How do you know when your Sims are 'settled' in a home?

ThePinkBookGirl · January 2018

I know in real life, putting personal photos on the walls, decorations, etc. helps make a home feel settled (especially after a move). How do you do that with your Sims?

I just moved my current Sims family into a bigger home (taking generations worth of photos, paintings, sculptures, and home decor items from work), and finally pulled out all of it and put it in their home. Finally made the home feel settled in and like my Sims actually live in it (they had been moving around a lot with the current generation). It's been fun finally settling in

frogkiss1 · January 2018

Well I never move I just buy a lot and keep building a bigger house then making upgrades

DevilNDisguise · January 2018

It usually comes with lots of time playing with said household in said home. Paintings could be created and hung throughout the house, flowers could be grown, pictures of the family will be put up, I’ll add little things of clutter every so often. It takes time, but the little things like that is what makes my Sims homes feel truly lived in.

paradiseplanet · January 2018

I never consider a new house for my sims truly lived in unless I've given them enough amenities and furnishings in their homes that it doesn't feel so...empty. Recently I took a 5 sim household (4 guys and a dog) to move from their cramped appt to a house in Windenburg. It was the Munch's old house and when they died it became unfurnished, and to save money I only brought over a few furnishings and sold whatever was left in their old appt. Since that's a big house and they don't have much to spend on furnishing properly, it's still just has the basics and won't feel "lived in" for awhile until I've filled their house with what I feel they should have.

BabySquare · January 2018

Once their normal everyday routine has been established. Takes about 2-4 sim days I find.

So_Money · January 2018

After a few weeks or so, when I have enough money to fit out the house with decorations beyond the necessities. I'm talking about art, plants, knick-knacks on tables, etc.

Oftentimes when I move into a house (especially a starter) all I have is the basics.

LadyKyn · January 2018

About into almost two sim weeks for me or so is when they get settled. I've decorated their place to what fits them for their own personal space.

I always love filling my sims homes with clutter it always gives their place more personality. (Though in reality clutter sucks in my room and everywhere else.

) I like to go and make some family photos and such to help in it feeling more 'homey' for sims.

Stina1701A · January 2018

Knick-knacks like flowers & plants (some homes I don't use those at all though) scattered around along with other knick-knacks like a magazine or a book or a statue on a surface somewhere. A kitchen counter (if possible and only if I have 2 empty counters awailable for cooking) with various appliances (non functional) and other kitchen related knick-knacks. A toiletroll holder next to the toilet, a towel rack and a shelf or counter with toiletries in the bathroom. A desk filled with other things than just a computer. Hobby/career related activity objects like guitar, excersize equipments, etc.

But mostly. My sims are at home when I have managed to furnish and decorate their home by their tastes, hobby, jobs, personalities & quirks (traits) and most importantly, my imagination

Toreshinbo · January 2018

Depends on me. I mean the sims themselves don't mind at all. When Cats&Dogs came out, I build a new mansion for my big family in Brindleton Bay. The previous house I used for 7 generations. I decorated all of it, put all photos and paintings on the wall but... I couldn't get used to it.
So I copied their previous house and plonked it there. I can't seem to get rid of my first big house I've made

0rnge · January 2018

I rarely move my sims out of their starter homes if I'm being honest.. I find it hard to love the large houses so I usually just add a new rectangle to the side of the house everytime the mum has a baby

Hermitgirl · January 2018

It feels like home when they have some basic comfort upgrades (beds.. fridge) and then usually skill stuff and some knick-knacks or collectibles that suit their personality. This happens a few days in.

My smart aleck answer is when they have a dungeon..

sunblond · January 2018

I usually, load their inventories with items that they have acquired, like career perks, awards, paintings. Plants they grew, etc. And take them to the new house. I find this helps, I always use the sell furniture option and move into a new home furnished.

ChampandGirlie · January 2018

This is a good question. I play a rotation of different sims with different personalities. In other versions of the game, I would play a bunch of different households but never really go back to the older houses when I started a new one. Now, I go between these different households that all interact with each other. In that way, I don't get too bored. That also means that I experience a lot of different settings and houses.

I try to match each sim with a household to suit their personality/personalities and budget. I do have sims with different social standings in the community. I tend to find that the style of the house influences the sim a bit but then I also try to make sure that the decor and any renovations suit a particular sim as well. All of my sims have distinctive personalities and interests so I generally know where I am going when I move a sim or adapt their homes.

Just recently, I was thinking about how several of my households really don't need any more "stuff". Their homes and furnishings really do work for them perfectly; they have their own senses of style and the spaces just feel great. It's a great question to ask how I know that they've reached that point. It's also the case that dynamics may change as my town gets fuller and there are less new options to move to. Honestly, at that point, some sims will need to become townies or to "move out of town" permanently.

So, how do I know that a home is right for a specific sim and that their furnishings suit them? Like I said, I guess I really develop their personalities so I know what I am looking for. All of them are a bit different in terms of what they want. For a moving sim, I will look at the available lots in their budget or the lots that are realistic for them. If it's a middle class sim, I might consider doing free real estate to get them a house worth 10k simoleons more than they have and I'll say that they got a mortgage. I won't move them into the biggest mansion though.

What is a specific sim's style and motivations? I guess that I try to figure out which world they might want to live in first. Do they want the relaxed vibe and hot temps of Oasis Springs? Do they want to be in Windenburg? (Most who live in Windenburg are either born there or marry someone there). Are they looking for a classic suburb like Willow Creek (or eventually Newcrest where I have a few lots left)? Do they want the excitement of San Myshuno? Many do but now there are only a few more affordable apartments for those who aren't very wealthy to choose from.

Sometimes I do renovate a lot to offer more space and to suit certain sims. Those end up being some of my favorite lots because they do feel very customized. I've turned the penthouse in the Arts Quarter into a two storey aerial loft that is spacious, elegant and really offers a lot. That might be my favorite renovation now. The penthouse fits the family perfectly with the right amount of space. The style is a mix of modern, elegant and romantic with a pool in a bright sunroom and a new art studio that I added. Other than adding more art, it doesn't need any further objects or anything significant to really suit them. It feels like something that would be very expensive in real life metropolises because of the space, features and design.

Not every house is as swanky as that one but I know that the sims feel at home because of the way that they interact with their furnishings and with the spaces that they live in. It might be a simpler house full of rambunctious kids and a fun yard but if that makes those family-oriented and more modest sims happy? It works. I guess that I get to play around with a lot of different styles in the process. Every home feels a bit different from the others.

ChampandGirlie · January 2018

I'm also adding that even though I do have a few households that don't really need more furnishings, that isn't true of all of them. It's true right now but as the new generation grows up, there will be some new sims seeking new excitement with styles of their own.

I am still interested in new styles and objects in the game sometimes. I'm also very interested in more activities for sims and in new visual settings with different concepts such as the more adventurous GP that might be coming out soon.

I just added that note in case the development/marketing teams read this. It's not like I'm done with wanting more furnishings, features for building or styles. I'll still be interested in seeing some more choices but more activities to do are always welcome.

GalacticGal · January 2018

You know, I've never really stopped to consider the whole 'settling in' thing. Interesting question you pose, OP. I would venture to suggest, your Sims are 'settled' when you, the player are satisfied with how the house is. For me, I've got one family in a save who won't be moving out of their mansion. Ever. (Well, the children will move out on their own, but the parents will remain.) The other save I've got going is of my ancestors. While my seventh great-grandfather lived in the area, he didn't appear to move around all that much, unlike his son, my sixth great-grandfather, who moved around a lot. I think he had a very bad case of the Wander Lust! Well, once the rest of the family removed (and that's the 18th century term for it) to the Southwest Settlements in 1773, from the Shenandoah Valley, he bought land hand over fist. Eventually the man owned 57,000 acres. The law was, you had three years to improve a piece of land. That explains why he moved from the north bank of the Holston River after three years, to the south bank of the Watauga River, to the Nolichucky River, and then to the south bank of the Nolichucky to Little Limestone Creek, (which is a subsidiary of the Nolichucky River). Keeping that in mind, I have moved this family a few times. I build the next house and have, in the past anyway, used the same items to furnish the home, and then just sell their stuff upon purchasing the next place. It's crazy-insane, but it is what it is. I found it slightly amusing when someone who was helping me find information on my third great-grandparents, said, you're family sure moved around a lot. Yeah, they did.

Goth583 · January 2018

For me its when I find [or build] the right house for my sims. I started my legacy in Windenburg, and while two members of the second generation live there, the second generation heir lives in NewCrest in a house I built. The third generation heir lives in a penthouse in San Myshuno, and I play all three lots as I love them all equally. The original home in Windenburg has tons of family photos and lots of personal touches. I have pretty much followed what I did in that house with pictures and the other two homes also have tons of family pictures to make the lot feel like home. The fourth generation heir is part of the San Myshuno household and she'll stay in the Penthouse. I have spent a lot of time having all the lots plumbing upgraded by my sims, and to change up the lots I just go in build mode and change the walls if needed, or I go into buy mode and change the color swatch on the bed so that it feels new and fresh.

Simpatsyann · January 2018

I'm not a great builder (from scratch) so I use a lot of simple starter homes or move the sims into cheap apartments. Then slowly start adding "their" things, like an easel for an artist or a musical instrument for a musician and so on. At a certain point they either outgrow the place, or I look at it and think "This is a great place, but what if I CHANGED EVERYTHING ABOUT IT?!" Then I go on a remodeling or redecorating frenzy that essentially builds the house around that particular family. After that, they very seldom if ever move out. A family I'm moving around all the time is usually one that I find boring to play.

Dayvon64 · January 2018

The home has to have a dash of flavor, not just any flavor, a flavor provided by your Sims. For example, do not have something in your home a Sim would never use due to their traits and back-story. Adding clutter that goes with the personality you want to establish will also help. Lighting is key as it gives it a sense of warmth, atleast for me. I sometimes imagine myself living in said house and if I can let out a nice sigh of "Yes this is home", I know I've done my job.

EmmySims · January 2018

I usually know they're settled when I feel like it really fits the characters!

happyopi · January 2018

For my game at least, there is no universal solution.

One telltale sign though, is if I play from afar with the camera surveying the whole lot, then the backdrop is not appealing enough. Usually it's too empty or not personalized. Sometimes the styling is just all wrong for the family.
Either way, I'm not feeling it and I have to fix it, but each family has different needs.
Loud family homes with clutter everywhere, or modern spaces with impeccable decor, there is no right or wrong. It just has to fit the sim and use every square available smartly so that any angle visible will be interesting.

When the house fits the sims and is visually pleasing, the simple act of them existing in the space has me want to take pictures. And use a closer camera angle, and actually put the walls up during gameplay sometimes.
If I feel all mushy when several sims use the kitchen at the same time, or sit together on a couch to talk, then they're home.

So_Money · January 2018

Another thing for me is landscaping and the front and back yards in general. Usually I'll leave the property quite bare and focus on the interior until I've got some simoleans to work with.

When there are gardens, fences, possibly a pool or hot tub--that's when it starts to feel like home.

5782341b77vl · January 2018

I don't think my Sims will EVER be "settled in"! Though I think that is due to my growing up in a military family. My dad was a U.S. Marine, and if the Marines ordered him to transfer bases, he had to go wherever it was. So moving was almost a yearly event.

I guess my Sims will have to go thru that nomadic life-style too.

Saunta2 · January 2018

I moved my story family into a new house in Brindleton Bay. There was next to no colour in the house. Over the course of a few sim weeks I went through room by room and remodeled the house. I can definitely say the family is settled now.

Ciarassims · January 2018

I know my sims are "settled" in their new homes when their homes are customized to their taste (furnishings, colours, wall art etc), all the rooms are sorted and what @BabySquare said "Once their normal everyday routine has been established".

CK213 · January 2018

When I stop adding stuff to their house.

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How do you know when your Sims are 'settled' in a home?

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