Tips for a Successful Property
Contents
TIPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL PROPERTY
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Some lots are more expensive than others, and starting out with only 10,000 Simoleans doesn’t really help, so you should have a small home for yourself in the beginning with only the essentials, and prepare to create your public haven once money isn’t an issue anymore.
The first step in creating a successful property will be choosing the right location for it. Beachfront properties are really expensive, so stick to something a little more affordable. Take in consideration the neighborhood surrounding the lot you desire, you have better chances of getting more visitors in a busy neighborhood. Also consider staying near the houses you frequented the most, so the friends you made can easily find you.
Another option you might want to think about is placing your lot near one of the top 10 of the city, since these are usually crowded and have people lining up outside. Soon these people will more than likely start looking for other lots in the neighborhood, and who knows, yours might be it!
LOT CATEGORIES
The different categories that you can assign to a property have a little more to them then just a classification name.
A property classified under “Entertainment” will let you use items such as the dance floor and DJ booth and your needs will go down slower than usual.
Lots categorized as “Games” will let you use the casino games, and your needs will also go down slower here.
Lots under the “Money” classification will allow you to use multi-player Job Objects, but your needs here will drop faster than normal.
In “Service”, “Residential” and “Romance” lots you can have access to any bed, including love beds. In “Service” your needs drop normally but will recover faster. In “Romance” lots your needs drop slower.
“Shopping” lots allow you to use their Clothing Racks and Gift Racks to shop.
When in “Skills” properties, the skill increase rate can reach a high of 118% instead of a normal 99%. Your needs will drop faster in this category, though.
Lots under the “Welcome” or “Offbeat” category are the ones where your needs will go down slower, so you won’t have to “green up” as often in these.
Make sure your property is classified under the right category so you can make the most of each category’s advantages. You can only switch categories once every two days.
EXPANDING YOUR LOT
You only start with a 12×12 square, which leaves room for the essentials only. If you are on your own and want to make the most of your lot, make your exterior walls 11×11 square, then build a second floor. You can have the second floor for yourself and leave the first floor for entertaining, or vice-versa.
You can expand your building area in the Lot Size Management tool, use the arrows to choose the size you want and click the checkmark to accept the fees. This can become quite expensive, so your best solution is to find some roommates to split expenses with.
ROOMMATES
Upgrading a property costs much less when you have roommates. The more simoleons you have, the bigger and better your property can be, and at a much more affordable price.
| Property Size | Area | # of Roommates | Cost to Upgrade with roommates | Cost to Upgrade without roommates |
| 1 | 12×12 | 0 | – | – |
| 2 | 20×20 | 1 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| 3 | 26×26 | 2 | 3,500 | 8,000 |
| 4 | 31×31 | 3 | 6,500 | 14,000 |
| 5 | 35×35 | 4 | 10,000 | 25,000 |
| 6 | 39×39 | 5 | 18,000 | 40,000 |
| 7 | 43×43 | 6 | 30,000 | 70,000 |
| 8 | 46×46 | 7 | 60,000 | 130,000 |
Some advantages of having roommates (aside from the already mentioned property upgrade cost) are that you can get organized as to who buys what type of objects and how many, and you can work out a schedule so your property stays open longer.
Besides, when having roommates you can all get together and organize skill study sessions or money making sessions!
To make someone your roommate, you both need to be on your lot. Click on the other Sim, click “Transactions” and then “Invite to be a Roommate”. You will then give them a key to your house. You can have up to seven roommates.
Choose roommates you get along with and have known for a certain period of time, and who share the same goals you do: to run a successful and busy lot while keeping visitors happy.
As the property owner you have the advantage of kicking out a roommate. If they don’t suit the lifestyle you’re trying to provide, if they’re not contributing to the property, or if they leave the house a mess, you have more than enough reason to get rid of them.
BUILDING AND DECORATING
Plan ahead before building your house, even if that means making a little sketch on a piece of paper. One thing that really helps is to use the original Sims game to build your house as you would like it. This way you will have a blueprint to build it in the online version and won’t have to worry about making mistakes and deleting walls, which costs you money.
Think about how many rooms you want/need and what type of rooms, and consider the position of the furniture in them. Make them big enough so there is enough room for more than one Sim to go by at the same time. Place more than one door to each room, and at least two staircases (or teleporters) if you have a second floor. You don’t want your visitors to get stuck. Below is an example of a spacious and functional lot.
Remember your visitors also have needs, and while at your home you will have to provide the means to satisfy those needs. Several bathrooms or just a large one to take care of Bladder and Hygiene, at least one buffet table to fill the Hunger meter, enough tables and chairs for everyone to eat comfortably are a must. Since Sims will get tired from working and learning skills, bedrooms (a big one with several beds or many smaller bedrooms) or comfy couches are a good solution for your guests’ Energy. Remember to keep some objects for the Sims to have fun with, like a pool table.
Never forget about the Room factor! Place decorating objects in each room to make it more appealing: plants, paintings, rugs, a fireplace. Use your own Sim to test each room and find out which ones are in need of a little artistic boost.
However, you should know that there is an object limit. Originally, a character begins with a limit of 100 objects for his/her lot. The older your sim is, the more objects you can have on the lot. You will gain an extra objects per week that your character is active.
|
Days in Existence
|
Object Limit (# of objects)
|
| Birth/creation | 100 objects |
| 7 days | 101 objects |
| 14 days | 102 objects |
| 21 days | 103 objects |
| 28 days | 104 objects |
| 35 days | 105 objects |
| 42 days | 106 objects |
| 49 days | 107 objects |
THEMED LOTS
With the help of the different styles of wallpapers, floors, pillars and columns, windows, doors, furniture and landscaping items you can create just about anything. This chapter contains some basic decorating ideas to transform your lot into an original themed resort.
Roman Baths
A pristine white lot with several pools, tiled floors, fountains, statues and columns will resurect the perfect atmosphere of the roman baths, which were very popular social hangouts at the time. Complete the look by having a clothing rack near the entrance, and make everyone wear a toga once they step into your house.
Cyber-Café
If you’re building a cyber-café, then you will want a modern look: textured metallic walls, paved floors, modern sculptures and paintings, functional desks and chairs, and of course lots of computers.
You can also achieve the right sci-fi look by using stainless steel and futuristic furniture in the bathrooms, the dining room/kitchen and in the bedrooms.
A clothing rack is also a must, since everyone can dress up in starship fleet uniforms.
Bar and Dance Club
Usually busy places, dance clubs must have a large dance floor, some dance cages and a powerful stereo. Create a separate room for the bar, with a few tables and comfortable chairs (those who dance a lot will need to rest), a jukebox or a stage for a band (with a piano and some guitars), a pool table or two, snack machines, drink machines and a hot dog cart or buffet.
Wedding Chapel
A podium, a pretty archway, flowers, a formal costume trunk, benches and a carpet down the aisle are the basic items for hosting a wedding.
Health Club and Gym
This will be the talk of the town for the folks who want to take care of their appearance and body more than anything else. An indoor swimming pool, hot tubs, exercise machines, basketball courts outside, and many mirrors in the washrooms will add to the ambience. Add a cafeteria with snack machines, drink machines and a buffet, and connect it to a refreshing patio with some tables and chairs.
Casino
Casinos usually attract quite the crowd. Place rows of slot machines in a room, have girls dressed up as Vegas show-girls dancing on a stage, require quests to wear formal outfits for that chic look.
Beach House
A beach house with Tiki furniture and bamboo walls always looks appropriate, and it best have a swimming pool outdoors and some palmtrees! Place torches around the pool for that special jungle feeling, recliner chairs, and have an ice cream counter nearby and make sure everyone is wearing their bikinis and trunks. And remember to place a sign saying “No running around the pool”; you don’t want your Sim visitors to slip on the wet floor.
School and Library
One of the easier themes to create, the School and Library require some sobriety in decoration. Classrooms include chalkboards, a few bookcases and desks, some with computers, or you can make a special room for computers only. You can have an Art Room with several easels and gnome workbenches, and a lab full of Concoction Stations. The library must have all kinds of bookcases and comfy seats, with optional chessboards, since it’s a place of peace and concentration. Don’t forget the appropriate lighting.
You can customize your lot even more by adding sound effects and music. Jungle animals for a tropical haven, ocean waves splashing for a beach lot, spooky sounds and screams for a haunted house, the possibilities are numerous.
ADVERTISING YOUR LOT
Once your property is all set up and ready to open, you’re ready to do some advertising. Don’t just go in to other people’s properties, shout and run off to the next, it’s not polite and you certainly wouldn’t want others to do that in your lot.
Start by classifying it under the appropriate category (entertainment, skills, money, etc.) and use the property description. Write a little text, short and to the point so people can see what your house is all about and what you have to offer.
You can also advertise your property by listing it on The Sims Online Official Website or on other fan/community sites. Make sure you list it in the right city, and write a good detailed description of your lot and what goes on there.
If you feel creative, you can always build a website for your lot. Place screenshots as a property tour, describe what Sims can do there, mention anything you think is relevant (number of skill objects, number of job objects, recreation activities, and special events) and once you’re done you can list it on the Fan Sites category.
There is nothing better than word of mouth, so tell your friends, and have them bookmark you so they can see when you’re online.
BE A GOOD HOST
A good host always makes sure his/her guests are comfortable and enjoying themselves. Always greet people with a friendly “Hello” or a simple “Welcome”; this makes your visitors feel welcome. Ask if someone wants to join you in a skill study group or a money making session on a certain object.
Be courteous and friendly, the kinder you are, the more your popularity rises, and the more people will talk about you. Eventually you will have more and more visitors.
Make sure there is food available and that the bathrooms are clean. You can always ask for your guests to clean up after themselves, it doesn’t take long and most people don’t mind doing it.
Host special events now and again.
Why not host your own talk-show on Friday nights? Place a stage with a desk, a chair and a comfy couch on it, then a few rows of theatre chairs. You can invite the weirdest Sims you have found in the game, like a robot an alien or a bear, or even Sims with celebrity names, and interview them on stage.
You can also run talent contests. Place a stage and a microphone with clothing racks nearby. Your contestants will have to be original and use body language to express themselves, whether they’re doing a little dance or reciting a poem. In the end, you can let the audience vote for the winner, and you can even have prizes for the most voted.
Make these events regular and always on fixed days, and you can be sure people will come back for more. Think about the visitor bonus!
Add a bit of silliness and originality to your place: make it mandatory to wear a cheese hat on Mondays, pajamas on Saturdays, sport outfits on Sundays, everything goes just to have some fun.
Last but not least: respect people’s privacy. This includes your roommates as well as visitors. Don’t ask impertinent questions, and don’t inquire about real life. This is a game, something to escape daily routine, where people become someone else and leave their worries outside.
Some people don’t like being disturbed or chatting while working on job objects or skill objects, respect that and let them do their thing. As for your roommates, don’t move their objects around without their consent and don’t make drastic alterations to the house without consulting them first. Remember, they also contribute to the good functioning and upkeep of the lot, so consult them before changing something.
Life in The Sims Online is a lot like real life. You struggle to improve yourself in order to make more money, cultivate and nurture your friendships, and aspire for the house and/or business of your dreams.
The way is sometimes troublesome and demanding, and the means may be somewhat repetitive and boring, but the results are worth it. Seeing the fruit of all your work bloom and prosper is extremely gratifying, and knowing you have made a difference, even if it’s just on an online virtual community, makes it all worthwhile in the end.