Home Design Questions

[Hufflepuff Karen]

I've searched the forum, but I'm not getting any results (words are too common), so I started a new thread.

I am thinking of putting a second story on Charlie's house so that Arthur and Molly can each have their own rooms. I currently have a little playhouse in the back, for the overflow of Molly's big toys and where Arthur and his friend Ariana can practice ballet or karate.

The main house is the Player Designed Home, which is a little bit awkward in its layout for entrances and exits.

If I'm going to add a second story, should I tweak the existing house first? I don't know if you can rearrange the rooms on the first floor (the walls and doors), if there is a second story above it. Thinking of putting all the bedrooms upstairs and living areas downstairs, maybe demolishing the playroom completely to move everything into the main house and have room for a pool for Katie, since she is one of my main divers (if I ever get a darn diving board!) It's the premium lot.

I've looked on You Tube to find some basics on house design, but I haven't found anything about fixing the main house before remodeling with a second story.

[enkeli63]

You can't move the exterior walls around when there's another floor. On the Teen Mansion, I wanted to split the main floor office into two smaller rooms so there could be a small office and a bathroom, but I wasn't able to change that room at all. I was forced to make a large bathroom instead (it absolutely needed a main floor bathroom!) So I highly recommend you change around the main floor before you add a second storey. I think you can still make changes to the main floor before you add the rooms upstairs, but you should work on your main floor first to be on the safe side.

[Hufflepuff Karen]

You can't move the exterior walls around when there's another floor. On the Teen Mansion, I wanted to split the main floor office into two smaller rooms so there could be a small office and a bathroom, but I wasn't able to change that room at all. I was forced to make a large bathroom instead (it absolutely needed a main floor bathroom!) So I highly recommend you change around the main floor before you add a second storey. I think you can still make changes to the main floor before you add the rooms upstairs, but you should work on your main floor first to be on the safe side.

Thank you! Now I just gotta make a plan - doodling around with some graph paper first. Figured I'd work on some of my existing houses while the teen idol mansion is taking its 3 days to get itself constructed I'm looking at other people's houses to see how they re-did the Player Designed Home - I mostly like it, but it makes me crazy how they all seem to walk around the long way to go anywhere.

[telemwill]

You can't move the exterior walls around when there's another floor. On the Teen Mansion, I wanted to split the main floor office into two smaller rooms so there could be a small office and a bathroom, but I wasn't able to change that room at all. I was forced to make a large bathroom instead (it absolutely needed a main floor bathroom!) So I highly recommend you change around the main floor before you add a second storey. I think you can still make changes to the main floor before you add the rooms upstairs, but you should work on your main floor first to be on the safe side.

Thank you! Now I just gotta make a plan - doodling around with some graph paper first. Figured I'd work on some of my existing houses while the teen idol mansion is taking its 3 days to get itself constructed I'm looking at other people's houses to see how they re-did the Player Designed Home - I mostly like it, but it makes me crazy how they all seem to walk around the long way to go anywhere.

I don't know if you are on Facebook, but I have a redesigned first floor on that house. I haven't added a second yet, and might change the floor plan yet again if add one. If you are on FB, pm me and I'll send a link.

[blackbrit]

Hi Karen,

I did something similar, but with the Player Designed house on a regular lot. I moved most of the bedrooms upstairs, and put in a pool in the yard. Here is what the ground floor looks like now:

Ground floor remodel

This is what the yard looks like now (sorry, it's night, and I forgot to put a weather machine over there before I took the screenshots!)

Yard of Player Designed House, remodel

Here is a photo without the grid:

And, the new second story that is mostly playroom, tv room, and bedrooms:

I think there is a better way to get the grid without obscuring the wallpapers, etc., but I forget how right now. Anyway, this Is a way I've used the Player Designed house. Moving an entrance to the the garden seems to have helped the traffic flow somewhat, as do the planters.

[Hufflepuff Karen]

Hi Karen,

I did something similar, but with the Player Designed house on a regular lot. I moved most of the bedrooms upstairs, and put in a pool in the yard. Here is what the ground floor looks like now:
SNIP
And, the new second story that is mostly playroom, tv room, and bedrooms
SNIP
I think there is a better way to get the grid without obscuring the wallpapers, etc., but I forget how right now. Anyway, this Is a way I've used the Player Designed house. Moving an entrance to the the garden seems to have helped the traffic flow somewhat, as do the planters.

That's what I want to change - traffic flow is definitely weird in that house. I have Arthur & Molly sharing a room and even though I keep the door paths clear of toys, Arthur always goes around through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, when there is a door right there! Molly is worse, she'll be in the adjacent playroom when I send her to bed and she'll go OUTSIDE through the front door, come in the kitchen door, through the living room and then into the bedroom door that Arthur won't use to go the bathroom. Makes me crazy!

Now I have two ideas from Telemwill and from you - thank you! I'm going to fiddle with it over the Thanksgiving holiday and we're planting hamburgers (finally got 'em!) to get enough Simoleons for the spiral staircase after I pay for the second story. Just in case I can't figure out a good place for a regular staircase, I want to be able to put in the spiral.

[blackbrit]

That's what I want to change - traffic flow is definitely weird in that house. I have Arthur & Molly sharing a room and even though I keep the door paths clear of toys, Arthur always goes around through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, when there is a door right there! Molly is worse, she'll be in the adjacent playroom when I send her to bed and she'll go OUTSIDE through the front door, come in the kitchen door, through the living room and then into the bedroom door that Arthur won't use to go the bathroom. Makes me crazy!

Now I have two ideas from Telemwill and from you - thank you! I'm going to fiddle with it over the Thanksgiving holiday and we're planting hamburgers (finally got 'em!) to get enough Simoleons for the spiral staircase after I pay for the second story. Just in case I can't figure out a good place for a regular staircase, I want to be able to put in the spiral.

I had other stairway options, and tried several. They seemed to make the configuration of the house even worse. The spiral ended up being the best choice for me. Be sure to post your finished house! I'm always remodeling.