I want to build a house and use steps because I don't really like the stair cases much. How do I get these steps to repeat up to a second floor like they are in the picture? Normally when I have used these at the front door it only lays a few steps down. I can't figure out how to get them to repeat up like that.

Not sure I know what you mean by 'repeat' They simple clicked the steps to place there. Steps will place short or long depending on how far away they need to place. If you mean over the bench there they probably have a hack installed to give useable space under open steps and used moveobjects to place the steps.

If you're using a modular stair like the one pictured, you place it from the upper floor. You have to place a square of flooring 4 tiles back (That is, I THINK it's four tiles; I never seem to remember and always have to futz a bit when building. I don't know why it won't stick in my head) from where you want the stairs to end, click on the floor tile you placed, and, voila! The stairs will build as necessary. If they don't, you likely don't have enough space at the bottom of them (You need at least a tile of open space; I generally leave two), on the lower floor, or you've run into the problem of modular stairs not building against a wall, a glitch that one of the later EPs (forget which) caused. You can fix that with a mod, I believe, but I simply delete the offending wall, place the stairs, then rebuild the wall. Works for me.

Ok.Thanks. I will give it a try now and see if I can manage to do it.

To build them next to a wall, I simply use moveobjects on to place. A bit faster than demolish and rebuild walls. And most of the time I remember to turn moveobjects off afterwards.....

I also use move objects rather then knocking out walls. Also if you have a window on the wall it will also say it can't place. Bothersome things, stairs.
You can also build your steps down to a stage as a landing and then do another short set from the landing. For full height straight steps as shown you really need five free tiles, four to place and one free so the sim can access them.

Another build mode annoyance is when you're dragging a roof next to a window. It'll say you can't place it. So you have to remove the windows first, then drag the roof, or do the roof before the windows.

You can fix it simply by turning on moveobjects on.

Moveobjects is permanently turned on in my game via my user startup thingy. I only turn it off to place diagonal things where necessary. It's possible I've had it turned off when placing stairs, but I doubt it's been off every time. And it still won't let me run modular steps against walls. I get the "Can't place step" message, I think it is. So, I do the demolish/rebuild thing, or more often I simply put the stairs in before I build any interior walls. Generally I go Foundation (If any) --> Exterior walls and steps, including temporary walls around porches if they're going to be roofed --> Roof --> Interior stairs--> Interior walls --> Doors/arches/windows. Most often I'm "converting" something I drew in CAD to the game when I'm building, so I know in advance where everything's going to go, so...No big deal for me to work around the issue.