Sunset Valley Home Makeover Contest
 

Sunset Valley Home Makeover Contest



Qualifications to Host:

Judged in “Groundwork: A TS3 Foundation Challenge”, participant in “Build a Business”.

Concept:
Similar to The Sims 2 counterpart, four families are moving to Sunset Valley that need their home decorated for them within their limited budget.

Rules:

Each round you need to post at least ten pictures of the home you redecorated. You may take no more than fifteen however, and please keep all but your first picture underneath the “spoiler tag.” It’s also required that you include a shot of the lot value somewhere in one of your pictures; this can be cut and pasted, if you wish.
• This is a Sims 3 contest only
• Only free custom content. Content that you paid for from the official "Sims 3 Store" may be used, however.
• Pictures should be large and clear within MTS guidelines.
• Photoshopping is prohibited. This is a decorating focused challenged, not a photography one.
• Exterior or interior walls may not be changed. However, adding or removing half walls or stages is permitted.
• Doors and windows can be replaced but not moved or deleted. For example, if you have a one tile window, it can only be replaced by a different one tile window in the same spot. Same applies to doors.
• The same applies to stairs; they can be replaced but not moved or deleted. They may be added, however.
• Adding and removing fencing is permitted.
• Pools can be added or removed. Remember, there is a budget and adding pools can be very expensive.
• Only the texture and slope/height of the roof may be changed.
• Editing the terrain is permitted. You may also add plants and rocks. Reasonably sized ponds may be added, as well.
• Driveways may be added, garages are may not.
• You can add a fireplace, but moving or deleting an existing one is prohibited.
• No changes may be made to foundation
• Columns may be replaced with a different one, but not deleted. They may be added, however.

Requirements:
• All skill levels are welcome, including beginners.
• Commitment; please don’t sign up for Round 1 if you know you won’t be able to follow through until the end. There are limited spots available, please leave them to those that really want them.
• A basic knowledge of taking good in-game photos.

Round 1 - Completed



Round 1 Scores

Round 2 - Completed



Cozy Craftsman - 28 Sim Lane

Round 2 Scores

Round 3 - Completed



Condor Museum Lofts - 280 Sunnyside Blvd.

Round 3 Scores

Round 4 – In Progress



Wagner's Repose - 250 Redwood Pkwy

Rule exceptions:

For this round, and this round only, there a few rule exceptions.

*Being able to replace the fireplace with one of the same size
*Being able to remove walls around fireplace only on the exterior.
*Can replace the arches that block the staircase on the top floor with windows
* Up to 20 pictures; 10 minimum

Round 4 Scores

Timeline:

Each round is two weeks. The next round will start within 48 hours of the end of the last one. Judges are expected to have their scores within 72 hours of the end of the round.
Submissions will be accepted until the next round ends; you will be docked 1 point for each day you’re late.

Judges:

Although we have three judges, I'll still accept an emergency judge at any point just to be safe.

Judge 1	Judge 2	Judge 3	Emergency Judge
malibibic	Kattenijin	Diwtay	BlakeS5678

Scoring:

Total Score: 20 points X 3 judges = 60 points (65 with bonus room)
• Decorating - 10 points: Is everything decorated well, overall? Does the color palette make sense? Does the overall design flow nicely?
• Suitable for family – 5 points: Does this fit what the family asked for? Is there enough space for everyone? Does it represent their style well?
• Furniture Placement – 5 points: Can Sims walk through this home well? Is it livable for a Sim family? Is the furniture placed nicely?

Bonus Room – 5 points: If you can accommodate the “bonus room” you will receive five extra points on the total score.

Budget - One point will be taken off the total score for every $1,000 over budget.



You also will be docked 1 point for each place a rule is broken. These include:

• Changing walls
• Deleting or moving fireplaces
• Adding, moving, or deleting doors, windows, or foundation
• Changing anything other than the roof’s texture or height/slope


The Families:

The Smith Family – Budget – $55,000 John and Jenny are convinced that their soulmates and couldn’t be closer together. As newlyweds they don’t need much space as it will only be the two of them. They love the idea of a traditional, cozy home.

Bonus room: Jenny has been feeling kind of nauseous lately, could she be pregnant? Create a nursery for a baby for the bonus room.


The Martinez Family - Budget - $75,000 - The Martinez are a big family! Juan and Maria have two kids and with another one on the way, they’re certainly going to need a new house. They have a teenage son as well as a nine year old daughter. The Martinez family would like a taste of home in their house, so they have requested a Spanish themed home.

Bonus room: Turns out that Maria is having twins! Accommodate a twin sized nursery.


The Adams Family – Budget - $65,000 – The Adams are a pale couple with an… “alternative” teenage daughter. They love everything dark and gothic, so make sure to include that theme in their home.

Bonus room: Are the Adams vampires? Include a dark lair that could include… a coffin, perhaps?

The Anderson-Miller Family – Budget – $70,000 Dirk and John are an unlikely couple but they’re certainly in love, they even adopted their darling daughter Kelly two years ago. Dirk loves sports and the gym while John would prefer to snuggle up with a good book. One thing that they can agree on though, is that they love modern architecture almost as much as they love their toddler daughter.

Bonus room: Create a library/den for John to escape his hectic life, and find some tranquility in his favorite literature.

Contestants:

Since the judges can only score so much there will be limited space. I'll accept up to 25 contestants.

#	Contestant	Round 1	Score	Round 2	Score	Round 3	Score	Round 4	Score	Final
1	cutsocks	link	61	link	62	link	59.5	link	56	238.5
2	zenomia	link	37	link	45	N/A	0	N/A	0	82
3	LucyBorgia	link	52	link	52	link	51.5	link	47	202.5
4	bellakenobi	link	57	link	48	link	45.5	link	53	203.5
5	TookaChan	link	39	N/A	0	N/A	0	N/A	0	39
6	sandymdh	link	58	link	58	link	62	link	52	230
7	Jaylo	link	52	link	53	N/A	0	N/A	0	105
8	BulldogFan82	link	43	link	53	link	43	N/A	0	139
9	kasandro	link	61	link	62	link	62	link	53.5	238.5
10	TMBrandon	link	49	N/A	0	link	20.5	N/A	0	69.5
11	tsyokawe	link	56.5	link	44.5	link	53.5	link	51	205.5
12	msnikki82	link	49.5	N/A	0	N/A	0	N/A	0	49.5
13	Mamathulu	link	52	link	55	link	50.5	link	37	194.5
14	xphantomhive	link	37.5	link	44	link	44.5	N/A	0	126
15	kadience	link	37	link	38	link	29	N/A	0	104
16	Japalion9	link	36	N/A	0	N/A	0	N/A	0	36
17	cherry4567	link	39.5	link	45	N/A	0	N/A	0	84.5
18	clairebear2003	link	37	N/A	0	N/A	0	N/A	0	37
19	tiffisio	link	46.5	link	37	link	53	link	39	175.5
20	KDrwenski	link	63	link	48	link	46	link	51	218
21	swim5408	link	36	link	47	N/A	0	N/A	0	36
22	Fenisa	link	52	link	34	link	54.5	link	0	140.5
23	beautysimmer9538	link	45	N/A	0	N/A	0	N/A	0	45
24	OhMindful1	link	42	link	43	link	60	link	59.5	204.5
25	Tiraslin	link	61	link	57.5	link	54.5	link	61	234

"Play-alongs"	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4
StardustX	link	link	N/A	N/A
tigerguy87	link	N/A	N/A	N/A
devil_sue	link	link	link	N/A
aeval99	link	N/A	N/A	N/A
pingpati123	link	link	N/A	N/A
LoonyLoonyLacey	link	N/A	N/A	N/A
Diwtay	link	link	N/A	N/A

How to apply:

Download the Round 1 file and choose a family. Decorate to your hearts content. Then, when you're done, post between ten and fifteen of your best pictures here under spoiler tags. Make sure at least one is an overhead shot or "bird's eye view."

Other notes:

The Round files will always be up to the latest patch, 1.67 I believe.

On installing library files, a blurb from heaven in the "Trading Spaces - TS2/TS3" contest forum.

Hi everyone, just checking in.

Edit: I hope this contest has some takers!

BlakeS5678, I've downloaded the file and opened the zipped file as usual and put in my Sims 3 library, but it doesn't show up when I go into game I'm not sure why as the file shows in the library when I look in my documents?

(*silently cheers about first post*)

Hm, I'm not sure why that would happen. Try restarting the game perhaps? In any case, would it be possible for you to create a new Sunset Valley world? You can find the lot that way and it'll work just the same. I really hope your problem is quickly resolved. Always feel free to ask me more questions.

Edit: Oh, and on another note, I'm still looking for judges. I don't bite, I promise!

I WANT TO DO THIS!!!!!!! is July first the judging the first or start, what do you mean by unfinished, and is the house that is pictured the house we have to edit?

*July 1st is when you have to have your entry in by.

*The round is unfinished as in not everyone has their entries in yet

*Yes, the picture posted is the house you have to edit.

I'm glad you're excited to join the contest. I'd love to have you.

OHH ill start right away

Glad to hear it!

I just remembered is budget the cost of the house and furniture or just furniture

The budget total is whatever the original "Unfurnished" price is, plus whatever money is allotted to them.

For example:

Taking Round 1, which unfurnished is $17,869 plus the Smith's family budget of $55,000 means that the end furnished value can be no more than $72,869.

I hope that makes sense.

Edit: Put that in the original post for clarification.

Would taking out a column and replacing it with a different one be permitted?

Yes, that would be fine.

Edited: Added that to the first post, thanks for pointing that out.

I've actually never participated in anything on this site, but, this is so interesting. And seeing as I've been wanting to expand my decorating abilitys in TS3, I'll give this a go!

I'd like to try, if that is okay I like the idea of remodeling a lot.

Could you clarify how the family selection works? Do we stick with the same family throughout the contest?

(And if this was already covered in the OP and I just missed it, then apologies for being an idiot :p)

Oh fun! I don't mind losing horribly, so I might give this a whirl.

One quick question though: I know that modifying the placement of existing columns and stairs is prohibited, but is placing additional stairs and columns allowed?

Hello everyone! I want to ask - how about fences? Can we build it or not? ( sorry for my English)

Can I be a judge? I already judged in Design This - An Interior Design Contest. Some of the pictures of my decorating abilities under the spoiler

"Then, when you're done, post ten of your best pictures here under spoiler tags"
My question is, What do you mean by "Spoiler Tag" ? How to add photos there ?

You choose a different family each round. Each round you'll be given a different house to redecorate, so at the end you'll have redecorated four different homes for four different families.



Hm. This is always tough for me as I want to find a balance with creativity and difficulty in this challenge. I'm going to be lenient and say yes on this one though, as long as you don't delete the ones that were originally there.



You can do whatever you want with fences. You may delete, change, add, and lick them.



Of course. I'd love to have you. Especially since you have experience with a similar contest.



I think you'll find HP's thread here to be very helpful.

The spoiler tag is (spoiler) Put picture text here (/spoiler). Except you use [ ] instead of parenthesis.

One more question ! Can I change the furniture and their position and add an additional room ?

*Of course you can change the furniture. How else could you redecorate?

*No, you may not add an additional room as editing walls is not permitted. Well, technically you could, but you would be docked points for breaking the rules.

Woo! There will be lots of fence-licking from me. I LOVE fences. (Lick = abuse, right? )

An thank you so much for letting us add stairs. So much thanks!

Oh, you're welcome. I had a feeling that would keep some people happy.

This contest looks really interesting, depending on my assignment schedule I may be up for participating.Never taken part in one before.

I'd love to join in! Have downloaded the file! Quick question, can we replace doors and windows and put in arches? And can we knock down walls? Say if I wanted to make the kitchen and dining room into one room could I do that? Many people can get this done quite cheaply

*You may replace doors with archways, but windows can only be replaced with other windows.

*You can't knock down walls as changing interior or exterior walls is not permitted.

Hi,

I've never done a contest, but I definitely want to try this one. Do we have to tell you beforehand which family we're choosing?

No, just tell me which one you chose in your application when you submit it.

If there's any space left, I'd like to try this - I've not done any decorating challenges before, and would really like to give it a go over the summer, while I have time. Just a quick question - I take it that if you get through Round 1, you then go on to decorate another family's home for Round 2, etc etc?

Martinez
 

martinez? twins? is this a sims ANON reference I hear? :lovestruc

What about Store Content? You said only 'free' CC, but the store content is not 'free'! Can it still be used? Or just their free stuff?
Thanks!

Oh, man I really wish I cold do this contest, it looks like something I'd really love, but summer school so that I can graduate early has to take top priority. I'll Leave a spot for someone else. Good luck to those who are able to participate.

I would like to be a judge. I have took part in many challenges (in a different name, I forgot password so deleted account :/ ). Some include the calender challenge and house challenges.

Yes, that's correct.



Official "The Sims 3" Store content may be used.



Unfortunately, whether or not you participated under a different forum name, you don't qualify as a judge because you don't meet the 20 posts requirement.

Can we add full walls just for decoration? I was thinking of an open closet for example?

Would it be possible for you to show me a picture? I need clarification on what "decoration" means exactly.

Can we add half walls? They are essentially just like fences

Ok I feel like i'm asking lots of question but if when we place our lot in our neighbourhood, it's price is more than what is shown should we just add the family's budget on? or is there a specifc Sunset Valley lot we should be placing it on?

Yes, you may add, delete, and change half walls.



I'm not sure why that's occurring unless you're putting the house on a larger lot than what's necessary. If you have a Sunset Valley save you can use the "El Urban Sprawl" that is already placed.

An inflated base price would be from a Beautiful Vista Buff, probably.

Ah, that might be it as well. Thanks.

Right - I have my first entry ready to go more or less so just let me know whether I'm in and I'll be there!

Hi I never entered a contest before, and I want to join on this one! The idea of redecorating a built house is very fun!
I just have one question (and it's because english isn't my first language): it's allowed to recolour the walls? Or when you say "you may not change the walls" you mean "no moving, adding, deleting, and recolouring walls"?

Oh, yay. I'm so excited for my first contestant! Please, go ahead and post whenever you'd like. Once you've submitted I can add you to the table.



I'd love to have you as a contestant.

By change walls, I mean you may not add, delete, or move them. Of course you can paint/decorate them however you'd like!

Fantastic Fencery
 

Well, here we go...



This is an exciting and dramatic make-over for the Anderson-Miller family. I felt this home had a great deal of potential to fit in with their like of a more modern design scheme. Architecturally, El Urban Sprawl had a few issues, some major, some just inconvenient. Most noticeable was the drab facade, broken up only by two measly windows and a skimpy porch--all oppressed by a way-too-simple roof. Then the home is rather small, on a large, underutilized lot...

I've never done anything like this before, but i do love redecorating/renovating/making over sims and sim dwellings, so I thought I'd give it a shot. Downloaded the file and away I go...

Oh, yay! The first official entry, I just added you to the table, cutsocks. Seeing as how cutsocks followed all the rules and guidelines down to the 't' (adding your vision of the family isn't necessary, but is certainly a nice touch.) I would encourage others to perhaps use his as a guideline.

*Make sure you have included which family you're doing
*Include a a snippet picture of the furnished/unfurnished value of the home when you've finished.
*Talk about what the original cost was and what the family's budget was to save a lot of time for both me and the judges.

If you'd like you can also talk about what was easy/difficult decorating this home, as well as what you're vision is/what you're going for, so the judges can look for that. Referencing to the family's needs to explain why this is here, or that looks this way certainly can't hurt.

Very well done, cutsocks. I'm impressed.

Can we add foundation? I want to make a gazebo like structure in the garden. Is this ok?

I would say yes, but since I already said that changes can't be made to the foundation, I don't think it would be fair to other contestants to change that rule now. Unfortunately, no.

OK I think I might just do it anyway. I like it in my garden and it will only be one point docked so I reckon it's worth it! XD

Can I ask what the download file does? I've d/loaded and installed, but I also can't seem to see any difference in my game like a copy of the lot to use in my library, or a family to give me information on their tastes? I've decorated a lot for the Smith family, but I want to make sure I've got it all right before I put up my entry!
And also - is it ok to get other people's opinions from other websites (like Ts3 Creator's Consortium) on my attempt before I post it up? Obviously not if they're judging, but just other simmers? (just wanted to check before I post piccies up there!) And it would be just getting their opinions, and either acting on it or not, by myself.

Let me know if you still need judges. I've hosted contests and judged before, mostly in Sims2. I just saw this on my way out to work, I'll update with specific links later tonight when I get home.

That really is some fantastic fencery, cutsocks Very nic.

*The Round 1 file is the "El Urban Sprawl" lot for those that don't have a Sunset Valley save on hand.

*Of course you can ask for opinions from others, as long as you're the one making all of the changes.



Of, course you can be a judge! I know you're experienced with contests, so no need to worry. I just added you to the table.

Edit: I just added myself as the emergency judge in the table, but it's still up for anybody else that might want it.

Hello! I am interested in joining but I have a problem. First, do I register first or build first because I'm fine with either. I do have a problem with the file though. When I downloaded the file and put it into my library, it doesn't seem to show up on my game. I've tried finding solutions online but nothing works. Any way to make it work?

That's great - thanks for clearing that up! I'll shut up and get on with it now! : )

* When you've finished and posted your pictures here, I will "register" you by adding your application to the table in the first post.

* Others have had problems with this too, and I'm not sure why. While I investigate, would it be possible to create a new Sunset Valley save and use the "El Urban Sprawl" lot there?

Great. I really want to do this chllange but I won't be able to commit the whole time.
Ugh. That is SO ANNOYING!

Following the timeline, the entire second and third round will take place in July, leaving the fourth and final round for the beginning of August. The entire contest should completed by my mid-August if everything goes according to plan. If you know that you will most likely not be able to compete in all four rounds, I would like to remind you to be considerate of other contestants as there is a limited amount of room and it's simply not fair to those that are willing to commit to the entirety of the contest.

That being said, we would love to have you as a (non-scored) play along.

I edited my previous post, so people are probably going to end up confused.

This contest is Interesting though.

I think that the reason the lot won't show up in our games is because it's a .package instead of a .sims3pack
I installed it like I should a .package because it isn't a sims3pack so I can't double-click to install it. I went into my game and it wasn't showing up.
This seems interesting! I've been waiting ages for a contest to open and I think this is the one I've been waiting for (even though Sims 3 isn't my preferred game)!

I don't think there is a fix other than to get a new file from Blake. I suppose your best option is to just use the lot in SV. (Make it a separate save and it shouldn't affect your current towns?)

Ok so this going to make me sound like a right noob but how do I take a screenshot of the lot stats?

Are you putting the package file in your mods/packages folder? Because it needs to go into your library folder. I made that mistake the first time!

I had to set the game into windowed mode (changing the resolution so it was readable as well), hitting Print Screen, and then pasting that into an image program.

Print screen will be your friend Hit print screen while you have The Sims 3 open and the ctrl+v in Microsoft Paint. Then select only the box where it displays the Furnished/Unfurnished and and copy that with ctrl+c and paste it on top of one of your other pictures with ctrl+v.

Edit: Ninja's by cutsocks, lol

Ok so when I print screen, all I get is a black square :/ Also, I have no idea how to put the game into windowed mode! XD

Either in the game settings or the faster way: Open the cheat bar (cntl+shift+c) and just enter "fullscreen" without the quotation marks.

Also, @BlakeS5678 There's a 50/50 chance that I'll get approved for my Internship. If that's the case, I'm busy all of July, and wouldn't be able to judge :\

Okay, I guess I'm just stupid. That makes sense, thank you! (I'm using the lot in SV but oh well, thank you! Now I know!)

An easy mistake to make! You're welcome!

Thank you!

I made a new save but it does not seem to work either. I tried other towns too.

Round 1 Entry- The Smith Family
 

El Urban Sprawl was the perfect place to John and Jenny Smith to start their new lives together. Once it had been redecorated of course!



Ok so I really enjoyed doing this and I'm really pleased with how it turned out. I think it would be the perfect home for young newlyweds on the verge of starting a family and I really like the colour schemes, especially the bedroom! I am also re4ally proud of the garden because i never usually pay much attention to the outdoor space so this is a real achievment for me!

I hope you like it and I look forward to seeing everyone elses! [/spoiler]

@zenomia Okay, I just added you to the table

Application and Round 1 entry
 

Stone Bungalow


When Dirk Anderson-Miller was headhunted to join the Sunset Valley Llamas at the Stadium and told the job came with a house for his family and himself, he and John were sceptical, having seen Sunset Valley houses too often on "The House Doctor". Luckily for Dirk, John and little Kelly, the Stadium had hired a good interior designer who made sure the property formerly known as El Urban Sprawl, now rebranded as 'Stone Bungalow' would meet their needs well. Unfortunately for the interior designer, Sunset Valley building regulations are currently refusing extensions or anything that 'significantly alters the original house plans', so no extra windows could be added. The house was re clad in stone, giving it the new name and a landscape gardening firm contracted to ensure a crisp modern feel, which they achieved with minimalistic planters on the porch as well as big beds of herbaceous plants.



As I use a test sim on the lot when I build/decorate, I ran into a financial issue - going into live mode to check for routing issues caused depreciation... Luckily, I'd used the family funds cheat after buying the empty house to give the Anderson-Millers $70,000, so know that I didn't use any more money except to buy John's motorbike.

Just added you to the table, LucyBorgia.

I would like to join
 

I used the Smith family with the house "El" Urban Sprawl - 60 Maywood Lane. If that's not right, tell me so I can decorate a different house that is right. I don't know because the download file wasn't working for me so, ya. Btw i don't know how to upload under spolier I don't know how to do spoiler so please tell me if i can't join i am willing to judge.

Hey! I have a question. Would adding a basement be considered changing the foundation of the home? I have some really good ideas for certain things, but I want to make sure I don't accidentally break any rules before I go for it. I plan on making the stairway into the basement somewhere in the backyard area, if that would change anything.

Since I don't have Supernatural/whatever the vampire expansion pack is, does that mean that I can't get the bonus points for the Adams or will my lack of a coffin be okay?

Application - Round 1
 

"Cute as a little baby unicorn", is how Olaf, the snowman, would describe El Urban Sprawl after the redecorating requested by the Smiths. At the start they still were newlyweds with a baby coming, but this redecorating took so long that the baby has already born and a now is a toddler!





Well, that wasn't so easy, but not so difficult, although it was very funny for me, that's all I have to say
I've used some Store stuff, and some CC too (most of them from MTS, except the bathroom mirror and the tablecloth, these are from TSR).
I want to thank armiel for the Builder's Island (that loads very very fast), cmomoney and lemoncandy for several clutter placed around the house, and granthes for OMSP.

Hi, quick question, are archways fair game? Or do those fall under adding doors? Thanks in advance!

I just added bellakenobi to the table. Wait, is that Portuguese I see?



*Yes, that's the correct family and house

*The spoiler tag is (spoiler) Put pictures here (/spoiler) except you use [ and ] instead of parenthesis

*You don't qualify as a judge for several reasons



Nnnn... I'm going to have say no on this one. Adding or deleting basement would definitely be a structural change to the home.



You're still able to have a lair without a coffin, as it wouldn't be fair to give players with that EP an advantage over others, The coffin was merely a suggestion as to what one could put in the lair.



You may replace archways with doors (of the same size) and vice versa, but that's it.

Edit: Johnny_Bravo has just notified me he will not be able to participate as a judge. So, I need another judge to get this contest going!

Yay! I have everything done, but for some reason when I try to take a screenshot of my game to show the home price and everything, it's showing up in paint as just a big black box. Can anyone help me with this?

Yep, it's PT-BR



If you're playing in fullscreen mode, try to switch to window mode, type ctrl+shift+c, then type fullscreen off. That's how I've made to take the mine.

@bellakenobi Very nice job on your house!
I love the earth tones you brought out, the home definitely has a nice vintage feel to it with a nice modern look
I love the breakfast nook & also the outside looks very nice for entertaining!!

I can't join because my sims3 is crashing my laptop but nice job anyway :D

Adams Family home!
 

Oh my. I had a ridiculous amount of fun decorating this home! This is my first competition, so please be gentle with me!

General shot of the outside of the home:

And a lovely bird's eye view with the total lot value:


Other views of the house are under the cut!

I just added you to the table, TookaChan.

I'm assuming you did the Adams family, yes?

Bit of a rush to get this up as I work FT and only get the weekends to sim.
OK, so I chose the Smith Family. John and Jenny were so happy that they didn't have to buy the Monotone that they overlooked some major flaws with their new home. The lack of windows was a big problem for them both, as coupled with the dreary dark decor, it made the house very dark and uninviting. They love traditional styles but wanted to lighten up the place, create space and lots of storage. Choosing a light colour scheme which reflects Jenny's love of all things vintage, they have fully furnished their home under budget thanks to Ikea and several charity/thrift shops. Jenny has sourced some retro and vintage pieces, given them a lick of paint and used them to furnish the home. The house seems more spacious yet still remains cosy having separate sections for living, eating and cooking - Jenny didn't want to cut back on the kitchen and has even planted her own ingredients in the garden. There is room for an expanding family with a fully decorated nursery with enough room for a baby and an older child.
The outside area has been landscaped to feature a pool, raised eating, bar and lounging areas.
Yes there's lots of CC, most from TSR, a couple of decor bits from B5Studio, plus some Store items.
Here's the outside view:

and the cost total:


The rest of the pics are here:

Yes ma'am! Thanks!

Just added you to the table, sandymdh

So, I've never done a contest before, nor have I ever done a lot of architecture stuff so this will be fun!

This is El Urban Sprawl: John & Jenny-d



So I started making it on a totally blank map on a 40x40 lot, which in hindsight will download the builder's island instead cause empty flatness makes for bleak scenery. Also the lot's too large but I was already halfway done when I realized.

It uses CC from MTS, TSR, Aroundthesims, and other places, all free. I don't pay for things lol.

In my head-canon both John and Jenny decided they didn't really like the design of the house and chose to re-decorate, however Jenny took the reigns picking a color of seafoam green to tie the whole house together with a light, open feel tot he house with warm wood accents. At least I hope that's what I made, me and Jenny think it's pretty at least

Cost total:


And just another note, there's something wrong with the gamma of my sims game so the print screen stuff looks like this. nothing I can do.

Rest of the pictures are in here:

John and Dirk are indeed an unlikely couple. Athletic Dirk is always on the move while bookworm John prefers quietly relaxing with a good read. They make it work, though, and have recently adopted toddler Kelly and moved to the suburbs. The move included a pay cut for both of them, which meant they had to go with a smaller house than they would have liked, so they took some of their savings to put their own style to it.





This was a super fun, and challenging, challenge. Besides following all the rules which is something I'm not used to, I made myself limit CC. There's exactly one piece (not even shown in the pictures), a basketball and hoop by Severinka, free from TSR I believe. I really wanted to use the functional store hoop, but there just wasn't room. Really looking forward to the other rounds!

The entries look fantastic so far! People are doing things I've never dreamed of.

*Cutsocks --- That outdoor pergola/living area was amazing. I especially loved the roof over it, where you used the fence to create volume and light space.
*Zenomia --- The gazebo was a great touch. My sims would love to live there.
*LucyBorgia --- A full basketball court in the back yard! I've always thought the half courts were odd, I have no idea why I never connected the idea of putting them together.
*Bellakenobi --- Your landscaping looks so comfortable and livable. Can you design my back yard (irl)?
*TookaChan --- I love the shelf above the fridge. I've always thought that space was so odd, and you fixed it perfectly.
*SandyMDH --- Your color scheme is so homey and fresh. I also particularly love the outdoor seating area and the pond. :lovestruc
*BulldogFan --- The outdoor fireplace is so attractive! I also loved the way you turned that awkward long hall into a great feature.



I'm amazingly psyched about this contest! I have been an avid ModTheSims fan for years but never (ever) had the guts to upload anything I create or participate in any contests. However, I'm working on my contest entry RIGHT NOW!!!!! (( anticipating a sleepless night here... ))

I am also having difficulty with the package file. I unzipped it with 7zip, and placed it in my Electronic Arts / The Sims 3 / Library / folder, but its not showing either in the Launcher or in-game. I've tried creating a new Sunset Valley world, deleting all my cache files, and opening other worlds, but the families are not loading.

I just updated the table, Jaylo and Bulldogfan82.



I'm sorry if this has caused any confusion for you, but the "Round 1" is the "El Urban Sprawl" lot for those that don't have a Sunset Valley save, nothing else. Others have created versions of the family for screenshots, which quite honestly I hadn't even thought of doing. If you'd like to create Sims yourself to put in the screenshots, of course you're more than welcome to. Who knows? Maybe one of the contestants would be willing to share the Sims they made.

I would offer to make "official" Sims for this contest, but let's be honest. I'm no Sim-maker.

So is it okay if I use Sims 3 base game content for wallpapers and carpeting? Also, I have a few décor items that are from the base game, do I need to replace it with CC? That can be easily done but I wanted to ask first.

Um, quite honestly, I prefer homes that are custom content free, as it makes it less of a hassle to download and share, as well as the fact that it's interesting to see how other simmers use the same objects differently. There is no custom content requirement in this contest by any means, in fact, quite the opposite.

Thank you, that did clarify the matter a great deal! *Rubs hands in glee* I'll get to work on the project immediately then! Thank you, Blake!

Aplication - Round 1
 

The Anderson-Miller Family

Dirk and John met at the university and became a couple almost immediately. Dirk was first impressed by John's mind, and John by Dirk's abs, but they then realized they have a lot in common, as both wanted to start a big family and they love modern style. They've been working hard since and saving up to $70.000, then get married and adopted a lovely 2 year old girl named Kelly.

The real estate market had nothing to offer for a long time, but then they inherited a rough diamond, a window of opportunity: "El Urban Sprawl", with a value of $17,869. With that and his savings they were good to go.




I Don't want to extend myself very much as English is not my usual language and I'm no good with architectural terms.
I hope you like it.