"Erica87;15496844" wrote:
I'm done with building the house and I really like it. The only issue is that it costs 100k simoleons :open_mouth: Margo's gonna have to paint a bunch to get that much money, which is why I'm going to first save up about 25k to buy the small gallery / retail lot I created for her and from there it should be easier to buy this house. I don't know why it costs so much, I think it's the large pool and the plants. The house has everything that's needed and is furnished, even though there's rooms that look pretty good and rooms that are just empty. There's a nice patio, a playground for the kids, I managed to put in the pond and a garden at the side. Plus I made a cowplant pen because I really want to have several of them. If more space is needed for anything the pond can be removed and the space there used. If any of you are interested (you might want to remove a lot of the more 'unnecessary' stuff like plants, planters, the pool... stuff like that) it can be found on the gallery using the hashtag #TooExpensive. It's literally the only lot with that hashtag :smiley:
https://erica87.lima-city.de/sims/houses/NewHouse-01.png
I feel like it's mostly an improved version of the house I made and was unhappy with. Still, I like it a lot better than what the family currently is in. I'm thinking about creating another house that's a bit cheaper because I think 100k is too much for most families.
Plants add quite a bit to the price of a house, especially with moo enabled because it's easy to "stack" them. One trick is to temporarily resize the pool so that you can afford the house sooner, and then gradually expand it as money comes in. You can also delete a few windows until later, particularly on less conspicuous facings of the house. Especially once curtains and such are added, windows add quite a bit to the price. I gave these as "sim-friendly" suggestions, because the sims won't notice the size of the pool or a missing window here and there. Of course plants are not technically a necessity, but they contribute to the aesthetics a lot, and they are fussy to replace later, so I'd leave them, unless there are spots where you placed them thick and can take a few out without diminishing the look. If you have any wide staircases, narrowing them temporarily to a single slot can trim some cost.
It's a great looking house, and 100k isn't really that expensive. I realize that the restrictions of the challenge effect the household income though.
If you have City Living, there is an item that let's you sell paintings on public lots. I completely forget what the silly thing is called, but you can put it in Sim inventory and make some money that way while saving up for the store. If easels fit in inventory (strangely I've never tried it) you could take one along and create more stock as you wait for sales. Added bonus you can meet new people while you're making money, and i don't think it breaks the spirit of the challenge. I'd consider it in the same vein as playing guitar for tips, but potentially more profitable. If there are teens in the house, you can put them to work writing books. Books are nice because they bring in money every day. Of course, buying multiple easels and making the teens paint is equally valid.
Get pen pals and sell the postcards. The household won't get rich doing this, but the time investment is fairly small, and it's free money.
harvest all spawners near your lot, and sell the collectibles as often as possible. Low time investment if you only get the close ones, and it's free money.
Another trick is to buy an observatory. They are relatively cheap and kids will use them autonomously. Prints can be sold, which allows the kids to actually bring in a little money (though it takes some time to make the initial cost back). Just be careful not to let a bunch of prints in inventory, because they add to the bills. Nice thing about this object is that it tends to be "sticky" meaning that sims use it autonomously and will keep using it until you stop them, or until their needs take priority. It's a way to make money that doesn't require much micro management.
If you have a garden, plant extras of dragon fruits and other high value plants. It's surprising how much the garden can bring in once the plants are evolved. In a challenge, it best to keep the garden small, and concentrate on the more valuable plants, though. A garden can eat up a lot of time if it gets too big.
Sorry for being long-winded. I'm just giving some of my "money with no job" tips because I think someone might find them useful. There are a few other skills that can make money, but aren't quite as useful in a challenge because they are a bit grind-y.
