Problems tearing down a two story house

[Janna]

I know it will be simple once I read the answer, but I am lost in figuring it out.

I bought a house that is two story.  It is horrible!  I wanted the land and the garden that is there.  I can, through edit, move the house but I lose the garden; same with buldozing it, I will lose the garden.
So, that seems to leave just tearing down the house.  I did so, laid out the masonary tiles and put up the walls for the design I wanted.   But now there is a grid over the rooms and I can not put anything inside the shell.  I tried to put my fridge, from my other home, in and it just kept staying on top of the grid.   
It's not a big house, a square bottom for a front room and kitchen, stairs in the middle of the room and the second floor, also square, has a bedroom and bath circling around the stairs. 

I tore it down the only way I know how, I used the sledge hammer to do it.  Was there another way that would have removed the grid?  I am assuming is from the second floor and that could be the reason for not being able to put things in the rooms?

Thanks for any help

[Pam]

Did you use the Floor Up and Down keys for correct placement of items?

[Janna]

Yes, and I tried to do the up wall, cutaway and all walls down and no changes in the walls at all.   The grid was also still there, not letting me put anything in the rooms.

I am just glad that I saved my family in a file so I am able to go back to just before they moved.   

[cathyknits]

Can you post a screenshot of the house, ideally one from buy mode where it's not letting you place something?

[Twinmum]

Have you gone up as far as you can and removed all the roof? Sometimes, it can be a bit tricky and leave pieces behind. I often just forget that there is a roof and sledgehammer the walls and then wonder for ages why I cant do certain things.

[Janna]

I'm not sure how to do screen shots.  I don't post pictures, have never felt comfortable (or maybe confident) in doing so. 

I checked after having the problem and as far as I can tell, from looking at it from various angles, distancse and removing the roof that had been there all of it is cleared.  I had clicked on remove roof, so I guess that took all of it off? 

I think I lost the house, not my original home, but the one I was trying to tear down.  But I still want to learn how to do that for later.  Either that house or another one that I had liked; it has a nicer garden and slightly not as much room. 

Something I was wondering about, if I tear down a house that has a garden on it, do I still have to take care of the veggies plants and fruit trees?  Weeding and such and do they die?  I have raided the garden of a family in same town of Riverview, but different game, who had moved and have not had to do any of that, just reaping what they sowed.   

[cathyknits]

Hrm. In more general terms, I think the trick for tearing a house of any size down to the ground is to start from the top, so you'll be less likely to miss something. Hit page-up until things stop changing. Sledgehammer the roof that should be the top layer. Page-down once. Sledgehammer the walls, any objects on the floors, any fences, and save the floor for last. Page-down again. Repeat until you've sledgehammered the whole thing. Stuff that's attached to the walls should go away when the wall segment is destroyed.

As far as the garden - if it's on your active family's lot, yes, you need to tend it. If it's not on your active family's lot, mature plants will sprout fruit on their own.

[Janna]

it seems that I started at the wrong section, I went from the bottom up.  I didn't think it would matter in a game whch end I started with, top or bottom. 

I think I will try to tear down the "hippie" house.  If the story progression follows as it is with my other family in Riverview, they will die soon.  I guess they will have an accident and die sooner.   

Their house is a nightmare, dark, rooms shaped in ways that is just wasteful of space, and I have no problem with large rooms, but sheesh!

I will strip it of all furniture and such and then destroy it.