Large one story homes

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

I'm going to have to rebuild my generation home soon. I'm horrible at it. I usually design my homes based off of things I've seen here in the forums. There are so many wonderful designers here.

Almost all of the larger homes I've seen are two story. I REALLY don't like two story homes. I usually have a basement since I'm into wine making but usually, my homes have long hallways with bedrooms and baths all down the halls. Right now, I have open concept kitchen, dining room and living room and a smallish office on the front of the house, a long house-wide hallway behind that with bedrooms and bathrooms off that.

Does anyone have some nice one-story LARGE homes they can show me? I need 5-6 bedrooms, 3-4 bathrooms, big office.

korset · September 2018

i went house shopping and seen one like that here

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

Oh that's nice. I like the 3-car garage. My family has three cars and that would house them nicely. I think I can tweak it enough to be a lovely home for my family. I love the bedroom for the twins babies. Adorable! I'm going to go for a country theme but this gives me a nice floor plan to work from. Thank you Korset! If you come across anymore one level large homes, let me know!

korset · September 2018

will do i also think she has more on her page

GraceyManor · September 2018

Try searching DNA's blog, they have lots of homes there.
http://dnarequestteam.blogspot.com/search?q=country
And CC free if you don't use CC.They also have a build request thread if you want to request.

becks1112 · September 2018

Springfairy556 wrote: »

Try searching DNA's blog, they have lots of homes there.
http://dnarequestteam.blogspot.com/search?q=country
And CC free if you don't use CC.They also have a build request thread if you want to request.

Ooo, thanks for posting this, I love some of these houses!

bklienhart · September 2018

If you build your own houses, take a look at sites like http://www.coolhouseplans.com/

They have zillions of different floor plans, and you can search on number of floors, number of bedrooms, etc.

GraceyManor · September 2018

bklienhart wrote: »

If you build your own houses, take a look at sites like http://www.coolhouseplans.com/

They have zillions of different floor plans, and you can search on number of floors, number of bedrooms, etc.

Thanks for sharing that site! Occasionally I like to build when bored lol.

SPARKY1922 · September 2018

Hi @Rhiannon58

I also love one floor homes as they are quicker to navigate but am wondering if you do decide to use the lot let me know what size it is because I cannot find that info on anything I have looked at..

@korset

Thanks for the great lot find

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

SPARKY1922 wrote: »

Hi @Rhiannon58

I also love one floor homes as they are quicker to navigate but am wondering if you do decide to use the lot let me know what size it is because I cannot find that info on anything I have looked at..

Actually I won't be downloading anything. I am playing Pinstarr's legacy challenge. With that, you create one sim and have them use nearly all of their cash to buy a lot in Riverview or Sunset Valley (which is what I chose). It's a specific lot that leaves you with just 1800 to your name. So Whatever house I choose, I'll build it on my huge lot. You cannot change lots or active families. I'm currently on generation 4.

Eventually, I'll have a beautiful mansion that I have designed from something I've found here. I may have to break down and do a two level. There are so many really beautiful ones you guys have shown me. I think last time I played, I put all the bedrooms on the top floor so at least they didn't have to go upstairs to do anything but sleep. Made it a pain for the toddlers though.

TadOlson · September 2018

@Rhainnon58 -I'm also playing the legacy challenge in Evermore Falls and have mande my families build homes on larger lots.I do switch active families because I'm playing the town and the Ivanovitch family is going to be moving to their other lot soon as they've been outgrowing their starter which is only allowed if a family arrives in the wrong season to build on an empty lot.

SPARKY1922 · September 2018

@Rhiannon58

no worries I will install it next time I make a new test folder and have a poke around to see what it's all about

Good luck with your challenge..

@TadOlson

I really wish i had the patience to play challenges good luck with yours also

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

Springfairy556 wrote: »

Try searching DNA's blog, they have lots of homes there.
http://dnarequestteam.blogspot.com/search?q=country
And CC free if you don't use CC.They also have a build request thread if you want to request.

Thank you so much for posting this site! I found the house I think I can build:

https://imgur.com/a/hTwrF

However I'm having trouble with one little part. It seems that the house was built on a foundation but the garage is not. I can't figure out how to butt the garage up next to the house. I keep getting an error since the house goes out one square from the foundation.

The only other issue I have is I LOVE some of this person's decorations, especially the outside siding. But I can't find many of the items the used. Could be store items I guess. Regardless, that's minor. I've spent the entire day building my new house wall by wall, counting the squares from the picture. I could NEVER create something this nice by myself. Yes, it's multi-floor but I found I needed to do that to get all the space my growing family needs. They'll just have to deal with it!

SPARKY1922 · September 2018

@Rhiannon58

Wonderful choice and creator @Sandraelle like her other DNA colleagues/builders make some of the most stunning lots I have ever seen/used including being the grateful recipient of several of their wonderful build requests so I don't think she would mind at all you getting in touch to ask any questions you may have regarding her build and it may give some insights at to what store content she used..

suzses · September 2018

@Rhiannon58 Sandrelle is still building for Sims 3 and is active here on the forums. I'm sure Sparky is correct that she wouldn't mind answering some questions. That lot is still available for download on the Exchange, too. I know you're building one yourself for your challenge, but I was thinking, if you downloaded it and placed it in a new or different save of the same world and lot, you could take a look at it and probably figure out a lot of what she used and did. Actually, I guess it doesn't matter where you put it, but I was thinking you might not want it to be in the world where you're playing. The download description says there's no custom content and very little store content used, and I don't think you're seeing that in the siding. Here's the link for it: https://www.thesims3.com/assetDetail.html?assetId=8775555 .

I think the dark blue vertical siding is one of the Pets barn wallpapers - thinking they're in paneling but could be wall sets or miscellaneous. I can try to remember to check that when I go in game this evening.

I know what the horizontal light blue is (or at least I'm pretty sure), and it will surprise you. In paint wall coverings, one of the less expensive choices that appear there has a very light colored horizontal wood on the bottom half and some dull green stuff on the top. If you recolor the wood on the bottom to get that blue - or another color you like - and then copy that to the other channel for the top of the wall, you'll get what you see on her house. You can also use the same wallpaper to make a wall that's stone on the bottom and siding on the top, which may be what you see there on the side of the house (I think that's the garage, but I'm just looking at the front view right now so not sure).

I think the vertical light blue is probably done similarly - maybe with a plain wall (as in no sections, borders, molding) recolored to a vertical wood pattern from the woods section in CASt. If you're trying to save money, you can use the pool wall tile in tile wall covers and just color the border at the top the same as the bottom with a vertical wood pattern. Actually, you can make that wall into all sorts of things.

As for attached garages in houses with foundations in Sims 3, that's not all that easy, I don't think. You need to use CFE (constrain floor elevation), and I have never used it - it scares me. LOL There are a lot of tutorials and videos out there on how to use it if you want to google it to get an idea.

starguru · September 2018

Attaching garages to houses with foundations isn’t too difficult to pick up once you understand how it's done. I believe this is the tutorial I used when first learning the technique: https://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/buildedit/houses/garage.php

There are also YouTube tutorials available if you learn things better that way. Hope that helps and good luck with your new build!

I found a few old pix of some earlier uploads where I first used this method—mostly for attaching garages to homes with foundations— but it's useful for attached greenhouses or rooms with in-ground pools too.

Karritz · September 2018

I've got an introductory tutorial on the ConstrainFloorElevation cheat. This is the cheat you'll need to add the garage to a house with a foundation.

https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=QjR0bROi7EY

GraceyManor · September 2018

CFE isn't all that scary once you use it.I'm a noob when it comes to building and I use it sometimes.

@starguru
Did you build those?

Are they available for download.

suzses · September 2018

@starguru Your houses are all very beautiful.

@Karritz I'm going to save the link to your CFE tutorial in case I get brave enough to try it.

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

suzses wrote: »

I think the vertical light blue is probably done similarly - maybe with a plain wall (as in no sections, borders, molding) recolored to a vertical wood pattern from the woods section in CASt. If you're trying to save money, you can use the pool wall tile in tile wall covers and just color the border at the top the same as the bottom with a vertical wood pattern. Actually, you can make that wall into all sorts of things.

As for attached garages in houses with foundations in Sims 3, that's not all that easy, I don't think. You need to use CFE (constrain floor elevation), and I have never used it - it scares me. LOL There are a lot of tutorials and videos out there on how to use it if you want to google it to get an idea.

Now you guys are going to find out what a scardy cat noob I am (even though I have played TS1-4): I've never used CASt. So I guess my choices are to chose something else or figure out how to recolor in CASt! I'm sure there are plenty of tutorials on that as well. In the meantime, I think I got the bottom floor done yesterday but the stairs to the basement gave me a problem. Read Carls's guide AFTER I had already built the bottom floor which I learned is the opposite I should have done. Put in a spiral stair to the basement to keep my sanity. Now it's time to get started on the upper floors! I'm a weekend gamer (mixed in with laundry and lots of other stuff) so my time is limited. I've been two full weekends now building this thing and all I have to show for it is one level with no paint, carpets or furniture. *laughs* Ah well. Having fun!

EDIT: I may NEVER get my house built after learning about CAS. I've spent 30 minutes trying to get the color right on ONE panel.This is WAY entertaining!

starguru · September 2018

@Springfairy556 Yes, I built and uploaded those lots in 2012 and they are all still available in My Studio (same username as here). There’s no third party CC in any of them, and the first two have minimal Store content. If you’d like to see more screenshots to decide if any would work for you, I have more pix of each available:

Aspen Creek
Autumn Horizon
Desert Dreams

@suzes Thank you!

@Rhiannon58 I think you’re in for a real treat when you get the hang of CASt! It’s so satisfying to color and pattern everything to suit—something I had wished for in the previous games where nothing ever matched, lol.

I understand about having limited time too; my game time is very hit-and-miss these days. And even though I had the time to do a little bit every day back when I was working on the house in the last pic from my previous post, it still took me 3 weeks to finish!

I enjoyed the process and learned a lot though, and it's great to hear you're having fun with this!

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

starguru wrote: »

@Rhiannon58 I think you’re in for a real treat when you get the hang of CASt! It’s so satisfying to color and pattern everything to suit—something I had wished for in the previous games where nothing ever matched, lol.

I understand about having limited time too; my game time is very hit-and-miss these days. And even though I had the time to do a little bit every day back when I was working on the house in the last pic from my previous post, it still took me 3 weeks to finish! I enjoyed the process and learned a lot though, and it's great to hear you're having fun with this!

Your designs are amazing! And for those of us who don't like doing downloads, your floor plans are greatly appreciated! I have followed your design square-by-square, with a few tweaks here and there because of taste or not being able to get it quite right. I've decided to forgo the attached garage. It's a bit much for my skills and patience.

real treat = addiction. I spent ALL DAY today recoloring wall tiles and my bottom floor still isn't completely colored. I still haven't built the 2nd and third floors! My poor Sim family has been paused standing out by the greenhouse for three weeks and it's unlikely they will move for quite a while! *laughs*

SPARKY1922 · September 2018

@starguru

I realized I already use several of your lots in my world and wanted to say thank you for sharing your creative talents

looking at your Avi do you also have any S2 content anywhere I could download?

starguru · September 2018

Rhiannon58 wrote: »

Your designs are amazing! And for those of us who don't like doing downloads, your floor plans are greatly appreciated! I have followed your design square-by-square, with a few tweaks here and there because of taste or not being able to get it quite right. I've decided to forgo the attached garage. It's a bit much for my skills and patience.

real treat = addiction. I spent ALL DAY today recoloring wall tiles and my bottom floor still isn't completely colored. I still haven't built the 2nd and third floors! My poor Sim family has been paused standing out by the greenhouse for three weeks and it's unlikely they will move for quite a while! *laughs*

Aww, thanks!

Floor plan designs are a useful asset, whether you follow RL house plans or other simmers builds. Another technique I used when I first began building was to download homes from advanced and safe builders, place it on a lot near where I was building and try to recreate it for practice or sledgehammer/undo/redo parts of it to figure out how they had achieved a certain feature, in addition to a lot of trial and error and following tutorials. I learned a great deal that way before I began building for myself consistently, in order to understand all the little tricks so I could build whatever I had envisioned for a particular family.

I agree—CASt is addicting and a major reason I enjoy playing TS3 more than other games in the series. Oh, your poor Sim family! I can understand them not wanting to wait on an attached garage after weeks of standing outside already!

But that feature can be saved for a future build for another save/family if you’re eventually so inclined, and I’m sure your current family will appreciate having a home designed especially for them with your new addiction.

And if you like the results, whatever time you spend perfecting a build with CASt is worthwhile.

starguru · September 2018

SPARKY1922 wrote: »

@starguru

I realized I already use several of your lots in my world and wanted to say thank you for sharing your creative talents looking at your Avi do you also have any S2 content anywhere I could download?

No, I've never uploaded anything from my TS2 saves. But thank you for the compliment; I'm so glad you've had fun with some of my TS3 builds.

Rhiannon58 · September 2018

starguru wrote: »

Aww, thanks! Floor plan designs are a useful asset, whether you follow RL house plans or other simmers builds.

Funny thing about RL floor plans. When I was a freshman/sophomore in high school, my best friend and I would design our dream houses on paper with crude floor plans. We spent hours talking about that and dreaming of "adulthood". Oh to go back to those days when it was so much simplier...

Anyway, I've taken a look at the RL floor plan sites and it is impossible for me to envision getting that translated to TS. Your floor plans are actual overhead screenshots of the actual Sim house. No imagination needed. It's easy to count the squares and put walls where they should be. That's one reason I love your stuff. I saw a number of houses I really liked but it was impossible for me to figure out where to even start. With your design, I actually counted the squares along the front of the house and placed that many foundation squares. It was so easy to go from there. Some of us are terrible designers. Most of my houses in TS2 were either plopped down from the premades that came with it or a large square box I made. So again, thank you so much for sharing your creations in a way that others can enjoy them as well as learn from them!

starguru wrote: »

Another technique I used when I first began building was to download homes from advanced and safe builders, place it on a lot near where I was building and try to recreate it for practice or sledgehammer/undo/redo parts of it to figure out how they had achieved a certain feature, in addition to a lot of trial and error and following tutorials. I learned a great deal that way before I began building for myself consistently, in order to understand all the little tricks so I could build whatever I had envisioned for a particular family.

This is a good idea. Perhaps when I'm done with my current play which is a generational challenge, I will start a new game and work on more creative things to make my city more my own.

starguru wrote: »

I agree—CASt is addicting and a major reason I enjoy playing TS3 more than other games in the series. Oh, your poor Sim family! I can understand them not wanting to wait on an attached garage after weeks of standing outside already! But that feature can be saved for a future build for another save/family if you’re eventually so inclined, and I’m sure your current family will appreciate having a home designed especially for them with your new addiction. And if you like the results, whatever time you spend perfecting a build with CASt is worthwhile.

This house SHOULD be the last house I need to build for a while. It's plenty big enough to house the max a family can be and that's really all I need. I loved your barn and gardens and will likely incorporate that into the home as well. With 6 more generations yet to be born, they will eventually want to do more things like enjoy horses and a farm. I'm just really glad that your designed prompted me to learn how to use CASt. I had peeked at it once years and years ago and thought "this is not my department". But it's easier than I thought. TS3 has so much more than I ever thought. Once I got over how I couldn't play rotationally like TS2 (this was before the mods were designed to allow that), I really like a lot of the improvements that were made to the series. The gardening is an entire game in itself, wine making. Even little things like the gradual pregnancy instead of a sudden baby bump that woke a tired lady from her sleep. I play a number of different games but I'm glad this one is no longer gathering dust on the shelf. I bought and installed the entire series earlier this year and have truly enjoyed it more than anything I've played in a while.

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Large one story homes

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