Built my very first starter! ... or trying to haha

Nore · November 2017

I'm beginning to bang my head against the table trying to budget this starter. I call it Desert Toddlers Family Starter. Got it to 26k, but no idea how to go lower in a way that doesn't drive me crazy lol. It is meant to be a starter for a couple with a toddler. I have been very liberal with the items that cost nothing haha, almost all the outdoor landscaping costs nothing or is less than 10 dollars. Indoors I utilised all the least expensive items, minimal ceiling lights, and paintings that were also less than 10 each.

I tried to include maybe too many features. There's an indoor and outdoor toddler area for playdate, an art balcony and second balcony, outdoor dining area, and a ground floor outdoor bench area. I guess these are not strictly required for a starter.

There are a very big things I could do but every time I try to do so, it changes the overall look in a way I'm just not happy with. These include:
- getting rid of the car port chandelier,300, (just too cool to do)
- getting rid of the 2 roof ornaments, 600, gets rid of the curving flow of the overall house, which I liked a lot
- delete the inner walls and windows, 1000, makes this weird open upper floor that just looks weird
- delete all the toddler stuff, the slide, pillows, toybox and wagon, 1000, defeats the purpose of making a toddler starter
- delete the cars, 550, nooooooo

Other than that, the entirety of the outdoor landscaping costs about 150 (I used the free shrub, garden plants, free rocks, the free pond, and inexpensive lights) and indoors is the absolute minimum items according to the starter guide for a family of 3.

Any advice is much appreciated!
Tagging @Rumpelstiltskin in case you had any suggestions you might like to see

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LadyEmillye · November 2017

The Couple and toddler would start off with 24k, so you are only 2k away. If it is a starter, maybe less Toddler stuff (cuz they can always buy more later), like maybe one item and that would help you get it down in price. And then make the sacrifice of something that is really not essential (maybe the cars?)

crysk · November 2017

Reduce the amount of windows or replace them with cheaper ones, but if I recall correctly you didn't want to use different ones. By reducing the windows in the bedroom by half you can lower your costs by 365.
Replacing the rest with the cheaper short windows from get together will save you an additional 235.

Replace the wall lamps you got outside with the cheaper ones from the outdoor light category, saves you 35 per light so a total of 175.
I noticed you used the pictures from dine out for your wall deco, instead take a Sim and make your own pictures. You can be completely creative with this. Since you have a toddler themed built you could take pics of babies/toddlers or their toys. That will save you another 50.
Your toddlers bed could save you another 40.
Replacing the pillars at the outside area with the ones from city living could save you 120 per pillar making it 480 in total.
There is a basegame potted plant thats similar to the one from dine out you used. Enlarge the base game one and use that instead, will save you a total of 210 (70 per plant)

I'm not able to tell the exact size of the balcony above the cartport but I think removing the wall trim there should save you around 72.

You don't really need 2 trashcans so you can save 50 to 220, depending on which you remove.
Is the coolbox from toddler stuff really needed? could save you 205.

Deleting the fence under your roof piece at the front will save you 114, you should think of this since the roof piece will drop on the ground if the built isnt placed with MOO on.
Also do you need the fencing running to the entrance? That should save you an additional 300.

All that together should save you around 2.1k, and an additional 64 from the point below.

Cant tell without the actual build but if you used floor at the bench area at the front porch you can replace it with the same terrain paint saving you 64.

reanseih · November 2017

Free ftw! I didn't think of that. xD

ysa88 · November 2017

Lovely build. You can definitely save money by reducing the outdoor lighting - the ceiling light near the cars is quite expensive and too luxurious for outdoors. The deco cars aren't necessary either. Plants at the doorway could be replaced with attractive shrubs.

Nore · December 2017

@ladyemillye Thanks, I feel you are right. I have to just delete some of those items haha.

@crysk wow you are a master at budgeting haha! Didn't even consider half that stuff. Thank you so much for that detailed advice, it has been amazingly helpful!!

@reanseih I don't quite understand what you mean haha.

@ysa88 Thank you! I definitely agree

I decided to just link 2 versions, one with all the bells and whistles and one where I just delete some stuff like the toddler items, the cars, the chandelier, etc. It easily got to below 24k deleting those big items haha. Thanks everyone!

Nore · December 2017

In keeping with my pattern of trying new build styles for each build, I took a break from Mediterranean to attempt another starter (feeling starters right now, no idea why haha). This one is in the Brindleton style of Cape Cod. Although I don't actually have the new expansion haha, so I couldn't use shingles wallpaper, etc. So not certain how close I got to the style of that area.

But it definitely is the absolute coolest roofing I have ever done on a build. All the roof sections flowed so well together, but I guess that makes sense since the Cape Cod style does seem to emphasise huge roof parts.

So far budgeting is working better than the Oasis house as well haha.

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reanseih · December 2017

@Nore free items. Never thought of using those to cut cost. xD

Nore · December 2017

@reanseih ah okay haha, didn't realise that's what you meant lol. I cannot take credit for the idea, it was from tips in the wip thread. There are definitely so many free items though that I never saw before. And you can do some cool stuff, like the 'potted plant' in the deck dining area in the above build is just 3 free items combined haha. And the potted plant by the easel costs 3 dollars. I also like using the pond a lot, basically just takes care of the entire outdoor landscaping in 1 free item haha. And as you can see there's also the bonus of giving starter sims access to many skill opportunities. For instance in the build above they can paint, garden and fish right off the bat from home!

CoteDAzur · December 2017

Hey, sorry I never notice when I'm tagged! How did you get along with the starter, did you hit your target budget? Of course It's easy to have a starter family with extra cash, you can have two parents, a toddler and a pet and that should round the rest up I think(?)

Nore · December 2017

Thanks for all the advice everyone! I decided to delete the big ticket items to get it down to 24k. I got down to 25.9k with all your tips but after that I couldn't go lower in a way I liked haha.

@Rumpelstiltskin I did get it down to below 26k, so a couple with a toddler and a pet should be able to afford it.

I called it Desert Toddlers Family Starter. Note: you must delete the chandelier, cars and toddler toys to get it to a starter price for a family of three

It fits well into the style of Oasis Springs and I built it on the empty lot in the starter zone that costs 1500 (the desert sands lot not the grass one).

Gallery Link: Desert Toddlers Family Starter

And of course pictures!

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Built my very first starter! ... or trying to haha

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