How to Move Your Sims into Any Home Without Spending Money
As an avid Sims gamer who has spent countless hours building mansions, managing families, and landscaping neighborhoods, one of the most common questions I see is: how can move households without money? Newer players often struggle when they create their dream home only to realize they can‘t afford to move their Sims into it.
Not to worry! There are plenty of ways to relocate families without spending your hard-earned Simoleons. Whether you want to redecorate, upgrade homes, tell stories, or just get more space, you can majestically move households without cash.
The easiest approach is to move families straight from your library.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Browse houses and find one you want a household to occupy
- Go into "Manage Households" in the bottom left of neighborhood view
- Select the family you wish to move from "Library" section
- Choose "Move Household Here"
It really is that simple! The family transfers seamlessly into their new abode without any real estate transactions, keeping all your Simoleons safe. This lets you shuffle households around based purely on what makes sense for your gameplay or narratives, not budget.
Tips for Finding Good Homes
When selecting a house to move your Sims into, keep an eye out for the following types of homes that won‘t cost any money:
- Empty starter homes or base game residences
- Unoccupied buildings in Magnolia Promenade or Newcrest
- Generic community lots like libraries, gyms, museums
- Vacation world rental properties
Here is a quick overview of what different types of lots will cost you:
| Lot Type | Purchase Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Starter Home | $0 | Always free |
| Empty Home | $0 | Changes based on size, value |
| Owned Home | Varies | You would need to evict residents first |
| Vacant Lot | $0-$20k | Price fluctuates |
As you can see, sticking with vacant buildings in main neighborhoods is your best cost-saving bet.
More Tricks for Moving Households Without Spending Simoleons
Using your library isn‘t the only way to relocate families for free. Here are a few more clever tips and tricks:
Enable Free Real Estate Cheat
Easily the most powerful money-saving option is to use the iconic "FreeRealEstate on" cheat. Similar to motherlode giving you cash, this makes all lots completely free to move into. Just be aware that it disables achievements.
To enable:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + C to open cheat console
- Type in testingcheats true
- Enter FreeRealEstate on
Now you can move households anywhere regardless of price! When finished, turn it off by typing "FreeRealEstate off".
Transfer Sims Between Playable Houses
If you already have households occupying different homes, you can essentially just swap properties. Using the "Transfer Sims Between Households" function lets you quickly shuffle families between existing houses without any financial impact.
It works almost exactly like moving households from manage worlds, except it moves them instantly out of the currently occupied home and into the new one. The end result is families in different houses but without spending any more money.
Utilize Empty Base Game Homes
An often overlooked option is placing Sims into some of the default empty homes that come with the base game. Willow Creek and Oasis Springs both have a few barebones starter homes that don‘t cost anything to move into. They may be small or basic, but require $0 to occupy. Rotate families between these or use them as temporary quarantine zones when rearranging neighborhoods!
Creative Methods for Funding Dream Homes
What if you have your eye on a more upscale mansion or giant piece of land? Not to worry – where there‘s a will to move rent free, there‘s a way!
- Use motherlode and other money cheats to fund purchases
- Move households in then delete or restrict excess rooms
- Bulldoze lots after moving in to get refunds
- Set household funds to exactly match the lot price
Get creative and you can finesse your way into luxury without actually spending a single Simoleon!
I‘ve moved dozens of households while staying completely broke. With a bit of gaming the system, you can land your Sims into any property you desire. Give these methods a try the next time you‘re looking to relocate!
Let me know if you have any other questions. Happy simming!
