Packaging a lot

[roberte]

I want to move my house, with everything in it, to a larger lot. What would be the correct method to do this so I won't have to completely refurnish my house?

Should I also clear all my sims from the house/lot first?

Thank for any assistance.

[jolrei]

I want to move my house, with everything in it, to a larger lot. What would be the correct method to do this so I won't have to completely refurnish my house?

I think you are not looking for info on packaging a lot, but on changing the lot size that your house is on.
When you package a lot, you move the house AND the lot (at its current size).

I think what you need is the Lot Expander, which would allow you to change the lot size of your current lot (just as it implies).  See this thread: http://www.moreawesomethanyou.com/smf/index.php/topic,5336.0.html

Please note that I have not used this tool, and it is not awesomeware, so it is not supported here, and I can not vouch for its efficacy or safety.

[Jelenedra]

There is a utility that can resize lots available at MTS2. I am fairly sure that you can use in on furnished lots. I have not used it myself. Do a search for "lot resizer" and you should find it. Or, check one of the Maxis House of Fail threads for a link.


Ninja'd by Jolrei.

[roberte]

Thank you for the info. I have seen a lot of complaints registered re. lot expander and am not interested in this option.

Actually, I would more prefer to package my house, with all contents, and move it to a different lot. So, the above questions, on my part, apply to this.

[Jelenedra]

In that case, you'd have to rebuild the house and refurnish it on a bigger lot.

[jolrei]

I would think that if there is a utility that does the resizing, there are also ways to do this manually, possibly in SimPE.  I have not seen anything on MATY related to this.  Anything I have found in a half hour of searching (which you should really be doing) suggests that people at MATY generally use the Lot Expander when resizing lots.

Also, what Jelenedra said.

In any case, you can not package just the house without the lot.  Not possible.

[Sette]

I want to move my house, with everything in it, to a larger lot. What would be the correct method to do this so I won't have to completely refurnish my house?

Should I also clear all my sims from the house/lot first?

Thank for any assistance.

Unless someone here pulls a rabbit out of the hat, other than taking many screenshots and using them to rebuild the home on a larger lot, using the lot resizer is your only option.  A packaged home includes the lot it sits on.

I've played with the resizer a bit, and it does have some strange behaviours, but when you consider it's doing something the game was never meant to do, it works.  A simple lot expansion was straight forward, but some trial and error was needed to create alleys and corner lots.  Download the resizer and play with it in a new NH with many different conditions to discover it's quirks and successes before you discount it as undesirable.  Otherwise, you are going to have to rebuild and refurnish.

[Mootilda]

I have seen a lot of complaints registered re. lot expander and am not interested in this option.

Most of the major problems with the LotExpander were someone using it for an unsupported EP, especially between the time that the creator died and the current developer took over.

I would think that if there is a utility that does the resizing, there are also ways to do this manually, possibly in SimPE.

While you are technically correct (that a lot can be resized manually), the amount of work and likelihood of errors makes this unfeasible.  However, there is a thread available at MTS2 which explains in some detail exactly what needs to be done (using SimPE and a hex editor).

The LotAdjuster, available at MTS2, is your best bet.  If you backup your neighborhood first, then you can easily recover if you are unhappy with the results.

[jolrei]

While you are technically correct (that a lot can be resized manually), the amount of work and likelihood of errors makes this unfeasible.  However, there is a thread available at MTS2 which explains in some detail exactly what needs to be done (using SimPE and a hex editor).

Yes, I thought that was likely the case.  However, n00berte appears hell bent on doing things the difficult way.  As the Son of Perdition, I can only encourage him/her in this endeavour, and watch his/her future career with some interest.

[Mootilda]

If he is really interested in doing this manually, then it would be less work to rebuild the house from scratch than to hex edit the lot package.  However, I can certainly walk him through the steps required if he wants to try hex editing...  that is, unless it would be more fun to watch him make all the expected mistakes. 

[Jelenedra]

Or since we're all such nice people, I bet if he uploaded the lot, someone would expand for him? No? Why are you all looking at me that way?

[Mootilda]

In order to expand someone else's lot, you just need their neighborhood package and the lot package for the lot to be expanded, along with an idea of what they want done (ie: expand 2 front, or 1 left and 1 right).  It's easiest if you run Phase 1 of the expansion and they run Phase 2.  That's because phase 2 requires the game, with the correct set of EPs and SPs and the correct CC.

[Zazazu]

Or, to make things simpler, he could just learn to take advice. The LotAdjuster has yet to ruin a lot of mine, and I now use it for nearly every lot I build (I never know what I'm going to end up with when I start).

[funkilla]

OR

Use the lotadjuster to make the lot bigger (to the size you want), THEN package the lot and move it somewhere else.

[HomeschooledByTards]

The LotAdjuster works great for me too. I mainly use it to flatten lots and shrink them, but as long as I don't have tight pants the program works fine.

[roberte]

Thank you all very much for your interest, enthusiasm and humor.

The overall opinion is that the lot adjuster is the solution, and as my intention is not to make life difficult that is the solution I will use.

I wasn't aware that a lot and its contents were inseparable. I thought that the house could just be packaged and stored. Isn't that what is done with houses in the houses bin ? (As I have never used any of them I just took it for granted that you got an empty lot and put one on it.)

In any case, problem solved. Thanks again!

[Jelenedra]

No, because you don't take an empty lot and THEN place a house from the lot bin on it. You are placing the house and the lot it was made on all at the same time.

[roberte]

Jelenedra,

Thank you for the clarification.