✽ Updated: July. 2022 / Created: Aug. 2020I recently looked into creating apartments, as I wanted to add one or two to my current save.
While I was building I took notes on my experiences and whatnot and wanted to share my notes.
Build the house or apartment building as you would normally. This includes furnishing, decorating and recoloring the objects and furnishings. As once room markers are placed you need to use the {
restrictbuildbuyinbuildings off} cheat to edit anything on that lot.
✽ To Turn Editing off. Press Ctrl-Shift-C together to bring up the cheat window and type in
testingcheatsenabled on and then type in
restrictbuildbuyinbuildings on. This turns off the build cheat.
You don't need to furnish/decorate the rooms or spaces that you'll be putting the hidden markers in. You can even take out walls so you don't have to place as many hidden markers. This may help lower the cost of the lot or rent paid by your active family living on the lot.
💡 A Tip: Build the apartment house or building first, save a copy and then edit that when needed.
This means the markers will need to be replaced, but I have found it easier to edit the build without the markers than with them.
Click on images to see larger view.
Want the apartment house used to make this how-to?
Click Here ✽ To help with Sim routing, it is a good idea to set front of lot and front door to help with routing. In Build/Buy mode:
Set Front of Lot - with
testingcheatsenabled on, press Ctrl-Shift-Click on the space you want to be set as front of the lot. A blue line and animated arrow will appear to show you where front is.
Set Front Door - Press Ctrl-Shift-Click to bring up the pie menu and select Set as Front Door.
✽ In order to have neighbors in your apartment, you need to set at least one NPC door. This will also help the callbox to work.
Add a wall mailbox and a callbox. These are Late Night objects.
Without a call box, you can't call out the the NPC Sims that live in the other apartments to visit with them.
Callbox can be found in Buy Mode > Sort by Function > Miscellaneous Electronics
Wall Mailbox can be found in Buydebug > Misc. Objects
Hidden Room Markers and Public Room Markers are base game items, you can get to the via the buydebug menu with
testingcheatsenabled on.
Buy Mode > Sort by Function > Debug [?].
Hidden Room Marker
Public Room Marker
Go to the last tab called Misc. Objects, scroll down until you see the orb called Hidden Room Marker.
✽ Public Room Markers -This marker is for all the spaces you want your Sim to use, but not own any of the objects. For example, living spaces, such as kitchen, living room, family room, etc. Any space you want to consider shared public space.
✽ Hidden Room Markers -This marker is for rooms your Sim will not have access to. This is considered rooms where NPC Sims will be living.
** Do not put markers in your Sims' bedrooms/bathroom. This is considered their own private space.
~ More Tips and FAQs: ✽ Editing Spaces Inside the Apartment -You see a grid in the spaces where you edit with cheats off. If you don't see a grid, you cannot edit that space.
If you want to make any changes to the lot after the room markers have been placed, turn on testingcheatsenabled on, and type in restrictbuildbuyinbuildings off into the cheat window. This turns on the build cheat. To turn off the build cheat type in restrictbuildbuyinbuildings on when finished.
Depending on what town your building your apartment in, you may not be able to change the residential lot type. This is known to happen in Bridgeport and University.
This happens on both apartment lots and lots that have residential homes on them. It appears we players can't change that, and I'm not able to find any cheats that allow one to change the lot type.
If you're wanting to change the lot type, save your build to the library and place it into any town from any expansion (except Bridgeport) or the Sims 3 Store. These towns allow you to build on residential lots and change residential lot types which are Residential Regular or Residential Apartment.
It might, depending on your playstyle. In my experience lot type doesn't matter (Apartment lot or Residential) in the way that it plays.
Both lot types you still get Sims roaming around the house, but it looks like you get more Sims roaming around if lot is set as an apartment.
It's less expensive to move into the lot, when set as an apartment lot.
- Example:
* Price On Lot: ~ §50,000+ for regular residential lot
* Price On Lot: ~ §535 for an apartment lot lot
You may find random NPC Sims (roommates) added to your household as NPC Sims. This is normal. To get rid of them you'll have to dismiss them each individually by clicking on the Sim and selecting Roommates > Dismiss Roommate.
The option to turn off roommates isn't available on lots set as an apartment lot. The lot needs to be set as normal residential lot in order to have the option of Roommate Services. To change that dismiss all roommates, evict household to the clipboard and set lot as a regular residential lot.
Turn off Roommate Services and Troubleshooting Tips
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=26400.msg440850#msg440850NPC Sims cannot be chosen by player. The game will place the NPC's in your apartment.
From what I've been able to tell the doors if external need to be enclosed with a fence and a gate. The public markers may need to be placed in the yard as well as up on the porch, if apartment has a porch.
Options for internal doors.
The option does not show on external doors.
Options for external doors inclosed in a fence with a gate.
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As a quick refresher, here's the instructions on creating/editing an apartment on a regular residential lot:
1. Have testingcheatsenabled on
2. Buydebug on
3. restrictbuildbuyinbuildings off (so you can edit/create on the lot)
4. Be in Build/Buy mode.
5. Have both public and hidden markers placed.
6. Use Shift+Ctrl+click to create an NPC Door.
-- This can be done on all doors leading to hidden "rooms" that are facing public spaces.
Once NPC Sims start moving in (in about a Sim day), you will be able to Left-click on any NPC door and Ring Bell or use a call box if placed on the lot when in live mode.
If a house is built on a foundation and has a basement, Sims may oddly route to the landing when returning home from another lot. The lot type (Residential or Apartment) doesn't matter.
The following conditions may cause this:
House has a basement and built on a foundation
The staircase (straight or spiral) is in an open public area before the Sims personal space.
There is at least one NPC door set in the apartment
To fix, either re-do the stairs leading to the basement landing or wall off the staircase area and add a locked door. Sims will now route properly into the apartment.
This is normal.
When placed via library, Sims can get placed by any door or inside the building.
When moving via phone or computer, Sims route from sidewalk to front door.
This may be by design. To simulate roommates in a rented apartment. They do not come out all at once. When using the callbox, usually only one Sim is called at a time.
If your town has only one apartment building, all the homeless/NPC Sim will be added to your only apartment building. If you place more than 1 apartment building the game may distribute the homeless/NPC Sims between all of the apartment buildings.
If you find that you have duplicate Sims in the Callbox. Make sure you don't have a copy of them in your Library. As the game can sometimes use families that are saved in your library or CAS if town population is low.
It shouldn't take away the furniture or decor of the communal areas of the apartment. Just your own private areas with exceptions to the bathrooms. Those stay mostly furnished - no mirrors.
1st Floor
2nd Floor
~ Reference Links:http://simswiki.info/wiki.php%3Ftitle%3DTutorials:TS3_Sims_3_ApartmentsBuilding Apartments
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=2455.msg59615.html#msg59615Building a High Rise Building ~ Tip
https://www.carls-sims-4-guide.com/forum/index.php?topic=3658.msg283655#msg283655Too Many Sims in Callbox
https://modthesims.info/t/450829https://gamelover86.wordpress.com/tag/how-to-build-a-apartment-in-sims-3/https://hubpages.com/games-hobbies/Building-appartments-in-The-Sims-3https://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/310981/how-can-i-build-apartmentshttps://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/820000/no-option-for-npc-door-when-building-an-apartmenthttps://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/881815/cant-make-npc-doorshttps://forums.thesims.com/en_us/discussion/893698/creating-apartmentshttps://www.reddit.com/r/thesims/comments/6xyyuc/sims_3_an_apartment_building_without_an_elevator/https://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Apartmenthttps://sims.fandom.com/wiki/Room_markers
