I always freerealestate them into a house, because I don't like building but like them to have nice gallery-made houses. Unless it's a starter house I downloaded, in which case they just save up their cash and shove furniture into corners until they can afford a better house.
I typically start with single female sims without an intended spouse. I prefer them to find their partners through gameplay, even if all the potential partners are just cute sims from the gallery. Making them a partner feels too controlling for me. If they want the evil, klepto townie with a nice nose and chin, they can deal with the fallout of that choice.
I always make sure the save has plenty of differently themed restaurants, several spas and gyms, a wedding venue, and a cemetery. My primary sims and their spouses always get nice funerals, even if it's just the family dressing up in black and someone giving a eulogy.
I stage a lot of family photos at various stages in the kid's lives. It's been a struggle, but I've finally managed to cut back on how many I take because otherwise every inch of their walls would be family photos. I also cheat their photography skill up to 5, because I don't like bogging down my screenshot folder to take duplicates in case the photos don't turn out.
I think most of my "always" come out in CAS rather than gameplay. Eventually all my sims end up with a mourning outfit (see above). Teens get the most variety. I've been giving them a prom dress, a homecoming dress (basically a knee length prom dress), and a nice fancy occasion/wedding guest style outfit. I also give all my teens two party outfits - one to wear to parties with the parents, and one to wear to wild parties with the friends. The wild party outfit can double as their clubbing outfit when they hit university/ young adulthood. I also love giving my mermen wetsuits for their formal outfit. Vampires get giant floppy hats and sunscreen for swimsuits and hot weather outfits.
I also always cheat my toddlers to adult in CAS just to peek at how they'll end up. If they're cute, I'll invest time and effort into them as a potential heir. If the parents' genetics didn't mesh well, then that kid can be a spare.
