i was just sat in my thoughts and wondered if i could make a retail lot with a flat above. i went to have a look and saw this is not a thing we can do. if you ever see this EA please add this to the game for us it would make a story line we have so much better
@ADayToDaySIM yes you can absolutely do this. In fact I sometimes build a full sized house next to one. You just need to lock all doors/gates for Household Members only. I lock internal doors and computers too just to be extra cautious.
You don't want the retail lot to be huge or it will slow it down. I've tried it with a four floor underground cavern style store but it was too big to function when played as an open retail lot. I reduced it to 2 floors with a 2 storey house and that works fine.
I've also made trailer style dwellings to "park" at a retail lot if the Sim is a crafter or a gardener. You can make a little apartment easily too. I've got some with separate access via an outside staircase and some that are inside the store itself. Sometimes my Sims use them as weekend places but they're also really handy if the Sim has to craft the items to sell so they can work and sleep there while setting it up.
They can be pet friendly too and animals will sleep there and leave with your Sim when they travel. They won't stay there alone. I'd hoped to stable horses there but it didn't work.
Edit: added some examples for you. There's a trailer, an apartment and a house attached to retail lots in Newcrest, Mt Komerebi and Sulani.
