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Forum Resident
Original Poster
#1 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 7:10 PM
Default When do you redesign/HGTV your sims and their homes?
So lately, I have a growing number of empty nesters as so many of my YA sims are off to either community college or University. Half my sims don't know what to do with themselves (and I not sure what to do with them). However, I decided that my not-quite-elders needed new clothes or hairstyles for their new stage of life.

I also started changing furniture, pictures on the wall, and even the designs of the kitchen (for the sims that can afford to anyway). This shows how long I've been with this neighborhood that I've started redesigning the hood to match the changing (read: growing) population.

How often do you guys change your sims' looks, the lot appearance, or even your neighborhood design?

For my physical health, I can't eat cheesecake everyday.
For my mental health, I imagine eating cheesecake everyday.
It's a delicate balance.
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Theorist
#2 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 7:59 PM
My current hood started from scratch and is on its 6ish generation for the older families.

My families often start with barely decorated and landscaped houses. I add things as I go, when they get money and when I'm in the mood for it because I enjoy playing the game more than building, landscaping or decorating.
For example, my sim artist recently opened a art gallery and started to sold paintings. Before that my sims weren't "allowed" to have paintings in their homes. Now when I find paintings in my sims inventories, I'm supposed to add paintings to their houses. I do so for plants, for burglar alarms, tv and so on.

I redesign when I feel the house is too small or badly shaped (I'm a terrible builder) and there is room for expansion. Other than that they have to move if they can afford it or live in a house too small for them. However I have households living in familial houses too big for them but I don't want them to move.

I mostly change my sims look when they're aging. They can keep the same hairstyle through their lifetime but they change clothes according to seasons.

Regarding the hood, I decorate when I feel like it so it evolves as I go.
Mad Poster
#3 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 8:58 PM
So much depends on the sims in the household and the subculture they belong to. Milestones that generally call for a makeover include transition points within lifestages - the mid-point of teenhood, which marks entry into high school, and whatever point sims are looking around and thinking: "Hey, wait, I'm middle-aged!" Some adults never do change their look; others change frequently; often these are sims living in the same house. Changes in job or status, marital state (I don't divorce often but some sims marry late), the death of a parent or role model, advent of the first grandchild or departure of the first child for college, any of those things might trigger a personal makeover.

As for redecorating the house - that's generally reflective of a lifestyle change. A widower who remarries, or an elder whose child is moving back in with a spouse, will probably get a whole-house overhaul in order to fit the newcomer into the family more comfortably and give him or her a sense of belonging. This might be a matter of handing the newcomer a credit card and saying: "Do what you want, except for X area which is Mine," or it might be the occasion for in-law bonding as they put their heads together and discuss what changes to make, resulting in a blend of styles. The birth of a child may trigger an addition to the house, a major reshuffling of existing rooms, or a complete move.

Just last week in my game, the Terrano family realized that their toddler was going to grow up to child and they had plenty of money with which to build and furnish their own place instead of keeping the rental they've been in since they married. The new house is similar in basic layout to the old one, but radically different in effect, and unlike the rental has a driveway. It's also across the street from Mrs. Terrano's old home and next door to the graveyard where her mother is buried. They kept most of their old furniture, but the wall and floor treatments, counters, appliances, and fixtures are all much brighter, with more modern lines, than the blander finish-out of the rental. And instead of blue siding they now have a magnificent two-color stucco exterior, blue and mango, as well as a modern metal fireplace and a bigger yard suitable for the increased mobility their child will have. At the same time, Mrs. Terrano - who had her child late - got herself a perm and a subscription for reading glasses.

Some houses are just architectural problems to solve. The Estics of Drama Acres have lived in a Tidy Tudor since I started the hood, and have been experimenting with the floor plan for almost as long. Each major remodeling has kept such features as were working and tried new tricks to defeat old problems; so when, shortly after her youngest child left for college and before she aged to elder, Maddy Estic rolled a want to join the architecture career, and found an opening in the paper, it seemed a natural fit - nobody in the neighborhood has more experience with problems of domestic architecture design! So she got a new, more professional, hairstyle, glasses, and makeup to go with the new job and the new wardrobe of elder clothing. Now their second son has moved back home with his bride, sparking another round of changes to accommodate her needs. Then Dom Estic got a bad chance card and dropped from Leading Man to Voice Actor, signalling a nosedive in a career he only took because the initial starting pay was good. With three other fulltime incomes in the house and a grandchild on the way, it was time to retire - and now he can ease up on the fitness regimen and change the trademark look that was part of his stock in trade.

Rhett Hart in the GS Uberhood had the same hairstyle till shortly before his oldest son/clone went to college. He wore tight pants and silk shirts, henleys, or tank tops, depending on the weather - unless he was stressed. Then he'd retreat into an old jersey of his dad's (which Aegagropilon made for me). His son's departure for college coincided with his oldest daughter getting old enough to give people makeovers and his own decision to dial back on the sex appeal, mistakenly thinking that he could get out of finishing the uberhood challenge that way. So he had a major makeover that enable me to tell him apart from his adult son, and now he's an elder he's settled into a new look. He has to move frequently because of the challenge, but he always takes key pieces of furniture with him, along with family pictures and date rewards, so each new apartment is a bit hodgepodgy and distinctly his. His kids take items that are distinctly theirs with them to college. And when they're stressed - sometimes they wear that old jersey of Grandpa's, too.

Some sims keep changing their look till I finally download the right hair for them. A lot of men get receding hairlines shortly before they hit elder. A lot of people get glasses about then. Some people move when their lots glitch out. Everyone in downtown Drama Acres had to move when the entire area was devastated by falling satellites. Now they're living in emergency shelters and dressing, furnishing, and eating in a catch-as-catch-can fashion; or moving in with friends and relatives outside the disaster area. Are these moves temporary? Depends. Who moves back to rebuild a new downtown? Depends. Who invests in a new business rather than a new house? Depends.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Mad Poster
#4 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 9:34 PM
I seldom do, actually - I mostly change outfits when the Sim looks uncomfortable to me doing whatever they like doing.
As for the empty nest, that is the time when these Sims can finally turn to their hobbies/interests/start a new (or another) business/go on vacations and, of course, go on shopping sprees! So they may get new furniture, and they may get new clothes, and they may get more paintings or fountains or garden gnomes - or they just may hold parties every day of the week.
Alchemist
#5 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 10:28 PM
past times playing; a number of lots would have a fence around the playable area, a gate near the front on that fence, a fenced path from that gate to some front door, and 2 doors near that path (1 on each side). those changes were done after completing the tutorials.
few sims/households had wardrobe changes/additions.

this time playing; mainly am fixing sims with "No Character Data".
and added some graves to the Specter lot.
would do the changes (mentioned at the begging of this post) after I have completed the tutorials; like the past times playing.
Theorist
#6 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 10:45 PM Last edited by PenelopeT : 24th Aug 2016 at 11:07 AM.
Since I love to build and especially decorate, my sims tend to start off with fully furnished homes and apartments. Instead, when they outgrow (translation: I want to build and decorate a new home ) their residence, either I demolish the current one and build something new for them in its place or have them move to another part of town when there is a need to either upgrade (expanded family) or downgrade (a sim, parent or parents become an elder).

Also, the majority of my sims are on super tight budgets and would never really have the resources to redecorate, so moving them to another lot sort of gives them a new starting point financially.

Edit:

As for sims looks, I change the hair of female sims once per week at the end of a rotation; teens and adults get a makeup change as well (children do not wear makeup). Male sims rarely have their looks changed. All sims get a clothing change daily.


“Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.” ― Jean-Luc Picard
Needs Coffee
retired moderator
#7 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 10:52 PM
I sometimes will add on an extension to one of my very tiny houses as the family can afford it-if the lot itself allows it otherwise I have them move. I only redesign a houses shell if I felt it was impracticable to begin with. Redecorating happens if and when I feel like it. I have redone kids bedrooms once they have moved out or once they have moved back in often with a partner. My sims are poor so full makeovers of a house are not a regular occurrence.

I change all sims appearance on growup and often at half birthdays. Since my sims have double or more in every life stage (except teen and YA) and I know their ages I strive to make them look more like their age. A 4 year old will not be wearing a romper.

"I dream of a better tomorrow, where chickens can cross the road and not be questioned about their motives." - Unknown
~Call me Jo~
Lab Assistant
#8 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 11:01 PM
Honestly I rarely ever do. Decorating is my least favorite aspect of the game, and building is just barely above it. Though maybe that's just because I had to build 12 new houses in less than 3 days lol. Furniture and stuff rarely changes and neither does my sims appearance. Unless there is a pretty big life event that occurs that just seems like it would go along with a major change in looks.

For houses in general, I either plan ahead for the sims IFS, or if I think they would be more likely to double or even triple up on rooms for their kids, then I get them a house with less rooms. If an unexpected addition is added I rarely expand because it messes with the flow of the house too much most of the time. So I hope that the age gap of the second youngest isn't too large or if the eldest is less than 2 years away from moving to college, that way the rooms are fine. If not I see if the family is able to move to a new home. Elders' or sims with only one remaining kid and approaching older age, usually downgrade to a smaller home, usually one level, cause stairs and being over 80 years just don't go well in my mind lol.
Field Researcher
#9 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 11:20 PM
Whenever I feel the need to, which generally translates into as little as possible! I change a sim's look whenever I get bored with their current one, which isn't that often, or sometimes if I got new shiny things to play around with. House redecorating happens sporadically if at all, I'm not all that good at decorating the houses, though I'm working on it (and trying to learn to enjoy it). If I move a sim/family out of their home I do decorate sparingly their house...then add as time goes on. I'm not a big fan of big building/decorating projects...I want to play!
Forum Resident
Original Poster
#10 Old 23rd Aug 2016 at 11:34 PM
Aw. I love decorating for my sims especially after I really learned how to clutter things properly to match their lifestyles. I have one family with at least four children. Money isn't as tight as it use to be, so they could afford to change the color of the kitchen cabinets, get a new counter top, and add an island. They re-upholstered most of their furniture and repainted the bathroom. Little affordable changes that lower middle class families can afford rather than everything brand new!

And clutter! The twins have clothes and toys everywhere! Their older brother always has snacks on his desk when he's doing homework. The only un-cluttered room in the house belongs to the baby. Even their parents have things everywhere!

For my physical health, I can't eat cheesecake everyday.
For my mental health, I imagine eating cheesecake everyday.
It's a delicate balance.
Mad Poster
#11 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 1:27 AM
I don't feel a need to clutter every house; but if there's women in the house, teen through adult, there's tampons in one of the bathrooms if I can possible squeeze them in. And my Romance sims always keep rubbers on their nightstands.

Ugly is in the heart of the beholder.
(My simblr isSim Media Res . Widespot,Widespot RFD: The Subhood, and Land Grant University are all available here. In case you care.)
Lab Assistant
#12 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 1:31 AM
Quote: Originally posted by AliaD85
So lately, I have a growing number of empty nesters as so many of my YA sims are off to either community college or University. Half my sims don't know what to do with themselves (and I not sure what to do with them). However, I decided that my not-quite-elders needed new clothes or hairstyles for their new stage of life.

I also started changing furniture, pictures on the wall, and even the designs of the kitchen (for the sims that can afford to anyway). This shows how long I've been with this neighborhood that I've started redesigning the hood to match the changing (read: growing) population.

How often do you guys change your sims' looks, the lot appearance, or even your neighborhood design?


As far as my sims' looks go, it really depends on the specific sim! If they are a member of my legacy family, I am predisposed to dress toddlers and children in hand-me-downs, and then the sim will develop their personal style by the time they are teenagers or once they enter adulthood. Generally speaking, I give my sims makeovers after their birthdays and then they keep the same look throughout that life stage. However- if a sim *isn't* in my legacy family, they get makeovers and buy new clothes much more often, generally following events such as birthdays, moving out, marriages, births of children/grandchildren, etc.

When it comes to my sims houses, or their neighborhood, I actually have a pretty decent system set up that has been working out well for my legacy gameplay needs. I have set up an uberhood using meetme2theriver's templates + 2 empty hoods. One of the empty hoods is a "starter" sort of town where all the homes are 3+ rooms and under 20k, designed for sims who are just moving out and starting their family. The other hood, which is just now starting to develop now that the 5th gen. sims are being born, is designed for sims who have a ton of money in their bank account and want to build a house to prove it! Thus, the second, wealthier hood only has a few houses built for specific families, while the first, budget hood has lots of empty, affordable houses.

Also, the way I play my game, I prefer multigenerational households that way the wealth can be inherited over time. Many of my households have grandparents, parents, and then 4+ children all living in one house. So, to fit this need, houses need to be build rather large with lots of living space. And, to look cohesive, I prefer to build thehouse all at once. That way, the house is move-in ready and even as the family grows, I will not have to add on to the house. The ideal house would be 4+ bedrooms, 3+ baths, an office, a sunroom, and a nursery attached to the master. Even as ideal as I *try* to build the houses on the first go, I still might remodel or purchase new furniture/decorations over time. Still, it is important to me that the "shell" of the house stays the same over the years.
Field Researcher
#13 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 11:38 AM
I change sartorial theme every decade, though not every sim ends up following fashion. The current theme is 'Lock and Load', ie anything military or paramilitary, so sims with a present or former household member in the Military career is togging up in uniform. SWAT Team outfits also count. And there are some pseudo-military clothing items in the base game wardrobe, combat trousers and such. The last theme was 'Look Lurid', which made for some colourful snapshots.

I tend not to make over houses, unless the house has to expand to accommodate an enlarged household, or I can see a need for a previously absent room. Nurseries are often a relatively late addition. And once I start getting elders in a household, I often add on a 'napping room', a small space with a couple of recliners. I might replace old cheap furnishings with more expensive counterparts now and again, but nearly all my households are now so rich they've got the best of everything. Carpets, wallpapers etc - hardly ever change.
#14 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 12:58 PM
NEVER say HGTV and sims in the same sentence to me...... it's why i never have a hood long because i can't settle on anything based off what i see on that channel....
Link Ninja
#15 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 4:41 PM
I remodel quite a bit. Adding half walls around kitchens, adding a breakfast bar, extending bathrooms to add a bathtub AND shower, etc. I redo carpeted floors to hard wood a lot and re-wallpaper rooms. My empty-nesters have converted their children's old rooms to offices, yoga studios or meditation rooms, hobby rooms, music parlors, and art studios.

Uh oh! My social bar is low - that's why I posted today.

Test Subject
#16 Old 24th Aug 2016 at 8:17 PM
I rarely give Sims makeovers, other than at age transitions. Even then, I won't change what I'm given unless I feel it really doesn't suit the sim.

Houses will get made over under certain circumstances. Rooms will get added as needed and as money is available. Sims might move homes when they've run out of space as well, depending on what houses are available (I don't build many houses because I'm awful at it so they're stuck with the houses that are already in the neighborhood for the most part). Occasionally I'll redecorate just for the sake of it if the sim has money and I'm bored of or hate the current design.
Scholar
#17 Old 25th Aug 2016 at 11:30 PM
These days, Sims mostly have makeovers when they visit a cosmetologist or get a want to buy some clothes. It's common enough that I can generally rely on my Sims to know for themselves when they want to look different. When the hairdo changes, I usually (though not necessarily) change the wardrobe, and vice versa, Still, sometimes I have to walk them to a mirror and wardrobe because they simply won't visit the relevant lots and have been through the sort of changes where I feel they would look different. Sometimes Sims get wardrobe changes because another member of their household has been on a huge clothes-shopping trip and decided to spoil their housemates.

I redecorate and rebuild houses when Sims move into them. Occasionally I also do internal rebuilds/redecorations when the Sims are in place, but I don't do external builds more complicated than adding driveways, in order to encourage me to get Sims to actually move house occasionally.
Forum Resident
Original Poster
#18 Old 25th Aug 2016 at 11:59 PM
I often forget how often some of my sims roll for new clothes. It's usually the sims that can't afford to buy new clothes.

For my physical health, I can't eat cheesecake everyday.
For my mental health, I imagine eating cheesecake everyday.
It's a delicate balance.
Top Secret Researcher
#19 Old 26th Aug 2016 at 8:11 AM
I change the look of Sims depending on their lifestage, as others have mentioned - make an older child look closer to teen than a child just starting school, for example. As for houses, they can go for generations without being modified or redecorated, but others get redecorated every time a new bride enters the family home (after the olds have died or gone to a retirement home). Smaller houses will grow as families grow or as they get more money. Sometimes small trees are replaced with larger trees and the garden grows. As for neighbourhood: Houses have been added and bulldozed according to need. I often get sick of the layout of apartments so different ones get added and removed occasionally. I don't really change neighbourhood decoration, except maybe adding a few trees between lots.
Forum Resident
#20 Old 26th Aug 2016 at 9:27 AM
I am guessing that HGTV is a home decorating program on the telly?

I change my Sims clothes, hair style or make up whenever I take a notion to. Those that can afford to generally do a lot of clothes shopping!

No set 'rule' for when homes are refurbished or landscaping is added to or changed. Depends on the situation and family funds.

Nieghborhood décor is added to or changed over time.

Basically I do whatever the heck I want to because I am "the boss of" my Sims :-)
Alchemist
#21 Old 26th Aug 2016 at 11:14 PM
actually HGTV is a whole channel. the HG stands for Home & Garden and TV is short for Television.
the channel has shows relating to home and/or to garden.
Mad Poster
#22 Old 27th Aug 2016 at 4:00 PM
Quote: Originally posted by terula8
To add a bit more playability to the construction part of the game, I've decided that any renovations to a sim's house should take place in real-time. So instead of building on new rooms all at once, I make my sims pay - piece by piece - to put their new addition on. In the past I've used cheats to give them the money to expand the house for a growing brood and stuff like that, but now, if they only have S1000, then they only get that much house built. If they have credit cards and bank books, then they can take loans and such to build and pay back the debt. But I still don't like to finish construction in a sudden sporadic way. I want it to take several months to extend the kitchen, with holes and scaffolding and a fair amount of inconvenience while you do it. Sims must hire a contractor sim to come round and give an appraisal, and then the work starts. If they want a pool, they need to hire someone to dig some holes in their back garden (then I'll come along and put down the pool and tile and such) and a gardener for landscaping (and then I'll put down bushes etc.)

I want to start doing something like this!
Forum Resident
Original Poster
#23 Old 27th Aug 2016 at 5:01 PM
I think I have done something close to that. My sims were poor with six kids and desperately in need of new room. Sadly, not long after renovations, they couldn't afford the house and had to move out. The home was later destroyed by the city for city reasons. They found a nice apartment (even though four of the kids had to share a room). Thankfully, the eldest son has moved to University on an Athletic scholarship so there's more room in the apartment (and I don't have to keep up with 8 sims).

For my physical health, I can't eat cheesecake everyday.
For my mental health, I imagine eating cheesecake everyday.
It's a delicate balance.
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