Sims 4 Insane Bill Hike Since Horse Ranch expansion

The more items in your inventory, the higher your bills. The larger your home and the more stuff in it, the higher your bills.

I almost always play with a tier 1 micro home so that I can keep my bills low enough to play the game the way that I want to play it. If you do this, make sure you change the residential lot type to the tier 1 lot type, to enable the bill reduction and other bonuses.

In the Sims 3 there is a reward for no bill ever. I am planning to own my first large house.

I use two mods from SimRealist: SNB and SNB-BILLS. Within these mods I can set the percentage of the house taxes. Its default is a whopping 15%. I set it to 3% because in CA years back, we passed a bill that would set owned homes to 3%.

thank you @Lenny_Ogg @Katofhyrule12 and @GalacticGal - I will try this! ?

"LeucosiaX;c-18302808" wrote:
thank you @Lenny_Ogg @Katofhyrule12 and @GalacticGal - I will try this! ?

I really had a tough time when I first started playing Sims 4. The bills became so high so fast and I did not understand why. I had no idea that the bills were lower for a 4 tile house than for an empty lot! I had no idea that I had to pay a weekly tax on each and every award and plant that was I hoarding in my inventory.

I waste money until I earn enough skills to earn a lot of money fast. Because even having money means the taxes are higher! So I tend to live in a very tiny offgrid micro home 5-6 days a week and then rent a lavish vacation home 1-2 days a week for a break from the severe everyday lifestyle. Then I very suddenly allow myself to become house poor when the skills are built.

It might be a whole slew of coincidences, but I've found my bills seem to be lower if they arrive while my Sim is on his/her home lot vs. visiting another lot.

Yeah, there is a known bug with bills reflecting the value of the lot you are on at the time they arrive, regardless of whether that lot is your home lot.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-Bills-are-wrong-amount-if-playing-another-lot-when-they/td-p/9306262

Other thoughts...
Was there a recent NAP change?
Was there any other change in your usual gameplay?
Is it possible that after the ceiling update you painted lots of ceilings with tiles that have a bill surcharge on them?
Any mods?

"Flikka_Flikka;c-18302942" wrote:
It might be a whole slew of coincidences, but I've found my bills seem to be lower if they arrive while my Sim is on his/her home lot vs. visiting another lot.

Yes! I forgot to mention that. I have been playing mostly the Sims 3 now, and I forget some things about Sims 4 already. I had to learn to plan my vacations around bill delivery and make sure I am on my cheap lot when they arrive. If I am playing a teen, and they are taken to school, the bills are higher just because the teen is in school when they arrive! Not fair!

"mightysprite;c-18302991" wrote:
Yeah, there is a known bug with bills reflecting the value of the lot you are on at the time they arrive, regardless of whether that lot is your home lot.
https://answers.ea.com/t5/Bug-Reports/OPEN-Bills-are-wrong-amount-if-playing-another-lot-when-they/td-p/9306262

Other thoughts...
Was there a recent NAP change?
Was there any other change in your usual gameplay?
Is it possible that after the ceiling update you painted lots of ceilings with tiles that have a bill surcharge on them?
Any mods?

@mightysprite Only change was I bought a horse and built a stable for him. I saw on James Turner's ty- he was paying a ridiculous to roof type. I guess roof's are free in the build but you pay taxes to it.

I was experiencing issues with mods, and at last a notice for last exception for MC Command Center was posted in notifications, so I took most mods out now. I'll see the next bill, but these bills were out of the ordinary expensive, like what you said, the price of the house.

Ok yes, for the roof question, it depends on the type of roof. You can look in the description of the roof pattern. Some say "bill surcharge item".
Good luck, hope the mod removal fixes it quick :)