5 Simple Building Tips & Tricks for The Sims 3

5 Tips and Tricks to help you build more detailed houses in The Sims 3, the superior sims game.
EA's houses are so ugly :(
00:00 I promise it's easy
00:27 Foundations
02:11 Split Levels
04:08 Friezes
05:54 Stairs
07:24 Garages
09:54 good luck
Cheats:
constrainfloorelevation false
placefriezes on

[@willianbueno7611]

I'm always scared to use Constrainfloorelevation, my builds always end up with a lot of visual glitches. But your video kinda makes me want to try it again... and in all my years of The Sims 3 your video is literally the most straightfoward and easy to understand (other youtubers make it looks scary). Keep up with the great content!

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

The trick is to practice on blocks and then slowly amp them up

[@Rekowcski]

Good luck if you have discord I am usually there to help

[@s4turn421]

Also the friezes are 5 stairs tall, so I shorten them the same exact way as the foundation. constrainfloorelevation+stairs+alt. It helps a lot. Thank you!

[@Rekowcski]

For smaller (starter) modern homes I love shortening the friezes, it makes it much less chunky

[@ViceCityExtra]

Ye friezes being 5 stairs look so ugly when you do the staircase cause it doesn’t create a nicely lined up L staircase

[@bruhmoment11111]

I've logged hundreds of hours in the sims 3, a good third of that is building. You have taught me not to be afraid.

[@jhy8212]

This what so great! Thank you for helping us! I'm and old lady (31) and recently returning to TS3, and as a kid I didn't even think about building a house. Your "Top 10 Mods" video was how I found out about you, so thank you for that as well! Personally, I will take tutorials you feel like making.

[@Rekowcski]

Thank you, i'm an old man (33) :| hahah

[@arieltales8952]

@@Rekowcski You look way younger.

[@haileykate8216]

SIS you are not old 😭😭

[@Rekowcski]

I'm almost 35 now 😭

[@jhy8212]

@@Rekowcski LOL I'm 32 now!

[@hopelessromantic3786]

The amount of tears I've shed trying to lower the terrain to make the stairs shorter and I could have just used ALT???

[@Rekowcski]

i guess so :( hahah

[@hopelessromantic3786]

@Rekowcski off to building!

[@moonia_0697]

Omg I love this video! I've been playing TS3 for 13 years and I never knew most of the things you did in this video! I'll definitely watch this video every time I build a house

[@Rekowcski]

I'm glad it helped you!

[@haileykate8216]

building in the sims 3 is really what holds me back 😭😭 i’ve gotten the hang of create a sim and the gameplay is soooooo fun compared to sims 4 but the building is so complicated

[@Rekowcski]

I promise you it's not as hard as it looks once you get the hang of it 😭

[@rachygoth]

Thankyou so much for explaining this so simply! This is the first vid Iv watched where it actually made sense in my brain. Other sim KZbinrs explain too quickly & I can’t follow 😅

[@createbonfire]

Wow The Sims 3 IS a monster! Thank you for the video. I've been too timid to build in the game but with your help it actually gets better! Would really appreciate a tutorial on roofs ❤

[@Rekowcski]

A whole video on roofing might be a good idea, there's so many little tricks to it

[@RossyMagica]

Oh dear, one minute into the video and I am already stunned at the single step foundation lol..awesome video! Thank you so much 🙏

[@QueenKaganootz]

So excited to see how to do the living room omg! For the sunken living room if you're scared of constraintflooreval (this is how i did it before knowing about it lol): It won't be exactly the same but you can just remove the foundation from the center of the room. I used the one stair foundation (alt key) to let them step down and used the wrap around just to hold decor, and you can color the inside of the foundation with the wall options. I haven't had any issues with sims not recognizing the objects in it (one of my sims actually cleaned up the book clutter i did for decor lmao) Definitely excited to have this option! I remember removing the foundation all the way against the wall and realizing the walls were floating haha

[@Starlysh]

This was great! TS3 is mostly what I play these days and I'm just starting to try to be more advanced at building and using constrainfloorelevation more. Didn't know you could do that with foundation, too. Thanks for the tips!

[@Rekowcski]

i hope it went well

[@veerlehond]

Thanks for this! I am always a bit afraid of using constrainfloorelevation, but I probably should try again. I would definitely be interested in knowing how to make apartment buildings :)

[@AndreaP_N7]

I learned about the alt foundation trick from one of your other videos last year. I've been playing TS3 almost since it came out, and I couldn't believe I'd never heard that tip before! I'd seen SO MANY build videos. But even with the tips I'd used before, it's nice to have a reminder occasionally. I do think it's funny that sims still need stairs to use the single step foundations, though.😛

[@Qermaq]

This is great stuff. i knew most of it but the alt stairs trick was a new one for me. Maybe do a video on good roofing. I hate roofs.

[@Rekowcski]

Roofing will need it's own video haha.. I could do a "how to make these sims 4 roofs in the sims 3" haha

[@amydrader5899]

You made these seem so SIMPLE and gave me great ideas. Thank you!! Can you do one about building a house that is on stilts over the water or cliff?

[@Renikee]

I can't believe I still find new things about the game, like the alt and placefrieze... It will be so much easier to make houses like this, thank you!

[@yolkaspolka]

Okay my mind is blown! 💥 Thank goodness I found your channel 😍

[@Lovlyb35]

Thank You so much, I needed this tutorial video 🥰

[@Jesterfix]

Thankyou for this video i was wondering how to do what you did with the foundations, the bit with different heights of foundations so thankyou for sharing.

[@Ikwigsjoyful]

I knew how to get friezes and deal with stairs through them, but the “constrainfloorelevation” cheat + level terrain was completely new to me - it would never have occurred to me to try using “level terrain” on anything but the ground! 😅 Great video!

[@mairahmanzini2928]

Yes. This was needed. Thank you!

[@Rekowcski]

Hi Mariah good to see you again, thanks for watching

[@schrekkandgrauss]

JUST WHAT I NEEDED ON THIS LOVELY EVENING ILY REK

[@Rekowcski]

[@stephenspears3206]

I also redid House Plan B. Getting rid of that weird roof extension next to the front door. But I didn't delete the space where the bathroom use to be, now it's a office space. And put bay windows on the front of the house. And repainted the bedrooms too. I moved it to where you did, but bumped it out to make room for the bathroom. And enclosed the carport, now it's a garage.

[@elyndafae1593]

Thanks for this video, it was very helpful. I always found constrainfloorelevation a bit daunting and tended to avoid using it. Think I'll give it another shot now. Oh, and that trick with the alt key was a new one on me, and I've been playing this game for over ten years.

[@crystalmeier6579]

I thought I knew every trick for building in sims 3. This is cool! You are really going to inspire alot of people to come back to the best sims game. Who knows? What if it got so big again that EA pulled some cool, unreleased sims 3 stuff out of their archives!?!?

[@Rekowcski]

Someone commented yesterday that they rage quit the sims 4 and bought the sims 3 base game and were blown away with how much there is to do lol

[@crystalmeier6579]

@@Rekowcski you are quickly building quite a following here! I knew it! ☺

[@Rekowcski]

@@crystalmeier6579 I knew it was only a matter of time before people realized that everything theyre asking for in the sims 4, is right here waiting for them in the sims 3 haha

[@arieltales8952]

I didn't know how to use any of those tricks, thank you. It looks complicated and glitches get on my nerves. I will follow your advice and take it easy.

[@gyootsw07]

Cool video! Make more tutorials about houses, please!!!

[@Rekowcski]

im going to do 5 specific build tutorials I think, and they will deal more with style now that we have some basic tools 1. suburban 2. modern 3. victorian 4. apartment 5. houseboat

[@strawberrybuttercup2773]

@@Rekowcski yes i'm looking forward to the victorian build tips, because i'm trying to do a witch legacy in moonlight falls and have no idea where to start with a victorian build

[@AdamTLyon]

Thank you so much for making this! ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@angelicgirl888]

Tysm for this vid! I just made my first modern house using ur build and it ended up looking awsome :]

[@Rekowcski]

i'm glad you figured it out! Everything is hard the first time but it only gets easier :)

[@Silkencira1710]

My mind is blown 😂thanks for this! I subbed ❤ i am so terrible at houses even though i have played sims since i was 11 😮

[@caiocheloni8821]

That's so cool! Didn't know about the first tip! ✨️

[@Rekowcski]

i'm glad you learned something!

[@HM-debtfree]

Thank you, going to try some of these

[@KyloSellers]

Yoy Just got yourself another sub with this tutorial thanks

[@TheMya1988]

Thank you so much for this video, it is very helpful (some of this is also applicable to Sims 2, btw)❣

[@Rekowcski]

sims 2 is secretly my favourite :p

[@gingerconnoisseur7395]

I never knew this stuff as a kid. So nice to know!

[@Rekowcski]

me neither, I would try CFE and end up with uneven walls :( haha

[@user-ve9cr7ju3c]

I have been playing sims 3 for years. I was expecting to hear things I already knew. I’m really glad I clicked on this. Great tips!

[@Rekowcski]

Glad you found it useful. Sims 3 has so many small things that no single player knows everything, we all need to work together haha

[@karenconnor6682]

I agree that this video makes the constrainfloorelevation tool look less scary… thanks 😊

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

Ah yes. Placefriezes on. A staple for Victorian houses too! Stairs can be a bit finicky though so plan well

[@Rekowcski]

I knew I couldn't do "placefriezes" without also showing exactly how to make the stairs lol

[@jessicake97]

This is so cool. Thank you so much🎉

[@Rekowcski]

thank you!

[@lesslighter]

Ahh yes the very techniques that was used in the hydrangea house in the apalachia? Neiborhood it brought me a lot of headache trying to extend some rooms since constrain floorevelation cheat was used in that lot :/

[@BethPlaysSims]

HEY !! NEW SUB !!!! love your tutorial

[@Rekowcski]

Thanks for subbing, hope you like the sims 3! Haha

[@Aullume]

The only sims KZbinr I enjoy watching

[@Rekowcski]

Thanks that means a lot, there are too many haha

[@chesterhutchinson6210]

The stair hack was a new one for me

[@seashellssally9982]

very helpful thank you :D

[@Rebecca-zj4wq]

You shoild do a video on attic rooms. There's a few ways of doing it, and once I figured out how to use half-gable roofs to make the short walls on the sides, I started putting them in every build

[@Rekowcski]

Yes that's a good idea! I usually include attics in mansions but you can squeeze them into many different types of builds

[@IGenty]

Oh tysm I needed this now that my next heir is almost an young adult I was going to build a house from start for the first time in the sims 3

[@Rekowcski]

good luck I hope it goes w

[@KimWest-pv7rf]

I have a request ... I found a photo on TSR of an interior L-shaped staircase with just four steps going up to a landing, then a regular (12-step, I guess) staircase at a right angle continuing on to the second floor. I would really love to know how to do that. I'll try figuring it out on my own for now, but if you can create that and post the video, I for one would be hugely appreciative -- many thanks!

[@la_beatrice]

Amazing tips. Sims 3 really is the gold standard of the franchise,

[@AnastazjaFaith]

Thx you so much

[@stephenspears3206]

Hey Rekowcski, my friend. I just want to tell you that I have begun a new save file for Sunset Valley. Now it's going to be a beach resort world now. Using community lots from Sunlit Tides. But I also recreated my own versions of the Landgraabs and the Altos. But instead of Malcolm Landgraab, I now have Mandy Landgraab. And the Altos are new money here, but I made Nick an old mafia boss from Sicily, just moved to Sunset Valley. I hope I can share them soon. I saved them to my library.

[@Rekowcski]

I still need to renovate the Alto mansion, I'm still not sure which direction to take it.

[@stephenspears3206]

@@Rekowcski Might I make a suggestion. I created a tennis court in LE and it works great with the family's wealth. I didn't do it for Villa Alto. You can go to TSR and find tennis gear like rackets, balls and the net, and the white lines to create your own tennis court. But I did have fun recreating both families. I didn't use the same looks and all that. But did make Nick and Vita evil. And Holly good. And I did delete the original Alto and Langraab families. Instead of a male son in the Landgraab family, I decided to have a daughter instead. And introduced my versions to the world. Don't know why but they'd moved out of their homes and left them vacant. After I gutted the homes and renovated them. So now I moved my own Alto and Landgraab families into the homes.

[@stephenspears3206]

@@Rekowcski Just a suggestion. Gut the interior of the house, leaving the floor. And start over, like I did.

[@shannonkelly3372]

I didn't know the alt trick!! I'd make houses on different foundation levels but I'd use the terrain tools like a fool 😭😭😭

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

Def explore the Buydebug cheat I think its a severely unknown cheat for most players. Especially new ones!

[@Rekowcski]

I will introduce it in the apartment building video I think... because you need the room markers and everything from there Also apparently if you have a pirated game, opening debug will destroy the game so I will have to warn people

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

@@Rekowcski Huh. I have never heard of that and it has never affected my game- odd. I need to look into that more

[@bimbo1225]

U are a life saver

[@positivepenny5477]

THE ALT KEY IS ALL YOU NEED FOR A SMALLER FOUNDATION!?!? ALL THESE YEARS.... WHAT!?!?!?!?!

[@Rekowcski]

I'm glad you learned something haha

[@elvingearmasterirma7241]

I cannot Believe I forgot the foundation stair trick. 14 year old me is MAD at me

[@Rekowcski]

It's weird the things we forget haha

[@ananas3081]

I'm trying to do sunken living room like in <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="238">3:58</a> but after adding floor above it, this lower part becomes weirldy dark, any ideas what can i do?

[@Rekowcski]

Try adding debug lights on the ceiling, but make sure you are on the lower level of the living room when you do it

[@ananas3081]

It works. Thanks!

[@marcosbeltran3029]

seeing Kylie at the back, I know its gonna be good

[@Rekowcski]

She's my queen 💕

[@randomlysammy9856]

Are you still doing the NSB for sims 3? It's awesome and I've sent you some gifts for NSB

[@Rekowcski]

Thank you! Actually my next video is a Not So Berry episode, It's already filmed

[@cottoncandid3223]

The friezes one :D

[@Rekowcski]

You can also make the friezes shorter (just like foundations) by following the same steps on the second floor

[@LunarPenguin42]

I have an issue with the sunken floor. The lighting is really bad in the sunken part (obviously because the game thinks its a closed of room without lights. How do i fix it? You do not seem to have the issue.

[@Rekowcski]

Use debug invisible lights on the ceiling of the sunken floor

[@LunarPenguin42]

@@Rekowcski thank you so much:) great video btw. I have played this game for like 15 years and never knew what i missed out in building interesting buildings

[@federicao4609]

Hi Reko! I LOVE your shirt, 🖒

[@Rekowcski]

Thanks federica, it's brand new I just bought it

[@krabgrass]

The foundation trick doesn’t work anymore! When I try placing the stairs like on <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="114">1:54</a>, it lowers the elevation and doesn’t stay flat like the video. Looks like an update must of patched this method smh

[@bellarina]

Building scares me, I like to just edit some of their builds... one thing I cannot figure out is when you have a nice victorian house on a foundation, HOW could you add basement 😅 maybe for the next video 😇 cos I cannot make it work to save my life... I even tried elevators! 🤣

[@Rekowcski]

If you already have the house/foundation down, you can make a basement but you should make the stairs to it OUTSIDE the house... like on the side have a little cellar staircase, that was common back then anway

[@bellarina]

@@Rekowcski 😮 that's a good ideaaaa! There are some nice houses in Moonlight Falls that need basements 😂

[@Rekowcski]

@@bellarina i always want a basement in my house... AFTER ive built it haha

[@mim9000]

I'm still too scared XD But thanks Rek!

[@Rekowcski]

nooo u can do it!

[@phoebemcneece9273]

Wow! Thank you so much! I am not a great builder but I want to be better. I've watched other tutorials but then I get confused because it feels complicated. Please do more build tutorials! You're easy to understand and you show things off at the perfect speed.

[@Rekowcski]

Thanks that means a lot. I am hoping to do more soon!

[@westanimesims]

CFE is the worst, both in Sims 2 and Sims 3 are notorious for being labor intensive haha. For the flat roof detailing in Sims 2 you can just use the platform tool instead of the foundation.

[@Rekowcski]

Sims 2 is where I first tried it as a teenager and I destroyed my lot haha... but a lot of the tricks work in both sims 2 and sims 3. I like the sims 2 platform better because you can just put it on the roof without cheats

[@rosalynthornn]

How come I have been playing sims 3 since like 2011 and I didn't know any of this 😭😭

[@DraperStan23]

“Sims 3 build mode sucks” This video is proof that it was simply ahead of its time

[@Rekowcski]

Yeah sims 4 girlies don't have a clue lol

[@jeffersonhuynh941]

Is this working on a Mac?

[@LunarPenguin42]

Yes

[@doom3798]

i have a tip for the girlies in the comments!! how to build a basement in a house with a foundation: 1. on the foundation level, use the basement tool to make the basement 2. go to the ground floor (1 up from foundation) and select the stairs you want to use 3. while placing the stairs, hold down shift now your stairs will go down from the ground floor to the basement, right through the foundation layer!! 🎉🎉

[@Rekowcski]

I'll try this next time I'm in build mode!

[@doom3798]

@@Rekowcski yay!! i used it for the first time today after forever thinking basements were impossible with foundation houses 🙏🏻 it can be finicky tho heads up !

[@Rekowcski]

I'm sure it's finicky, but it's probably better than my current technique of deleting half of the foundation in the house 😭

[@mikantsumiki3329]

Why does Recowcski never look at the camera?

[@bowkatiewow]

Because he’s looking at the screen

[@Rekowcski]

in acting school they trained us to never look at the camera ever for any reason lol

[@fereshteha8501]

Very hard.

[@mysterionz]

I’ve never understood CFE tbh.

[@Rekowcski]

Hope this helped at least a bit

[@mistyamarch]

i just recently decided to go back to sims 3 (and 2) and this video is so so valuable, thank you so much! I mostly played 3 as a teen to young adult, even before i had internet on my home computer… so i never got into building at all but now that im an older adult i really do care about the homes, big thanks for youtube reccs putting this video on my radar 🥹💗

[@Rekowcski]

I'm glad you found it helpful, let me know how it goes

[@fereshteha8501]

Very hard.