Building a house in The Sims 2 might seem like a difficult and tedious process. The Sims 2 provides many building tools and options, especially with the variety of expansions available, and there are so many things to consider, from walls to floors to decorations… that make building potentially difficult. But with these instructions you can easily build any type of home, from a villa to a private club.
Steps
Step 1. Choose the size of the house
The most important parts to consider are family size and financial resources. A house with 2 people will probably be smaller than one with 8 people, but the choice is up to the builder. Each family starts with $ 20,000, but with a few tricks (“motherlode”), you can have up to $ 999999999 in one go. Also, think about the possibility of including a garden, a swimming pool, a backyard … Make a draft or a diagram of how you would like the house.
Step 2. Decide the number of rooms
Bathrooms tend to be smaller (unless public) and living rooms larger. Build a room for each Sim, unless they are married or in love. Teens, children and infants each have their own room, unless you want them to share it.
Step 3. Click on the "Land and Houses" icon, then on the "Empty land" symbol
The soils vary from very small (3x1) to very large (5x6). Remember that you can also build multi-story houses, so don't choose a huge one for a small family.
Step 4. Choose between ground and foundation
For some people, the use of foundations facilitates construction. Drag the mouse over the area you want to build on. Include any platforms or porches on the ground floor. Lay out a driveway and / or a garage before laying the foundations. If you want a garden or yard, lay the foundation a few squares away from the mailbox.
Step 5. Pull up the walls
With the appropriate tool, trace the physical shape of the house, leaving any platforms or porches outside the walls (note that the foundations require steps to enter the house, so leave space for small verandas at the entrance and in front of any other doors!).
Step 6. Create the rooms by adding walls to the house
Diagonal walls provide an aesthetic sense to the home, but remember that many elements cannot be placed on diagonal walls.
Step 7. Add doors and windows
The windows increase the "ambient" mood of the Sims. Make sure each room has a door - you can also use arches between living rooms and kitchens. Add a touch of class to your home with glass doors for studies or offices.
Step 8. Paint the walls and floors
Try to choose "real" colors, such as brown tiles in the kitchen, outdoor wooden platforms, brownish carpets in the living room, or go wild and mix it all up!
Step 9. Furnish
Insert armchairs, TVs, bookshelves or video games in the living room, a basket, an oven, a fridge, shelves and a telephone in the kitchen, and toilets, sinks and showers in the bathroom.
Step 10. Add a staircase if you want another floor
There are two ways to do this: you can use the main “Scale” tool to insert one, or the reduced one. In this case, go up one level and insert the floor where you want the staircase to reach the floor, and then switch to the "Stairs" tool; choose the type of staircase, and point the mouse at the point where the staircase reaches the ground floor. It won't work unless there is enough space to build it.
Build the outer walls of the first floor. Close-ups can be dynamic, not having to match the ground floor. You can also build porches on the first floor
Step 11. Insert the interior walls on the second floor, creating the desired rooms
You will need to put floors in each of these rooms as well. You can place a simple parquet in the rooms, and then modify it later.
Step 12. Use the “Ceiling” tool to create the ceiling of your choice
You can use the auto builder or go in and customize it with various shapes. You can always go back to changing colors and shapes.
Step 13. Create an outdoor environment
Lay out some tiles or a layer of gravel, put up some nice chairs, buy some gym equipment and plant some trees or a garden. You may even want to build a greenhouse (if you have the "Seasons" expansion). In this case, build a room and insert gardens inside, and maybe some fruit trees.
Step 14. Use the “Fences” tool to build a fence
Put any barriers on platforms and porches. You should also use the "Steps" tool where needed. Beautify a garden with the floral fence.
Step 15. Illuminate
Be creative with the lights, considering the theme chosen for the room. And enough with the usual chandeliers. Experiment with ceiling lights, table lamps and perhaps floor lamps.
Step 16. Have fun and remember to follow your fantasy
Use mezzanines, decks, maybe a pond! Sims homes are designed by YOU the way YOU want them! And above all, it's perfectly fine to indulge yourself with your home. As long as the Sims can use every room and have everything they need, you can go crazy with building!
Advice
- Don't make the corridors too narrow (at least 3 squares). Sims need to move, and if they encounter obstacles, they get nervous and yell at you.
- If you run out of money, get a good job and work until you earn enough money to continue building the house.
- The layout of the rooms varies. A square or rectangular house with all rooms of the same shape is boring. Insert a diagonal wall somewhere, perhaps an L-shaped extension. For more advanced techniques, try half walls, spiral staircases or mezzanines.
- Search online for examples of Sims homes built by other users. Get inspiration.
- Leave enough space in each room. A piece of furniture requires an average of 4 squares on the grid. Too large rooms will seem empty.
- Take into account the Sims' ambitions when furnishing the house. An educated Sim will definitely need libraries, telescopes, and the like, which, for example, a more family-focused Sim won't need.
- If you don't know how to use the controls or what they do, try the in-game tutorials (on the home screen, there should be an icon with blocks. Click on it).
- If you don't have the necessary money, consider using alternative items. You don't need the hottest items, a stereo can replace a TV, regular chairs can replace a sofa, and multiple Sims can share a bedroom.
- The more houses you build, the more "eye for interior design" you will have. The more families you have in the neighborhood, the more chances they will have of interacting with each other.
- To use the “Boolprop” trick, press CTRL + SHIFT + C at the same time. Then a box appears. Type “boolProp testingCheatsEnabled true”, then enter and exit the neighborhood (if you were already in the neighborhood, enter a house directly).
