I usually play in big houses because I like big families. On one floor I'll have all the bedrooms with connecting bathrooms. Another floor will have every other room my Sims need (including a kid/toddler play room) because I also like making sure my Sims have everything. My Sims typically only go upstairs to go to bed. Right now I'm playing in a very big house with 10 roommates.
I have a family living in the biggest lot in Brindleton Bay and managing just fine.
Though I agree on avoiding massive homes. I like to download affordable but spacious starter lots from the gallery, the less clutter in them the better. And let each family make their unique mark on the property as time goes by.
I do like big houses; apartment buildings, duplexes and other connected houses (like townhouses), big family houses and mansions even. But I also like them compact if that is the correct word. That is the big-ness is more in the floor amount; up instead of wide. I have for instance, apartment buildings like that (one is 4 floors (apartments) and a basement area). I also make sure that each room is not overly stuffed and has good leg room for traversing. Putting more than one door/arch is also helps.
The hallways when needed are not long and no wider than 3x wide. Some of my big buildings do have big voluptuous rooms but mostly on 1st floor and is usually used for parties and usually stand unused except maybe a small part of them (I prefer to just decorate/furnish them for parties when the parties are scheduled and put everything into household item holding in between). Another thing I have found very important and that is bathrooms. Lots and lots of bathrooms is a big key. All my apartment buildings have a communal bathrooms in the basement along with at least one bathroom in each apartments.
But I never really had much trouble with Sims taking long going from one place to another in their home, except of course toddlers but I do try to have Sims just carry them around OR keep the little mites in one area of the house and usually then with a carer (a parent, an older sibling or other live in relative/nanny).
I almost never do a huge house unless it's for an experiment or for testing how it works before conversion to a community lot. I follow the guideline of matching house size to family needs with a 'fudge factor' in case of unexpected rug rats. Have never had such long times for household navagation, even in my largest places, so suspect you have computer issues.
I used to like playing in big houses because "rich sims need to live it up!" and all that, but now I avoid them, and 30x20 is the biggest I'll use now, including space for a garden and/or pool.
I cheat satisfaction points and load my Sims with the reward traits. Seldom sleepy, hardly hungry, antiseptic, steel bladder, gym rat and speedy cleaner. I wish there was one to speed up computer tasks.
You can use MCCC to stop needs decay indefinitely, so no need to do so much setup to buy traits for each sim.
I always end up playing big houses, as my sims inevitably become celebrities because im big on partying and I've learned the more relationships a sims has, the more interesting the gameplay is. I play like they are celebrities, I hire butlers, maid, nanny, I keep them dressed in formal or flashy attire, I regulate the household strictly and as realistic as a normal family can be, they eat three meals a day, I make them do laundry, I use the parenting pack to make the sims children do chores,ground them if they break the rules, I keep all of the sims busy all the way until bed time, what helps with my mansion gameplay, is really working hard on my sims celebrity status, she recently launched a lifestyle brand and that has been fun to work on.
Comments
Though I agree on avoiding massive homes. I like to download affordable but spacious starter lots from the gallery, the less clutter in them the better. And let each family make their unique mark on the property as time goes by.
The hallways when needed are not long and no wider than 3x wide. Some of my big buildings do have big voluptuous rooms but mostly on 1st floor and is usually used for parties and usually stand unused except maybe a small part of them (I prefer to just decorate/furnish them for parties when the parties are scheduled and put everything into household item holding in between). Another thing I have found very important and that is bathrooms. Lots and lots of bathrooms is a big key. All my apartment buildings have a communal bathrooms in the basement along with at least one bathroom in each apartments.
But I never really had much trouble with Sims taking long going from one place to another in their home, except of course toddlers but I do try to have Sims just carry them around OR keep the little mites in one area of the house and usually then with a carer (a parent, an older sibling or other live in relative/nanny).
I queue up bathroom and breakfast while my Sims sleep, and have them out the door to work or school on time.
It's why they have a schedule. So you can plan.
My build previews on this site HERE.
You can use MCCC to stop needs decay indefinitely, so no need to do so much setup to buy traits for each sim.