@gummilutt: So, I realized when taking pictures of the tenement that I'd never taken out Sophie-David's neighborhood deco effects, so that they were still lurking invisibly on the lot and started generating pigeons and gulls the moment I went live. So I took them out. And now they've left behind flowerbeds on the roof, paving, etc. (I like lots of birds on my lots, what can I say?)

So, do I move everybody out and back in again, editing the lot to remove the flowerbeds? Or do I put the mod back in and the birds make the shots a little nicer? Since they're sort of neighborhood deco I have hopes.
(This is not really delaying me much, one way or another, as camera mod experimentation took away tab mode somehow, so I haven't even started taking pictures yet.)

I had a question regarding allowed photo size. The contest forum rules state that photos should be a maximum of 1280x1024 and so I posted photos that were 1280x720 to keep my screen's aspect ratio correct. But it seems those were too small to see some details and I'm also noticing others aren't posting within those maximums. So, what sized photos should we post? My screen is a 1920x1080, so should I just post at that size? Obviously I'll make sure to keep the file sizes reasonable, but would that be okay?

I think the minimum is 800 x 600 so anything between that and the maximum is fine, as long as details can be seen.

Reading over the creator guidelines: "Your images can be up to 2560x1440 pixels, and 800 kb"

Eta: http://www.modthesims.info/wiki.php...Lots_and_Houses

And see that's why I'm confused. The creator guidelines and posted contest rules are different. Maybe the contest rules are a bit outdated?

Maybe. But gummilutt did say in the rules that screenshots should follow the Creator Guidelines, I'd go with that.

Before I upload, plant fences are permitted right? They are fences.

I put up an entry a few days ago...though I was super early. After round 1 was due but before the scoring came out.

OMG, you did too! I remember thinking how amazing it was and you kept rentals so low.

Perhaps at the cost of playability points ;P We'll see. If I didn't have the divider it would have been over 1,000 for each unit.

I had a bush fence in my townhouse entry. Mentioned it in the description. It's allowed

Yep totally allowed I use those things more than actual bushes, saves the trimming trouble :D

Round two: Cheap living
 

Ok, well, I probably won't have time to upload after today, so here's my entry. The lot consists of 5 apartments in two buildings.
Notes to judges: The plant fences used are the bamboo, sunflower and flower fences by Rosebine and a hedge fence. (They're marked on the top down shot of the lot.)
All units have smoke/fire detector above oven. All units have phone, although not on upper levels. The units are small enough that they can go downstairs (they need the exercise). The phone in unit 4 is on the wall next to the fridge. Units 3-5 have trash chutes. The other two have bins in the kitchen (they're closer to the main bin out the front).
I've play-tested all units and everything works fine. The only potential for stompies is in unit 4 if a Sim is opening the oven door while another Sim wants to go past. But stompies like this happen in normal spacious houses anyway. Onto pics:

Required pics

Some exterior shots:


Now the units:
Unit 1 at the front on the left is two-bedroomed, costing 1959.

Unit 2 at the front on the right is also two-bedroomed, costing 1903. The second bedroom is a guest bedroom.

Unit 3 is at the rear on the right, two-bedroomed, costing 1855. The second bedroom is for a lodger.

Units 4 and 5 are on the left at the rear and are one-bedroomed.
Unit 4 costs 889.

Unit 5 costs 926

The units have a small section at the back.

I built on a 1x3 so taking pictures is quite difficult hahaha
I'll try to be on time
pls send positive energy guys

Please follow the Creator Guidelines rather than the Contest guidelines for image size as Gummi said in her rules. Occasionally we miss things when updating various guidelines so I will point this anomaly out and get it fixed

From the Creator Guidelines: Size: 800 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall is a good size for the smallest pic you would want to upload. Your images can be up to 2560x1440 pixels, and 800 kb, so you have lots of space to work with!

So, I am doing a play along for this second round, almost finished go to check on my pricing, and for the cruddy units (my starter sims get units like I had when I first moved out of home, absolutely awful!) the rent is really really high! I have used the cheapest doors and windows, the cheapest counters, the cheapest bathroom furnishings and the in most cases for the rest of the furnishings cheap ones. Yet my two bedroom units are 1888.89 and my 1 bedroom is coming in at 1489.39 (eek) The lot is on one floor, no foundation, no landscaping as yet, apart from some shrubs, and is fenced. Is there some trick to keep the rents low? Cause i'm stumped! I've made a copy and have taken all the furnishing out to see what it would be, and rents are still high! (1176-1650) With nothing in them except for lights!! Value of the lot with nothing in it is $48,000! Even that seems really high! Heres a couple of pics, any help pretty please? Have built apartments many times and never had a problem with really high rents, unless i want them to be of course!




*Edit
Wondered if it was a location thing, so plopped it into my 'nothing' hood. And nothing happened, still the same. Then wondered if it becomes cheaper if they are seperated and not attached, so did that, rent did go down but nothing to write home about, so am officially stumped. I had a browse round and saw someone said its to do with the square footage. Well theres not much square footage there! You guys that have finished yours, whats your secret to your low rents??!!!

Rent is also affected by how much space each apartment uses. It is not affected by how much landscaping you do as that is communal space. (I've just discovered this for this contest!)

Round 2
 

Round 2: Summer View Apartments

All apartments have a phone. The smoke detectors are hidden behind the cooker hoods (cos they're ugly!). Each apartment has access to a trash chute (it's on the landing outside their front door).

There are several communal areas for this apartment complex, a laundry room (just has sinks in it cos no CC allowed), an office and a gazebo with a BBQ, plus a seating area and a chess board.

Rents:
Blue apartment: $993
Red apartment: $909
Green apartment: $1893

Ahhh! I was about to upload when I realized my bedrooms aren't soundproofed! -frantic furniture rearranging-

That's what I thought too, dosnt match though to my units, as they're not very big at all!!

Ekrubynaffit, build a second floor of units.

If I understand the way it works correctly, the game performs arithmetic on the lot starting with dividing the lot value by the number of units, or possibly figuring what percentage of the lot total square footage is taken up by an individual unit and assigning a starting rent equating square footage to percentage of value; yes, that seems likely) and then adjusting for differences.

Presumably this is a more stylized version of the real estate appraiser's method of comparing non-identical properties, which consists of keeping track of sales in the property's area in order to estimate by what percentage a feature adds or detracts from local market value. So a fireplace or a balcony might be assigned a 5% increase in value, the most expensive plumbing, appliances, and fixtures might be assigned 10%, etc.

This is, at any rate, how it seems to work for me.

I have all my pictures taken - I think! I had to pull out all the modded cameras to fix the tabbing issue, so the floorplans and back-front shots were taken with modded cameras and the detail pictures are taken with the normal camera. I get to start all over with the next build; but that should be easier because when I got completely frustrated with picture-taking I built the roommate complex and de-customized/redecorated the "big" apartment (which is actually smaller than the cheap one), so picture taking should be most of the work that's left. This was the hardest build because of the "cohesive style" criterion. The only way I can come close to that (and I probably still didn't succeed) is to mentally create a character for every single unit, and when you've got 14 units that's kind of exhausting! I should be able to sort through the photos, cherrypick them, retake a couple if necessary, and post it all by this evening, so see you later.

Karen, those are some very attractive apartments <3

Thank you very much Charmful

@ekrubynaffit
Space adds a lot to rent, but I've found that bathrooms and kitchens add the most(at least that's the way it seems to me). So your one bedroom apartment has two bathrooms and that is going to skyrocket your rent. Also it looks to be a bit too big, although that may just be the bathroom space plus fixtures. Try removing the door to one of the bathrooms and see what happens to the rent. I've also noticed while working on this round that for each $15 you spend on certain objects it will add $1 in rent. So if you add a $300 ceiling lamp that will add $20 to your rent. That sort of thing can add up crazy fast. Objects that count toward rent include basically anything that you'd expect in a rental in real life that you wouldn't take with you when you move out. If it's nailed down it counts. I don't know how much a square of space adds but I think it's about the same, maybe a bit more(sorry I didn't check that specifically).

I've attached a photo of a one bedroom apartment I made that came in at $1005. It's not my contest entry, it's just something I made a while ago, but it shows roughly the size you're going to want for your one bedroom. I've found that two bedrooms are way easier since space alone doesn't add nearly as much as kitchens and bathrooms do.


Edited to add, cause I don't want to double post: but @Karen Lorraine that lot is stunning! Blows mine way out of the water. Fantastic job! :lovestruc

Round 2 - Cheap living
 

There are four studio apartments, all one room except the bathroom. No close up pics of the bathrooms because they're very boring and all the same. As well as a communal garden, there's a communal kitchen (apartments have their own kitchens too) and computer/study room.

Note to judges: some of the apartments may be sound-proof. I suspect most aren't. This is intentional - in cheap apartments you have to deal with noise from neighbours! It would compromise the aesthetic I was going for too much to change things to make them sound-proof, so I've chosen to take the points-hit instead.

All apartments have phones, smoke alarms and trash compactors. These should be visible in overhead shots of each apartment, but I've also noted on the pictures of the apartments where they can be seen. There's also a smoke alarm in the communal kitchen, and a burglar alarm in the hallway.