What Makes A House A Home In The Sims

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[00:00:00] Gloria from Yellow Llama Co.:

Welcome to Sentimental Simmer, a podcast made for emotionally attached simmers and storytellers with wild imaginations. I’m your host, Gloria, and I run Yellow Llama Co., a planner shop made to help simmers play with purpose. Every week, I talk all about things, sim life planning, storytelling, and memory keeping. I’ll also brainstorm new ways to obsess over our pixel people, whether they be in the Sims or another live sim game. And now let’s get into it. This season has been all about memories from making them to how to collect and cherish them. Today, I’m ending the season with an episode all about the space our sims spend the most time in and where the most memories are made, the Sim Home. But what makes a Sim Home a Sim Home? Like, what turns a house into a home? We’ll be exploring that today.

Gloria [00:00:53]:

I love the series selling sunset. Like, literally, I gobble that shit up. I love the peaks into luxury homes, and I love the catty drama. While the agents spoon over the most expensive and luxurious properties, some of my favorite homes showcased on the show and its spin offs are the ones that have been lived in by the sellers themselves. To the seller, these homes are more than just the Venetian wallpaper on the walls or the golden faucets. They put their hearts into these spaces, and it shows. When I’m on the prowl for a new residential lot to put into my own world when I go on the search, I’m not just looking for enough space for my household. I’m not just looking for utility.

Gloria [00:01:30]:

I’m looking for houses that have character, that I can spend a lot of time in. I like furnished lots, you know, because I’m lazy, And it can be overwhelming to have to, you know, redesign an entire home, but I also really like empty homes as well, especially when, you know, they they’re a bit more realistic in their layouts When some of the, you know, bare necessities are in there, like a toilet and, you know, the bathroom, kitchen’s already, you know, set up, and I can have my sim move in as anybody in real life would live move in. You’re usually not moving into a prefurnished lot. Right? You move into an apartment or a home and you get to furnish it yourself. And so I wanna give that to my sim as well, and I feel like it gives a bit more of a realistic feel to it, more realistic gameplay. But the thing is, like, what I noticed, Like, even though I spend so much time in search of the perfect home, I don’t recall ever reusing a home unless it’s for a family legacy. Other than that, I don’t really do that. I do everything I can to make my gameplay feel more realistic, but what is more realistic than a house being relived in again after family moves out? I didn’t realize it until now, but, you know, I I really do always go search for a new home, and that’s kind of like a wasted opportunity.

Gloria [00:02:39]:

Instead of reinventing a lot or neighborhood whenever you have a new family to play, why not simply start new in the same wonderful space that, you know, you’ve already spent so much time looking for before and let it serve many new households to come. In the past, to give one of my neighborhoods a more cohesive vibe, I placed a collection of homes made by Mowed Milk in the Courtyard for the lane neighborhood of Willow Creek. What I really like about them is they all have, like, the same vibe and the same feel to them. It’s like traditional suburbia, I’d say. They all fit really well together and make the neighborhood feel more realistic, I feel. In essence, it also then there therefore feels more natural to have families moving in and out of these homes, These same homes instead of building something new on each new lot when the residents change. That wouldn’t make sense for the aesthetic of the neighborhood. And also when you talk about realism, It’s not realistic that, you know, if you have a a street full of homes that when somebody moves in and out that they’re selling, You know, the lot in the home and somebody comes and bulldozes the whole home.

Gloria [00:03:38]:

Right? They’re gonna move into the same home. That’s what they purchased, and they’re going to, you know, redecorate it, make it their own with the same space. And so I wanna do the same for myself. Shout out to Ocean Sims for recommending the homes from Maldnook, in her cozy gameplay video about the boondaris, which is her comfort family. I definitely recommend checking that out. But, yeah, in essence, if you keep the same collection of lots that, you know, have a same Look to them as in style, then you don’t even only have, you know, homes full of stories because, you know, they have a history of every new resident moving in, but, you know, a cohesive neighborhood, and neighborhood that has stores as well. But coming back to my question from before, what makes a house a home? What are some ways you can tackle these redesigns to make them truly unique to the newcomers? So first, how can you reflect The residents’ nature and personality. I feel like this is, you know, most straightforward with a unique decor And the style choices your sim makes, you, of course, as a watcher on behalf of your sim, but let’s just imagine it’s our sim making these decisions and not us for them.

Gloria [00:04:46]:

But you know your Sim better than anybody, better than the Sim probably knows themselves, and so you get to choose and design, the based. And, honestly, I love interior design, and I’m sure a lot of you do as well. So this is, like, great chance to go and play in build by mode. 1st, Straightforward. You know, go for color. Is it a monotone color scheme? You know, that just a bunch of browns and beiges or maybe, you know, blacks and whites? Or is it colorful? Are there more warm or cool tones? That can really show the personality of the person and their style and and and give a vibe to a space. Also, not only in terms of color, but also in lighting. Like, is it bright the area or is it dark and moody? Are a lot of Curtains hung up.

Gloria [00:05:30]:

You can change the color of lighting as well. You can make it like a bright, oh, nice warm yellow color or you can make it a Cool whitey color, or you can make it like a dark red or a blue to really create a mood in the different spaces and rooms, or you can have really A little lighting or even only candle lighting. You can, you know, play with textures. Does the sim have a lot of carpets, pillows, soft things? Or and do they have wood flooring? Do they have stone flooring, which can give a different feel so you can play with that? Also on the walls, the wallpaper. Their furniture style also speaks a lot about them. And was it plush and cozy, squishy, soft, Or is everything sleek and angled, geometric? Also in regards to furniture style, you know, is a certain time period showcased? Is it very nineties? You know, does it look like your grandma’s house with, like, a lot of lace and floral prints everywhere? Is it modern? Is Made mid century modern, which is also another look in itself. Is it giving seventies? You know, what kind of time period maybe is the space? Which might even also give away the age of the person or maybe if you know, it might give away also if they’re very, you know, inclined to trends and design. You can see that in their space as Well, are their walls bare and empty, or are they adorned with pictures and paintings? You know, is it is it actually decorated, the space? Overall, is it Give is it giving traditional and classic or more eclectic and, like, all over the place? Is the space, you know, cluttered or is it more minimal? And This also definitely is a personality trait.

Gloria [00:07:11]:

Is it messy or clean? Like, is there are there dishes everywhere? Is it, Totally tidy and, like, is there a lot of storage space, used up or, you know, what does it look like? What is it giving? Another fun way to design the spaces for more like a home is to show how the resident will use the new space. What are their interests? For example, you can add hobby items into the spaces and into the rooms. You can place an easel. You can put a camera on a on a shelf. You can add a knitting basket at the corner of the room. Does the sim use any fitness equipment, or is it bare of anything that resembles any health and fitness interests? Does the bathroom have a tub, a bunch plants, and maybe self care items scattered around the sink, or does it just have a shower? Does it look like the sim just wants to get in and out and just, You know, have a quick job of it? Is the sim maybe a fan of technology? Do they have a lot of electronic appliances? Or are they more eco friendly in the way they like to use things? Have they made more eco maybe conscious choices? Do they maybe even live off the grid? Do they have a big living and dining area with lots of space for guests, very welcoming, warm, or is it equipped with Just the bare minimum. Is it furnished with, like, just 1 chair on the dining room table, 1 armchair in the living room? Is it clear that the sim Wants to be alone and not invite anybody over or, you know, based on the way they set up their kitchen, do you think or could you imagine that they have just One plate in the cupboards or a full china set. Would they have wine glasses or not? You know, you can use decor items, you know, plus wine bottle you know, there’s also mods to have wine in the game, also without mods, with the packs and stuff like that, but you can place things around the kitchen to make it, You know it clear.

Gloria [00:08:59]:

Is the sim does they do they prefer white wine or red wine, or do they prefer coffee or tea? You can have, like, a little tea set. Do they like Appliances in their kitchen, you know, are they, you know, a fan of do they have, like, a waffle maker? That thing that you can mix dough with. I forget what it’s called. That baking thing, the big bowl with electronic arm. Do they have that laying around? Do they have a coffee maker? Do they have, a toaster, or Is it just empty? No. Nothing is there, and that would maybe inclined that the sim is maybe more of a plastic cups in the cupboard kind of person. Right? What do spaces in general look like? You know? Are there toys scattered everywhere, piece of paper, art Supplies, you know, you can check-in the decor or the miscellaneous, part of the buy mode. It the build buy mode.

Gloria [00:09:46]:

It’s got a lot of Cool clutter items you could use to really express the kind of person that lives in that space. And speaking of space, how would they use an empty room, like a spare room that they don’t she need for their bedroom. Is it a guest bedroom? So they’re, you know, open to having people over, or is it an Office, you know, are they maybe a workaholic? Do they even work from home? Or do would they have their laptop on the kitchen counter? That’s also, you know, says a lot about this, and they’re just on the go and and they don’t really, you know, care too much about having a dedicated office space. Maybe they’re using that room for fitness. It’s full of fitness equipment or their yoga mats more for meditation and zen and and getting a clear mind, or is it their atelier where they paint and create things? Woo hoo. Quick interruption. I have no idea who let them in, but there are some crackling critters that are upcoming in the in the recording. I have no idea what happened, and I rerecorded, and I couldn’t get it out.

Gloria [00:10:42]:

So please be patient there. And just a heads up that the little Crick crackling critters are here and making their little crackling sounds, but I hope the audio is still enjoyable and the message comes across nonetheless. It’s only for a couple minutes. So, yeah, thank you. The things you put into these spaces, into these rooms, They show how the rooms are used and how the sim plans to live their lives in these spaces. Quite, fun to do, but also, you know, adds to a home and makes it feel like a home. Probably my favorite way to make a space feel more like a home and and more lived in is is to actually add evidence that it’s been lived in. And that could be, you know, adding, you know, evidence of memories, anything where you can put life on display.

Gloria [00:11:26]:

But another way to showcase memories would be a family photo wall. You could have trinkets from travel on shelves. I remember I had this legacy family in essence three And the family founder, he always went on travels. I really love the World Adventures pack, and he collected so many things from from China and Egypt. His home was full of it, and, you know, he’d always look back and think about the things he’s experienced. Now, of course, you know, we’re just now moving in, but maybe you wrote a backstory about them and and they had been traveling before they now, you know, settled down in this new apartment or new home. And so you could add trinkets, items that are evidence of that. Of course, if your sim is, you know, talented, artistic, you can have Items that they’ve crafted showcased on the walls.

Gloria [00:12:10]:

You know, maybe you’re not moving in a completely new household. Maybe you’re actually grabbing a household that you have created, or they have already played with somewhere else in your world and you place them into this home, well, you’re gonna be moving things with them that were important to them in that previous Lots. So that could be items that they’ve already created. You could also have work in works in progress displayed. For example, artwork on an easel that’s, you know, just in the midst of being completed. You could also have certificates or awards that the sim has accomplished over their, you know, lifetime hung up on the wall. I think a lot of these things, of course, you know, they develop naturally over time organically. You will collect these kinds of items.

Gloria [00:12:49]:

You know, that’s been topic of The season your sim already has a history. They’re moving into this new space. What are some, you know, fun ways you can inject personality into the home right at the beginning. It feels like their space and they can, you know, continue making new memories. And just imagine all the fun you can have, you know, just redesigning this, The interior of this home, each time a new house moves in, it really forces you to be creative. You can’t just put the couch maybe at the same place you put it last time. Maybe figure out, oh, you know, this is actually a cooler way to put the couch. You know? So and thinking about that.

Gloria [00:13:21]:

So there are many challenges out there, and a lot of them focus on playing many generations and growing a family. But what about the history of a home? Think about where you’re living right now. It’s likely a space that has been lived in by others before. Your office space may have been someone else’s childhood bedroom or the kitchen countertop where you like to collect your Uber Eats takeaways could have been the center stage for, you know, grandma’s, you know, famous cooking in the past life or something like that. So How about a challenge about 1 house or apartment within a living space that becomes a home to a new household every same year? And so I introduced to you the if these walls could speak challenge. So, basically, the goal of this challenge is to play 10 consecutive households in the same home and collect items from each resident that represents their experience in that home. And so some of the rules are, for example, you can have the 1st sim who moves in. They will remain the property owner for the entire challenge Unless they sell the property, and so they will actually function as a landlord for all the consecutive residents that move in.

Gloria [00:14:29]:

Each household must leave One item behind after they move out. So for example, photo of the home, something handmade, a mess. So different things, by the separate households are left behind and kept in the house and also must be incorporated in the interior design of the home. So after each move, The interior design of the home must be changed to reflect the new resident, but, you know, you can keep some furniture from the previous households. You know, this could be for storytelling purposes. If, for example, the landlord does rent out the space, pre furnished a little bit, or if, you know, you imagine some of the items have been purchased by the new resident coming in from the previous one. And, of course, the items that are collected must stay in the home as well. So they’re left behind items, so to say.

Gloria [00:15:15]:

And the structure of the home cannot be changed unless maybe it’s like a I thought it’d be fun to have, like, a house flipper part of the challenge, I think that is a choice, but if you do this, you can do this once only. I was also thinking, okay. How long should a family or It could be also roomies. It could be a single sim. You know, it doesn’t always have to be families, but how long should each household stay in the home? And I decided on 4 seasons. There are some instances though where a sim can get out of this space earlier if they pass away. If it’s a single sim and they just Drop it then, obviously, then we, need new residents to move in. But you also have the opportunity at the end of each seasons on the last day, You can roll the dice, and if you roll a 6, the entire household needs to move out.

Gloria [00:16:01]:

Also, why would they move out? You know, there are various reasons. You can Decide to resolve, but, you know, some storytelling ideas would be it’s a lifestyle change. You know, they wanna move out from this maybe apartment into an actual home, like a house, where they have a job relocation. You know, maybe they have to move to entire new world. They have conflict with their land or their neighbors. There’s different reasons why you’d to or would want to move out of home, but that’s part of the challenge as well. I was thinking about this challenge already some months ago, But then we have this new expansion pack coming out, the, for rent expansion pack, and I thought it would fit so well. I’m already in love with the r e, the real estate mod by Some realist, and I highly recommend it for this challenge as well because it lets your sim act as a landlord.

Gloria [00:16:44]:

It lets them Buy a new home and keep their old property for renting out. And so that’s all you need. You know? If you’d have just base game, you can use that mod and you can Have your 1st sim that moves in acts as landlord, but with this new expansion pack, it looks like we’ll be able to do the same without a mod. So, you know, console players will be able to play this way If they have this expansion pack, I don’t really know much about it yet, but, so far, at the time of this recording, only the, reveal trailer has been launched. So So we don’t know too many details about the actual gameplay, but it looks very much like we’ll be able to rent out as a landlord, and they’ll be able to live in or on that property or in another lot and still rent it out. So very much compatible with this challenge. And, of course, you know, we have another third Alternative is that, you know, you have a base game and you cannot play with mods or you choose not to, then I think a bit of plain pretend might be in order here. After that 1st sim moves out, they pretend that they still own a property and pretend that the landlord, or, of course, you could just decide to Have each sim that moves in, they’re the new owner of the property.

Gloria [00:17:49]:

That’s fine as well, because you can, you know, do this with apartments or actual homes as well. And with the upcoming residential rental lot, that’s gonna be the new expansion pack. So I think we have that flexibility in this challenge, but I think the landlord aspect would be really fun. So I hope the if these walls could speak challenge helps you have more fun reusing lots you already have for new Sims and new households. I think it’s for 1, of course, really fun for people that like interior design and like reinventing a space. And obviously also for people that like making new sims, You can get these new households from the gallery. You can also move them in from other homes in your world, but this is also, of course, a great opportunity to go and cast and create new ones. And I think this is also a nice storytelling challenge because, like, the name already says if these walls could speak.

Gloria [00:18:39]:

You have new households moving in every Sim year, and they’ll all have different experiences, different aspirations that you can make up and play. And, Yeah. That it’s just different lies, and so you can have an opportunity to play with totally different sims but in the same space. I’ll have the full list of rules and recommended mods in the yellow llama club. We have a challenge section in our Community that’s hosted on heartbeat, and you can check them out in full. And then also you can take part in the challenge, with a little submission form and Share everything you were experiencing in the challenge, so you’re very welcome to join the yellow llama club for that. And so coming back to that question of what makes a house a home, as we can see, it doesn’t take much to make that empty space feel more cozy, more More real even, you know, you just need maybe some unique design and style choices that can reflect the personality of your sims. You know, the way they use the space also shows more about how they tick and what’s important to them, their interests.

Gloria [00:19:40]:

And last but not least, you know, fill in the space with, you know, memories where evidence of their life there, whether that, you know, be a huge mess, things like that. It can make your Sims feel, you know, right at home right when they move in. I hope I’ve inspired you to take a second look at the homes in your worlds and give them a refresh instead of swapping out entire lots when a new sim arrives. Also, I hope to see you join the if these walls could speak challenge in the yellow llama club. Also, heads up that the podcast will be taking a 2 week break, Then I’ll be returning with season 2, which will be all about well, you’ll just have to wait till next week, then I’ll share the season trailer. Until then, Happy Simming!