While certain aspects ofThe Sims 4may not deliver the highest caliber of gameplay, there is no doubt that everyone within the community adores what the game has done for the build-and-buy mode. A large aspect of house-building within the game does not solely involve creating roofs or walls, but also decorating the surrounding area with trees, shrubbery, and even water features.
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However, decorating the exterior of your community lot or house can be quite the undertaking, as there are a plethora of styles, items, and overall vibes to choose from in a simulation game like the Sims 4. If you are in dire need of some assistance when it comes to decorating the exterior of your Sims' homes, then look no further.
10Start Small
Every builder starts somewhere, and we recommend tackling a smaller construction project such as atiny home, before you move onto community lots or large-scale mansions. Creating something from scratch in the Sims can be incredibly overwhelming, especially if you are playing with every pack downloaded.
Luckily, starting on a smaller lot means that the exterior space you can customize is also smaller, thus giving you more time to focus on the placement of your landscaping. Simply look for any areas along the sides of your house that look empty, and fill them with a select palette of plants until you get your footing and are ready to move on to more advanced techniques.
9Always Build With Move Objects
If you have spent even a small amount of time building on the Sims 4, then you know there is nothing more annoying than attempting to place an item in a tight space, only to get multiple red errors. That is where the Move Objects cheat comes in, as it allows you to place an object anywhere.
Simply hold down the Ctrl, Shift, and C keys to open up the cheat console, then type inbb.moveobjects onto activate the cheat. Since this applies to every object in the game, you can move plants and rocks next to each other, effectively creating decorative bunches of shrubbery and landscaping.
8Focus On Key Pathways
Since an outdoor space is a pretty broad area to cover with decorations and items, you may find it easier to break up the area into smaller sections by drawing pathways out of stone. These paths can lead to important areas, such as an outdoor cooking space, loungers, or even a pool.
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The best part about creating designated pathways is the ample amount of landscaping you can develop around them. Simply pick flowers, bushes, and other shrubbery that you think looks good together, and dot them inside the space between the paths, and the landscaping practically creates itself.
7Paint Under Your Plants
Just because you have placed down some plants doesn’t mean that you have completed your landscaping. One of the most important aspects of landscaping is utilizing the in-game terrain paints, which can be used to decorate grass, dirt, and even create stone pathways without placing actual flooring.
While the stone designs are certainly nice, we recommend utilizing the base game dirt options to paint underneath any plants you have placed. This adds an extra layer of realism to your landscaping, thus making the entire build look more appealing.
6Match Your Plant Palette To The World
When you first begin landscaping, you should always take a look at the surrounding terrain or see how other houses in the neighborhood are decorated. Every world within the Sims 4 has its own climate, even withoutthe seasons expansion packinstalled.
A good example of this would be desert worlds such as Oasis Springs, as the cacti and succulents placed throughout the world were created to match the desert environment. This should extend to your own creations, as matching the aesthetics and environment of your chosen world will greatly improve how your landscaping looks.
5Include Wall Landscaping
While trees and shrubbery are certainly important for covering any bland or empty areas of your build, you should also never forget to neglect the exterior walls of your houses. Specifically, the Sims 4 comes equipped with a variety of flower boxes and vines that can be placed on the outside of your creations, all in an effort to make the build look even greater than it already does.
When placing objects such as flower boxes, remember to align them with any windows, and don’t overwhelm every single available space with a plant or decoration.
4Utilize Hidden Objects
Move Objects is not the only useful cheat that can help you build whatever your heart desires. When you are ready to furnish and landscape your creation, open up the cheat box and type in eitherbb.showhiddenobjectsorbb.showliveeditobjects.
These two cheatsunlock different objects that would never appear in the build-and-buy catalog normally, because these objects were used by the development team to decorate the surrounding worlds. This can seriously assist you in landscaping, since there are many plants that are dotted around the worlds of the Sims that never make it to the regular catalog, but these cheats will allow you to instantly use any item in the game.
3Never Neglect Gardening
For Sims that have a green thumb, we recommendcreating a gardenthat can be used to grow flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Creating these areas is essentially killing two birds with one stone, as you will create a green space that serves as a unique bit of landscaping, while also providing you with different plants and crafting materials.
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If you have more packs installed, you can even use higher quality modern planters to match your landscaping and architectural aesthetic. Finally, always remember to weed and water your plants, lest your plants die and ruin your entire landscaping.
2Fill Extra Space With A Pond
While this feature was not originally part of the base game, free content updates have unlocked the ability to create water features such as ponds around your lot. This is especially useful for large-scale builds with a large amount of exterior space that can be quickly eaten up by a water feature.
Furthermore, you can even disguise a pool as a pond by dotting the edge of the water with many plants and rocks. Then, add a diving platform or other pool-related items if you want to see your Sims swim around whenever it gets hot outside.
1Create A Greenhouse
Although there is a specializedGreenhouse Kit availablefor purchase, you can still create these glass structures in the base game and use them as an extra bit of exterior decoration and landscaping. A greenhouse is a great structure, because it fulfills a multitude of different purposes while still looking aesthetically pleasing and adding to your lots overall appeal.
For example, you can use this building as a staging area for the plants placed around your house, or grow valuable crops to earn profitduring harsher months.Overall, if your Sim has the extra space available, then a greenhouse will only serve to bolster the landscaping around your home.
