where do I even start?

[asthmaticdestiny]

So, I'm literally extremely new to building Sims homes. Everything I have built (which isn't much honestly) were two-dimensional flat lots, and I haven't the slightest idea of how to venture out, where to begin, or what to do to start working towards building more sophisticated homes.

I've scoured through the tutorials section in this forum, but the overwhelming amount of threads and information really frightens me. I'm at a bit of a loss for where to begin when it comes to building. So what I'd like to know, is where do I start? Where should I begin?

[skmt999]

Hm, the first counter-question that comes to mind is - what kind of lot would you LIKE to build? Write some notes, draw some sketches, and then you can look up specific tutorials to figure out how to get what you want done to work.

[HugeLunatic]

Have you gone through Tutorials:Building_Great_Realistic_Houses_-_From_the_Ground_Up? That covers everything from inside to outside. But first is to decide the type of house you want and research the styles. You can just google image search for specific architecture style or you could use a houseplan site as a guide.

[Omini]

If you're really stuck for where to start, trying building the home you're living in. The general design and structuring of an actual home may help you.

[Volvenom]

I would suggest youtube actually. Search for Sims3 there, you will find lots of great homes built in Sims.

[AceRacer195195]

I've been building houses in the Sims for a long time. I still even have my original Sims 1 standalone base-game with jewel case.

What helps me out the most is to draw out a plan before going to build the house in-game. If I'm not going off of an existing idea or house plan, I do a 'bubble plan' to get a rough idea of how the spacing will work. Just do rough estimations of how you want the sizes of the rooms to work and how they will connect.

Then from there I go onto graph paper and draw out my detailed plan. Definitely use pencil because you will make a lot of changes! I always try to visualize what I'm drawing. How will it look once it's put in-game? Is there enough space here? Visualization is a good tool for me to make a house I am satisfied with. You can also place your furnishings here to get a feel of the flow and layout of each room and the house as a whole.

After you have your plan done on grid paper, you can see how big of a lot you will need in-game for the house.

Hope this helps!
Ace