at making houses too, and I'd see other simmers with gorgeous houses. So I just tried replicating them or I'd try to copy ingame houses but make them larger. I think I am really good now, if I can toot my own horn. It just takes practice and the patience to see what will and won't work.
> An above post - thinking about what kind of fsmily will live there. That really helps as well.
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I'm glad you are happy with the homes you've been making.
I'm kind of a fly-by-night kind of person when it comes to making homes for my Sims. I just try to either start out small and make sure it's a house I can expand later, or make it a big house to start but ensure I can fill in walls, etc., down the road. But I think I'm lucky in that regard. I have a tendency to be able to "see" things for houses that others can't. I did it in real life with my own home. I had a kitchen I DESPISED and in certain areas of the kitchen I'd "see" things where they should be instead of what was really there, and it helped a lot when it came time to remodeling the kitchen several years ago. I'm also in the process of redoing my backyard/patio, and I designed it myself and showed the drawing to my landscaper so he could see what I was after, and he was impressed, and so was the landscape designer he had come out to discuss options. She even asked me why I don't go into house design or landscape design as a career. I said, "Because of the people." I'm so not a people person, and somewhere around here I mentioned already that I don't have much patience. I'd likely wind up getting fired from every job I got if I tried putting up with people I was trying to design for, lol.
I'd love to post a picture of the current Sim house I did that I've got my Sim family living in. Can I post directly or do I need to use photobucket or something?
When I'm able to, I'll take pictures and post them. It's an interesting house at the least.
Have you tried using the outdoor lighting?
Some can be placed on the grass, others upright and others on fences or the edge of paths.
The newest house (Unoccupied) that I created:
The Courtyard House
And these are some photos of the house I currently have my family in:
First Floor - Kitchen, Bathroom, Art Room, General Entertainment Area, Reading Room (back left side of house), Sitting Room/T.V. Room (in front of the Reading Room)
Second Floor
Third Floor
Close-up Shots:
Kitchen, Bathroom, Art Room, etc.
Kids' Wing - Second Floor
Parents' Wing w/en-suite - Second Floor
Julie's Room and Balcony
I've recently added another bedroom for Charlie on this level, but I don't have a pic of his room (and considering the color combination of his en-suite, maybe that's best, lol. Also, As you can see in the "Children's Wing," Jeremy's Room (the green room on the second floor) is smack in the middle. This used to be extra landing space, but I needed to close it off for him when he went from toddlerhood to childhood and needed a bedroom of his own. When the two remaining toddlers no longer need the nursery, I'll be converting that space into David's room and I'll finally be able to move Julie up to the room I created for her when she was born. And finally, if you look at the front room on the second floor (above the foyer) that's the kids' bathroom (for Petey, Jeremy, and eventually David).
Edited to add that Julie's room in the picture above doesn't show the en-suite I added, but she now has one. It took some creative maneuvering, but now that I fixed the placement of the shower/tub (one of the kids brought to my attention that it was inaccessible in it's then-current location, lol), it's a nice little en-suite.
I like your courtyard house and I hadn't quite pictured it like that in my mind - I think I was visualising one of those "hacienda" type houses.
I didn't realise you are playing in Pleasantview - hope your Sim is getting along with the neighbours?
It's good to see your Sims are employing a gardener (especially when you have a lot of children to look after!) and the limo carpool suggests your adult Sim have topped a Career - well done!
I would probably make a few changes to the bedroom:-
I like to keep cots in the parent's bedroom so that they will wake up when the toddler cries and the Social Worker won't come and take them away. You can always place a single bed in another room for one of the parents to get a good night's (or day) sleep.
The bedroom is quite a large area - you might be able to create a small sitting room where the TV, sofa and armchairs could be placed.
Thank you! Yes, they seem to mostly get along with their neighbors, though I am getting really annoyed with some blond that keeps showing up really late at night to use the swingset!? Then she has the nerve to actually come in the house and tried to pick one of the toddlers up, but thankfully I prevented her from doing so (I get nervous when "outsiders" pick up the kids because I do remember back in the Sims 1 game that I lost a baby/toddler to an "outsider." She picked up the kid and walked off with it! If I hadn't just saved the game, I'd never have gotten the kid back! So I only let nannies and family hold the babies and toddlers now.
There actually is a sofa in front of the bed and a T.V. on the wall. Been there since day one, lol. I took the chairs away because if I tried making a Sim that was on/in/next to the bed try and turn the T.V. off, they'd stamp their feet and throw a temper-tantrum because for some reason they couldn't/wouldn't walk around the chairs to turn the T.V. off.
Weirdly, if the toddlers cry long enough, the parents do react and get out of bed and walk down the hall to the nursery and retrieve the kids, so that's why I never placed cribs in the parents' room or beds in the nursery.
So, Byron has reached the top of his career? He's a judge, and it keeps saying he needs a certain amount of friends to achieve his next promotion, though I have no idea where he can go from being a Judge.
I've never really played in anything other than Pleasantview. I think I tried Strangetown once, but almost immediately returned to Pleasantview.
When things go wrong such as someone taking a baby/toddler - just remember to quit or exit to the neighbourhood without saving.
On reflection I think it is the babies that the Social Worker takes away if they cry for a long period of time with no response from the parents.
I did see that you had a TV and sofa in your bedroom but I am suggesting you create a small room for these and take them out the bedroom.
The limo is a status symbol of achieving a high level in a career - usually it is the top but on this occasion, your Sim must be on the 9th level of the Career Track and is taken to work in it.
Sometimes it is nice to play in the lush green neighbourhood of Pleasantview but I think you would love Strangetown too, once you get to know the characters. I used to make movies using Strangetown and love the desert backdrop.
OK, I see what you mean about the T.V. and sofa.
I have to remember to save the neighborhood more frequently to be able to abruptly exit, lol. I haven't seen it happen yet, but it did happen in the Sims 1 a lot, and I remember EA/Maxis commenting on the glitch of a neighbor "stealing" babies. This woman was not a social worker, but a neighbor (I think. She's not dressed professionally when she shows up, but in a dress or nightgown). She tends to come around very late at night to use the swing set for some reason, and this last time came in the house and started walking toward the little girl who was in her high chair. I managed to pause the game and make one of my older Sims come and "say goodbye" to her to stop her from laying a finger on the little girl. I don't remember if the glitch was fixed in Sims 2, but I know it was a big problem in Sims 1 and in Deluxe. She never rings the bell to come in the house, either. It's just weird. I'm getting ready to put a fence up to keep her out of the backyard.
You could also try instructing your Sim to click on the front and any other external doors of the house and selecting household only. This will prevent neighbourhoods from entering your Sim's house or even the burglar.
Hope this helps?
Good luck with your game!
Really? I never knew you could do that! Thank you! Any Sim from my household, or only adult Sims? Does it reset during the day, or do I have to click again during the day/when they wake up? I ask because sometimes the parents or kids bring "friends" home from work.
At any time, you can click on the door and change who is allowed in!
As far as I recall if a Sim comes home with a colleague (work or school), they will gain entry too.
If you see this is not happening, just click on the door and allow everyone again.
Awesome! Thank you! See? I've been playing the base game for years and there are STILL things I don't know, lol.
OK, I have been trying to make my Sims do the door thing, but no matter which Sim I choose, or which exterior door I try, all I get when I try and click the door is, "There are no actions available." So, are you sure this is something that can be done in The Sims 2? Because it will NOT let me!
Sorry SataiDelenn - this action is available on doors but it may have come with a later expansion.
I started playing with Sims2 base game and Nightlife about November 2006. Within a month I bought Glamour Life. It wasn't till the start of 2007, I bought University Life and (had to) reinstall the expansion packs in the right order for it to work properly i.e. downtown has a lot of stuff from University Life. Thereafter, I just added expansion/stuff packs as they were released.
I think you are playing with Sims2 base game and have just added University Life?
I am thinking of installing my game on another computer - if I do, I will check as I go along adding the expansion packs and come back to you.