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Mastering Sims 4 Real Estate: A Comprehensive Guide to Buying and Managing Lots

So, you’re ready to expand your Sim’s horizons and invest in more property in The Sims 4? The process isn’t quite as straightforward as simply clicking a “buy” button, but fear not! This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about acquiring more land, managing multiple households, and understanding the limitations of lot ownership in the game. Let’s dive in!

The truth is, you can’t directly “buy another lot” for your active Sim family to live on simultaneously. The Sims 4 operates primarily on a single active household basis. Your Sims can only reside on one residential lot at a time. However, there are ways to expand your influence and control over the Sims world through managing multiple households, utilizing specific career paths, and leveraging the game’s built-in lot management features.

Managing Multiple Households and Moving Between Lots

The core mechanic to understand is household management. While your active Sim family can only live on one lot, you can create and control numerous other households within the same save file. Here’s how it works:

Creating a New Household: You can start a new household from the main menu or by evicting your current household from their lot.
Managing Households: In the “Manage Worlds” screen (accessible from the main menu or the in-game options), you’ll find the “Manage Households” button in the top right corner. This is your hub for controlling all the Sims families in your world.
Moving Sims: Within the “Manage Households” screen, you can transfer Sims between households. You can also select a household and click the “Move In” button (represented by a van icon) to move them into a vacant lot or a pre-built home.

This is the primary way to experience different homes and lifestyles in The Sims 4. You simply switch between active households as desired. You can even have your active Sims visit the homes of other households you control.

Alternative Ways to “Own” More Property

While direct simultaneous ownership isn’t possible, there are a few exceptions and creative workarounds:

Retail, Restaurant, and Veterinary Businesses (Requires Expansion Packs): The Get to Work, Dine Out, and Cats & Dogs expansion packs introduce business ownership. You can purchase a retail store, restaurant, or veterinary clinic, respectively. While these aren’t residential lots in the traditional sense, they are properties you own and manage. You can even technically use the “bb.enablefreebuild” cheat to build a small living area for your Sims on these lots, essentially creating a second home where they spend a significant amount of their time.
Rental Lots (Requires Expansion Packs): Certain expansion packs, such as For Rent, introduce the ability to buy and manage rental properties. This allows your Sim to become a landlord and own multiple residential units, though you will not be living in them permanently.
Vacation Worlds (Requires Expansion Packs): Worlds like Selvadorada (from Jungle Adventure) offer rental lots, typically for vacations. Though your Sims do not permanently own these, the lots can be used to live in for the duration of the trip.

Expanding Your Existing Lot

Another way to feel like you’re “buying more land” is to simply expand your existing lot.

Entering Build Mode: Click the build mode icon on the top right of the screen, or use the build mode shortcut on your keyboard.
Lot Expansion Tool: The rightmost icon in the build mode menu is the “Land Expansions” tool where you can buy more land for your existing home.
Permit Process: Applying for a permit is the first step, and then selecting an expansion plot is the next.

Cheats for Maximum Flexibility

The Sims 4 is known for its robust cheat system. These can offer alternative ways to manage your game and bypass some of the standard restrictions.

“FreeRealEstate On/Off”: This cheat (activated by typing testingcheats true followed by FreeRealEstate On in the cheat console) makes all lots free, allowing you to move your Sims into any house regardless of their finances.
“bb.moveobjects on”: This allows you to place objects anywhere, even overlapping each other. This isn’t related to buying lots, but it gives you incredible freedom to customize your existing properties.
“bb.enablefreebuild”: This cheat lets you build on any lot, including normally locked lots like dorms and hospitals. This can be useful for modifying community lots to better suit your Sims’ needs.
“Money [Amount]”: Directly sets your household’s funds to the specified amount. This removes financial limitations on lot purchases and renovations. For example, typing “money 9999999” will grant your Sims the maximum amount of Simoleons.

Maximizing Your Sims 4 Experience

While the game doesn’t allow for simultaneous ownership of multiple residential lots, these strategies will open up a whole new world for the game. Be creative, explore the possibilities, and remember that the fun is in creating the stories you want to tell with your Sims!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 15 frequently asked questions that address common inquiries about buying land and managing properties in The Sims 4:

Can I own multiple houses in Sims 4?

No, your active Sim family can only reside on one residential lot at a time. However, you can manage multiple households and switch between them to experience different homes and lifestyles. Expansion packs such as For Rent can add more property management options.
How do I buy a second home in Sims 4 without moving my current Sims out?

You can’t directly buy a second home for your current active household. The only exception is if you purchase a retail, restaurant, or veterinary business (with the relevant expansion packs). However, you can build multiple homes and switch active households using the “Manage Households” feature.
What’s the “FreeRealEstate On” cheat and how do I use it?

The “FreeRealEstate On” cheat, activated after enabling testing cheats (testingcheats true) in the cheat console, makes all residential lots free. This allows you to move your Sims into any lot, regardless of its price or your Sims’ finances. Type “FreeRealEstate Off” to revert to the original lot prices.
How do I expand the size of my existing lot in Sims 4?

Go into build mode. The rightmost icon in the build mode menu is the “Land Expansions” tool where you can buy more land for your existing home.
Can I add new lots to a neighborhood in Sims 4?

No, you cannot add new lots to existing neighborhoods. You are limited to the pre-existing lots within each world. However, you can change the lot type of existing lots to suit your needs (e.g., converting a park into a residential lot).
How do I move a house I built to a different lot?

In Build Mode, save the house to your library. Then, go to Manage Worlds, access your library, and place the saved house on the desired lot. You may need to adjust the terrain to ensure proper placement.
What is the biggest lot size available in Sims 4?

The largest lot size in Sims 4 is 64×64. These are rare, and can only be found in limited number of worlds.
Can I build on community lots like parks or gyms?

Normally, you cannot build on these lots. However, by typing “testingcheats true” into the console, followed by “bb.enablefreebuild”, you can unlock build mode on these lots and customize them to your liking.
What are the money cheat codes in Sims 4?
- rosebud – Grants 1,000 Simoleons.
- kaching – Grants 1,000 Simoleons.
- motherlode – Grants 50,000 Simoleons.
- Money X – Replace X with a number to set the exact amount of Simoleons for your household.
Where can I find pre-built houses in Sims 4?

When choosing a world to live in, you’ll see pre-built houses on the map. You can move your Sims into these houses directly or customize them in Build Mode before moving in.
Are there any hidden lots in Sims 4?

Yes, there are hidden lots like Forgotten Grotto in Oasis Springs. Accessing these lots often requires specific skills, items, or interactions. Exploring the world is key to finding them.
Can my Sims rent out properties in Sims 4?

Yes, certain expansion packs, such as For Rent, introduce the ability to buy and manage rental properties.
How do I enable cheats in Sims 4?

Press Ctrl + Shift + C on your keyboard to open the cheat console. Then, type testingcheats true and press Enter to enable cheats.
What is the most expensive house available in the Sims 4 gallery?

The cost of the most expensive house in the Gallery varies depending on creations uploaded by other players. Some creations can cost upwards of 10 million Simoleons!
How can I get unlimited money in Sims 4?

A Sims household can only have up to 9,999,999 Simoleons, and if players want to reach this, they have to open the cheat console and type “money 9999999”.

How do you buy another lot in Sims 4?