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LEVEL 1:  STARTER

Build #1, Build #2, Build #3, Build #4, Build #5

To start this challenge, begin with House #1: Barely a Garden Shed and move your Architect into the lot. Set your money to 0.

Because this is the first house and your Architect has nothing, you may purchase items & build your house as you are able to afford it. However, for all remaining houses in this legacy challenge, you must save your money first, then build. If at the end of the build you still have money leftover (though you should really aim to max the allotted budget), you may carry that money forward to your next build.

Level 1 Rules:

You may use Debug items

You may make any of these houses a Tiny Home (Tiny Living)

No Custom Content

Each house must include the requirements from the previous houses.

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Build #1:  Barely a Garden Shed

Budget:  $5,000

Lot:  Comfy Cubby  in Newcrest  

Lot Type:  Residential or Tiny Home Residential

When you first start the game, you will move into this first lot with zero simoleons. Your Architect will need to accumulate the necessary things needed to survive as they earn money. This is a great design challenge because you will need to be able to build & design a house with limited funds that still provides your Sim with everything they need. And it should look good, too.

The overall value of the house cannot exceed the listed budget of $5,000. But your Architect will need to save additional money in order to move into & build the next house.

House #1 Requirements:

Bed, Toilet, Shower/Bathtub, Sink, Fridge, Counter, Stove

One item to increase Fun (i.e. bookshelf, tv, stereo, etc.)

One Skill item (i.e. chess table, easel, planter box, etc.)

Optional Design Challenge:  Make this a two-bed house.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Don’t build or buy anything until you have saved the money.

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Build #2:  A Little Bit More Room

Budget:  $12,500

Lot:  Oak Alcove  in Newcrest  

Lot Type:  Residential or Tiny Home Residential

Now that you can afford some walls, move out of your first house and into this next lot. You no longer need to live in that old garden shed! Maybe your toilet isn’t next to your fridge anymore! It’s a big day all around. This house may end up bare, but you can still do it with style.

Requirements:

All required items from House #1

Separate bedroom & separate bathroom

Computer or TV

Optional Design Challenge:  Make this a two-storey house.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have a sim move in with your Architect (and no, you cannot take their money).

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Build #3:  Just Getting Started

Budget: $18,000

Lot:  Fern Park  in Newcrest  

Lot Type:  Residential

So this is where you would’ve started if you didn’t delete your money. As Drake once said, “started from the bottom, now we’re here”, but ‘here’ is just the beginning! Your challenge now is to build the perfect Starter home, so make sure it looks darn good (since it took so long to get here).

Requirements:

All required items from Houses #1 & #2

An outdoor patio / deck & garden

2 bedrooms

Optional Design Challenge: Use one colour throughout the entire house.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have your Architect join a Career.  

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Build #4:  First-Time Family

Budget:  $26,000

Lot:  Beech Byway in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Residential

A very typical starter home for a family of four. No muss, no fuss. Unless you want to do something really creepy, in which case - I won’t tell a soul.

Requirements:

All required items from Houses #1, #2, & #3

Three bedrooms (one of which must be for a child or toddler)

Two Storeys (either a basement or second floor)

Optional Design Challenge: Make this build suitable for a pack-specific world (i.e. a cottage for Henford-on-Bagley, a tudor-style home for Windenburg, etc.).

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have three kids.  

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Build #5:  Bougie on a Budget

Budget:  $45,000

Lot:  Midtown Meadows in Newcrest

Lot Type: Residential

You’ve got some money now that allows you to purchase some upgraded furniture & appliances but your tastes are still beyond your means. For this house, your goal is to design a place that looks more expensive than it is. Maybe your Architect is into DIYs, or shopping at flea markets. They like searching for the best vintage & antique items at low prices in the hopes of making this home one of a kind. Make every simoleon count!

Requirements:

A Craft room / Workshop

Buy the most expensive item in a category (i.e. toilet, chair, computer, etc.)

Optional Design Challenge:  Build a gazebo.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have your Architect craft items on a workbench as a source of income, and max the handiness skill.

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LEVEL 2:  MIDDLE CLASS

Build #6, Build #7, Build #8

You can now afford the essentials that every sim needs. Now it’s time to explore different styles! Each house in this level will be a different style, so feel free to research what houses like this look like around the world, and try to integrate some of those design elements into the build.

Level 2 Rules

You may use Debug items for landscaping or decor (not furniture)

Custom Content allowed

Cannot use the cheapest plumbing & appliances (toilet, sinks, showers/tubs, fridge, stove)

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Build #6:  Country Cabin

Budget:  $60,000

Lot:  Optimist’s Outlook in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Rental

Style:  Country Cabin

Let’s pretend your Architect is in the middle of the woods somewhere, and not in a suburban town like Newcrest. Your Architect must build a cabin-in-the-woods house. It should be a wonderful escape from big city life, whether it’s for a long weekend holiday or a Sim’s retirement. Luscious greenery, a landscaped garden, and a great fishing spot should make this Country Cabin a magical place.

Requirements:

Minimum 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom

A pond / lake for fishing using terrain tools

An ‘Off-the-Grid’ lot

Optional Design Challenge:  Include five furniture items that your Architect has built (i.e. from a Woodworking Table)

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  No TV, Computer, or other electronics in the house.

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Build #7:  Minimalist Mindset

Budget:  $75,000

Lot:  Civic Cliffs in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Residential

Style:  Minimalist

All of those crafts, DIYs, and bargain finds were fun. Now we’re moving in the opposite direction. This time, your Architect must build a Minimalist house - contemporary, clean lines, little to no clutter. Magazine-worthy. A home that would make Kim Kardashian proud.

Requirements:

Outdoor entertainment space that includes a pool, BBQ, and dining/lounge furniture

A formal living & formal dining room

Optional Design Challenge:  Everything is white.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have sims in your household that are Slobs and Kleptomaniacs.

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Build #8:  Library

Budget:  $100,000

Lot:  Cookout Lookout in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Library

Style:  Classical

Every town needs a great library! Research Classical, Classical Revival, and Neoclassical architecture and use that as a basis to build this formal Library. Make sure the building has everything the lot type requires, and if you run out of money, you can always make it smaller!

Requirements:

Fulfill all Library lot-type requirements

Design a front garden in the Classical style

Optional Design Challenge:  Add a contemporary extension to the building

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Earn your money by writing books.

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LEVEL 3:  AFFLUENT

Build #9, Build #10, Build #11

You’ve exercised some of your design muscles in Levels 1 and 2. Maybe you’ve done some google-image searches for inspiration for some of your builds. But now is the time to dig deep. Do something you’ve never done before. Discover an IRL architect or interior designer whose work inspires you. Your Architect will have money now, so let yourself experiment with different styles or techniques. And do some research. Lots of research.

Level 3 Rules

You may use Debug items for landscaping or decor

Custom Content allowed

Research the assigned topics before you begin your build

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Build #9: Family Garden

Budget: $150,000

Lot:  Hillside Highlands in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Residential

Research Topics: Multi-Generational living, Biophilic design

Life gets expensive, and sometimes you need some help around the house. While multi-generational homes have existed for centuries, the past few decades have seen an extensive amount of research & design focused on homes built for ageing grandparents & young children. Biophilia, on the other hand, is the practice of connecting people and nature within our built environments. Combine the two, and you have a home built for generations that also brings the best of the outdoors inside.

Requirements:

A home built for a three-generation family of 7 (2 Grandparents, 2 Parents, 3 Kids)

Consider possible mobility issues for elder sims (i.e. unable to climb stairs)

Integrate biophilic design into the home

Optional Design Challenge:  Include a courtyard in the design of the house.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Your Architect is a part of the 3-generation family that lives in this house.

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Build #10:  Multi-FUNctional

Budget:  $200,000

Lot:  Sandy Run in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Residential* or Retail**

Research:  Mixed-Use buildings, Adaptive Reuse

Your Architect is tired of breeding frogs and digging for treasure to make money, so they’re looking at making real estate a source of income. For this home, your Architect must design a multi-use building: whether that is a shop downstairs & apartment above, a warehouse converted into lofts… whatever you choose, be creative! This house must serve as a business + residence for an entrepreneur, or multiple private residences for a landlord.

Requirements:

A home for your Architect: Minimum 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, Library/Skill-building room, and Garden / Patio

*Landlord option: Two additional residences with separate entrances & private outdoor spaces, all fully furnished

**Entrepreneur option: A business that is accessible to the public (if you don’t have Get To Work, it can be faked), and a private adjoining residence for your Architect.

Optional Design Challenge:  Create separate structures for each use.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  If you have Get To Work, use your business as the only source of income.

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Build #11:  In The City

Budget:  $250,000

Lot:  Asphalt Abodes in Newcrest

Research:  New York City Brownstones, London Row Houses, Amsterdam Canal Houses; High-Density Living

Let’s pretend for a moment that we’re able to build townhouses & apartments in the Sims 4. For this challenge, your Architect must build a set of three townhouses / row houses, inspired by cities like London, New York, and Amsterdam. You may think that this 20x30 lot is too small a footprint, so go UP: build four-storey townhouses.

Requirements:

3x four-storey townhouses / row houses

At least one unit must be fully furnished inside

All three buildings must be landscaped and decorated outside

Private patio or outdoor space for each building

Retail or other business on the ground floor of at least one building

Optional Design Challenge:  Add a basement apartment with a private entrance.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Have multiple roommates live in the adjoining townhouses.

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LEVEL 4:  MEGA-RICH

Build #12, Build #13, Build #14, Build #15

Hello simmers, welcome to my crib! You’re richie-rich now. You’ve done a lot of work to get here. Now that you’re at the top and money is not a problem anymore, you can basically do whatever you want. Keep researching!

Level 4 Rules

You may only use Debug items for landscaping or decor

Custom Content allowed

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Build #12: Artist’s Paradise

Budget:  $300,000

Lot:  Tranquil Crescent in Newcrest

Lot Type:  Residential or Museum or Arts Centre

A very famous artist wants your Architect to build an incredible home that doubles as an art studio & gallery. Art must be integrated throughout - it’s not just an accessory or a decoration here, it is the heart of this home. Research houses that have extensive art collections and successfully integrate different art forms into the design of the space.

Requirements:

Expansive artists’ studio (must include: Easel, Woodworking Table, and Musical Instrument)

A private art gallery that is accessible to the public / outdoors, PLUS

An extensive art collection (paintings, sculptures, etc.) of at least 12 pieces throughout the home

Optional Design Challenge: This is a one bedroom house.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Max the Painter career, and paint on the side as a source of income.

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Build #13: Not A House

Budget:  $400,000

Lot:  Rippling Flats

This time, it’s not a house. We’re building something for the people of Newcrest. What do you think the people need? A park? A library? Museum? Restaurant? If you have a hard time deciding, use a random number generator to help you pick! Your Architect will not be able to live in this lot because it is not Residential, so you will need to live in a different house in Newcrest.

Requirements:

A non-generic Community lot & fulfill all of its requirement

Optional Design Challenge:  Add everything you would need if you were to play a Rags to Riches challenge, and had nowhere else to go to fill your sim’s needs.

Optional Gameplay Challenge:  Live in House #1 Barely A Garden Shed while your Architect saves for & builds this lot.