Foundation prices are driving me crazy.

[Twinmum]

Has anyone noticed foundation prices doing crazy things? I'm trying to work out a few things and one was saving money by removing all but the outer edges of foundation. And that's where things get loopy
Here's the deal:
I start with an empty block worth 14700
Next I build a single block of foundation which according to the catalog is worth 4 but my value goes up to 14744 - it charged me 44 for one piece of foundation.
Next I extend the foundation so that it is a 10 x 10 block (100 units) my value is now 15500 meaning each block cost 8 instead of 4
Then I remove an 8 x 8 block out of the middle, meaning my value should go down but instead it goes up to 15564 so it charged me $1 for each block I removed.

So I delete all that and build a 50 x 50 foundation. My value goes up to 26920 which means it charged me 4.888 for each block
then I remove a 48 x 48 square and it refunds me 7468 that equals 3.2413 for each block
At this point I've decided to give it all up as a bad joke.

[cathyknits]

Does one of your sims have Handiness 10? That will play around with prices for things... and maybe also the Architect profession?

[Sportsfan]

Read this:
http://www.carls-sims-3-guide.com/forum/index.php/topic,5658.msg114912.html#msg114912

[Agneza]

Twinmum -you are right, i'ts realy very strange. Many houses I bulided only with fundation around in  the middle was all empty, but if you make copy and this copy you  put  on lot  the price is corect again.

[Twinmum]

This was on an empty block. I hadn't added any Sims. It wouldn't be so bad if it was consistent, but the prices charged and then refunded were all over the place.
Thanks Agneza, I'll try saving a copy of the block and see what happens.

[PolarBair]

I recently figured out that the same constrainFloorElevation trick used for adding attached garages to houses on foundations could also be used to use regular walls as foundations which may not only solve your price problem but also solves the problem of not being able to hang paintings or shelves and such on foundation walls.

here's a youtube video one how to use that gimmick to attach a ground level garage to a house on a foundation...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w90xq7FfAtk

You can basically use the same trick to use regular walls as your foundation by first making one single foundation block then lay out your walls in the shape you want for your foundation. Then use the level terrain tool to lower the level of the walls down to the same level as the foundation block.

Then you can delete the foundation block and turn constrainFloorElevation back on.

[JudesSims]

Thank you, PolarBair. I will have to try that.

[Ausette]

The only consistent thing I've discovered about the prices is that the more "walls" you have exposed, the more expensive your foundation is. That's why a 4x1 section is more expensive than a 2x2 section, and why hollowing out the foundation can actually cost you money.

[samoht04]

The only consistent thing I've discovered about the prices is that the more "walls" you have exposed, the more expensive your foundation is. That's why a 4x1 section is more expensive than a 2x2 section, and why hollowing out the foundation can actually cost you money.

That makes sense, it's pretty much double the amount of sides if you hollow it out.

[PolarBair]

ah, so it seems they charge per wall section not per square. Good to know. as I'm trying to make nice cheap starter houses.