Lot issue

[commasplice]

My sim was happily living in the lot called "mid-nowhere" in Windenburg. It's a great lot, btw. Lots of fishing, wild plants, etc. It is small though and I'd fixed her up with Jade Rosa and wanted them to adopt so I downloaded a house and put it and them in an empty lot in a neighborhood that I think is called the Countryside. I was trying to redo the house and kept running up against 0 funds and realized the house/lot was designated as a business.

I moved them out. Demolished the house. Tried downloading again. Still showing up as a business. I've moved them all over and every time it's showing as a business.

What am I doing wrong???

[oshizu]

After downloading the house, look at the upper left corner (where you can assign lot traits). There's a place where you can assign the lot type. Change it to Residential.

[commasplice]

Oooooh. I did not even know this was a thing! Thank you!!!!

Edited to add: I found the guide and wow, I have a lot to investigate!

[oshizu]

Oh dear, was that a "lot" pun? 
I agree that the guides written by Carl and his crew are amazingly helpful. 

[commasplice]

Oh dear, was that a "lot" pun? 
I agree that the guides written by Carl and his crew are amazingly helpful. 

It wasn't but it should have been

[commasplice]

Ugh. So I found the lot trait option and that looks really cool. However, the lot is now designated as "generic" and when I try and change it, it says I can't change the designation on "special lots." Help???

[Playalot]

You could save the house to your library, bulldoze the lot. Change it to Residential and then re-download your house onto the now residential lot. Generic lots are really for player made parks etc. if you want your sim to live on a lot it has to be set to Residential. 

[commasplice]

Tried that like 3 times. Doesn't matter what the house is. Whether or not there is a house. It's set to residential and it won't let me change it.

[commasplice]

After much experimenting, I figured it out. I moved them to another lot, had them start a business on the lot that started this whole mess. Then sold the business. Then and only then was I able to select "residential."

[oshizu]

Thanks a lot for sharing your solution! 

Seriously, though, so glad you figured it out. Must have been maddening!