@Mom50409 What part of getting photos up are you having issues with?

Well, I do have mental specs for each family, so it isn't entirely random.

I would have to look at the lot, but if it's medium to large, it's between 2 or 3 families. Two or three other families would have had smaller to medium lots. One family could have gone either way. I just got the one most challenging to me!

I know what I want in there. I know roughly where I should put the rooms. Problem is, can I do it, keep under budget and still make a good lot? Actually, this family may be better for this lot than I thought. I just have to make that family and bring it to existence.

I would also like to make a formal apology for not reading further down after seeing the contestant table filled real big oopsie!

that said, lemme help out with a bit of advice <3 before worrying over anything else, please check these first:

1. Requirements
No one is above this most crucial law. Anyone can be docked a point for missing items/rooms/etc. Always double check if you got everything in there.
2. Playability
Unless stated otherwise*, the lots should be playable. For heavy traffic areas such as hallways, kitchen, and shared bathrooms:
Keep a 2 tile wide hallway and try to avoid putting ceiling lights on the same tiles as doors - it will prevent the door from closing. This also happens in 2x1 toilets/wc rooms where your sim sits on the toilet with an open door.
While playable, this might be a peeve for some.
For the kitchen, consider the work flow. Fridge > Prep > Cook > Wash. A 2 tile gap between counters and other furnishing is ideal - it will help avoid all the shuffling sims do when they obviously can fit in one tile but infuriatingly refuse to.
If you have Pets EP, use the floor divider to cut spaces in a shared bathroom. This way sims can use the toilet in peace while other sims use the shower/tub and the sink without all their homgosh theres another person in the bathroom thing
3. Do you like it?
Well do you? Feel free to change/fix/edit it given the time limit until you are satisfied. Follow your gut~! If you find yourself looking at other entries then might as well learn from others. Don't worry about copying, you won't - you'll learn and incorporate the things you've seen in your own way. If you're stuck in a rut, then go look for reference - let real life inspire you.

Every other worry should come after
*in Phaenoh's Urban Conversion Contest we weren't required with playability on the 'abandoned' lots since....they're abandoned! Only in the renovated round is the playability really considered.

The lot is 3 by 2.

The tree house, fine..but stairs would not be right..and a ladder would take 5 points off my score. That's not fair.
I discovered I could build a tree house, though...but if sims cannot access it, will this also take off points?

A smaller lot, then? Hmm ... in my mental group of rules, those are different families. I can do a re-roll.

I would have to see the lot for myself. So without further babble ...

If you want CC free then you have to use stairs. There are ways of making them look better. It can be a fort or one up in an actual tree.

@joandsarah77 this link doesn’t work for me.

I have not posted any links to dream width.

That should be objectsdefault. Stick that "o" before the b. I had the same situation.

Well yes. My tree house is IN a tree, but i am sorry, i really cannot see how stairs can look *ok* in that situation, even you used a ladder in your uploaded lot. lol
Oh well...I'll see what i can do. Still, if choose no CC and no stairs, and that makes my tree house not usable..will i loose points?

That's why I added that it can be like a fort; to help with the stair situation. If there is no way for the kids to get into the tree house it will lose playability points. Don't forget about the spiral stairs.

Maybe try the spiral stairs around the trunk of the tree? Or use CFE to make a winding stairs? Or stick the AL climbing tower on the same tile as a tree? Or go old school and make some 'stealth stairs'. You got options

or you can turn the whole house into a tree house.........

...can we?? @joandsarah77

No, the tree house has to be separate from the house. Phae has some good suggestions.

You have posted dreamwidth links, they’re those showing pictures of random objects. Maybe post small screenshots instead?

That's odd, they were working when I put them in. Thanks for letting me know.

I checked and its only the last link not working. I will fix it now.

Somehow the Rodney's had lost the o on the word object, it just needed to be put back in.

Ok I went in out of curiosity. I built two custom content free tree houses in twenty minutes, two different styles, no problem.

Of course, I could make them look better with a bit more time, but it was the concept I was testing.

A base game compatible foundation will be coming shortly.

Up now. Please use that if you do not have M&G.

Yes! Much easier than I thought..I got mine to work as well, minutes after crying here.

I knew it was possible.

@gazania there are no big house lots.

Does stuff extracted from the Life Stories games count as custom content?

That counts as CC yes. You can only use items that you can source from inside the game. So build and buy mode, career rewards, aspiration rewards, crafted or grown items are allowed. Life stories is going outside of sims 2.

I am all done with mine. Took the pictures and everything. That was a challenge...I ran out of money and...lol
But I am way too tired to upload pictures now. Goodnight all.

I am at a dead end with mine. I've done two completely different architectural styles already, and just can't seem to make a building I like. That nook is driving me to drink! The last thing I want is still another country/cottage effect with a breakfast area, since it would be too close to the bay window bit I did the last time.

Right now, I'm rifling through dozens of floor plans and photos for inspiration. Strangely, it's not the family that is giving me trouble! I know what rooms I want ... it's putting them in a building that isn't another cottage/country/etc. place that is a problem. I even managed to keep close to the budget.

There is another route that I can take, but I had been hoping to hold off on that. Maybe I can't.

I have time. Perhaps I'll come up with something better tomorrow.