The Ultimate Guide To Moving Your Sims To A New House In Sims 4

Moving your Sims to a new home is one of the most satisfying milestones in The Sims 4. Whether you're upgrading from a starter house to a sprawling mansion or relocating an entire household across neighborhoods, the process offers both opportunity and challenge. Done right, it can enhance gameplay, inspire new storylines, and refresh your virtual world. Done poorly, it can lead to lost items, broken relationships, or unintended game glitches. This guide walks you through every step, method, and hidden trick to ensure your Sim’s relocation is smooth, efficient, and drama-free.

Understanding the Two Main Move Methods

In The Sims 4, there are two primary ways to move your Sims: using in-game options and leveraging Create-a-Sim (CAS) mode. Each has distinct advantages depending on your goals—whether you’re shifting households mid-gameplay or planning ahead during character creation.

• Move-In Option: Allows existing Sims to move into a new lot while preserving all relationships, skills, inventory, and emotional states.
• CAS Relocation: Lets you place Sims directly into a new household via the character editor, ideal for pre-planned setups or fixing corrupted saves.

The choice between these depends on timing, control, and whether you want to maintain continuity in your Sim’s daily life.

Tip: Always save before moving. Use a separate save slot so you can revert if something goes wrong.

Step-by-Step: How to Move Your Sims Using the Move-In Feature

This method is the most common and intuitive way to relocate a household. It preserves nearly all aspects of your Sims’ lives and integrates naturally into gameplay.

1. Load a Sim from the household you wish to move.
2. Click on any bed, phone, or computer and select “Change Household.”
3. Choose “Move” to begin the relocation process.
4. Select the destination lot from available owned properties or vacant homes.
5. Confirm the move. All household members, their inventories, and stored items in lockers will transfer automatically.

Once completed, your Sims will appear at their new residence with everything they owned. Relationships with other Sims remain intact, and ongoing events like pregnancies or skill progressions continue uninterrupted.

When to Use This Method

Best suited for mid-game transitions such as:

• Upgrading to a larger home after earning more Simoleons.
• Moving in with a partner or merging families.
• Relocating due to neighborhood changes (e.g., adding a new world via expansion pack).

Advanced Technique: Moving via Create-a-Sim Mode

If the standard move option isn’t available—or if you’re dealing with a glitched household—you can manually reassign Sims through CAS. This method gives full control over who moves and where.

1. From the main menu, select “Create a Sim.”
2. Locate the Sim you want to move under “Households.”
3. Click on the Sim and choose “Edit in CAS.”
4. At the top-right corner, click the household name and select “Move to New/Existing Household.”
5. Pick the target lot or create a new household linked to a specific property.
6. Save and exit.

This technique bypasses certain bugs that prevent normal moves and allows precise placement when combining households from different worlds.

“Using CAS to move Sims may seem technical, but it’s invaluable when dealing with broken lots or complex family dynamics.” — Jordan Lee, Simulation Gameplay Analyst

Checklist: Preparing for a Successful Move

To avoid surprises, follow this essential pre-move checklist:

• ✅ Confirm ownership of the destination lot.
• ✅ Ensure the new house has enough beds and toilets for all Sims.
• ✅ Store valuable or quest-critical items in lockers or basements.
• ✅ Resolve active moodlets (e.g., finish crying, end fights) before moving.
• ✅ Disable mods temporarily if experiencing move-related crashes.
• ✅ Save the game under a unique name (e.g., “Pre-Move Backup”).

Taking these steps minimizes disruptions and prevents data loss during transition.

Common Issues and How to Fix Them

Even experienced players encounter hiccups when moving Sims. Below are frequent problems and proven solutions.

Issue	Possible Cause	Solution
\"No valid locations found\"	No owned or accessible lots available	Purchase a new lot or unlock community spaces via cheats
Sims disappear after move	Game bug or mod conflict	Reload backup; try moving via CAS instead
Furniture doesn’t load	Storage overload or corrupt build data	Use “bb.showhiddenobjects” to recover missing items
Relationships reset	Incorrect household merge	Rebuild connections manually or reload save

Tip: If your Sim gets stuck during the move animation, open the cheat console and type “resetSim [First Name] [Last Name]” to unfreeze them.

Real Example: A Family's Cross-Town Move

Consider Sarah and Mark, a couple living in a small apartment in Willow Creek. After saving for months, they purchase a five-bedroom home in Windenburg. Their toddler, Lily, is still napping when the move begins. Using the phone to initiate the relocation, the game pauses her nap moodlet. Upon arrival, she wakes up in her new crib without losing sleep progress. The family’s heirloom rocking chair, previously stored in the basement, appears in the new home’s attic. However, Mark’s prized espresso machine vanishes. By entering build mode and typing “bb.showhiddenobjects,” Sarah recovers it buried beneath floor tiles—likely misplaced during export. Within minutes, the household settles, and gameplay resumes seamlessly.

This scenario illustrates how preparation and knowledge of recovery tools make even complex moves manageable.

Do’s and Don’ts of Moving Sims

Do’s	Don’ts
Back up your save file before moving	Assume all items will appear exactly where you left them
Use Storage Lockers to safeguard valuables	Move during critical life events (e.g., labor, job interviews)
Test the lot by visiting first as a guest	Ignore lot rules (e.g., pet restrictions, rental status)
Verify bed count matches household size	Forget to update mailboxes and rent payments post-move

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move only one Sim from a household?

No, the in-game move option transfers the entire household. To isolate a single Sim, use Create-a-Sim mode to remove them from the group and assign them to a new or existing household.

Will my Sim lose jobs or school progress when moving?

No. Employment, academic enrollment, skill levels, and career ranks are tied to the Sim, not the location. They resume work or classes normally after the move.

What happens to pets when I move?

Pets move with their owners automatically if they are part of the household. Ensure the new lot permits animals, or you’ll receive a warning before confirming the move.

Final Thoughts: Make Every Move Meaningful

Moving your Sims isn’t just a mechanical action—it’s a narrative turning point. A new house can symbolize growth, change, or fresh beginnings. With the right approach, you preserve continuity while unlocking new possibilities. Whether you’re guiding a young adult out of their parents’ basement or helping a retired couple downsize, each relocation adds depth to your story.

Now that you know how to move your Sims confidently, take the leap. Explore new neighborhoods, experiment with architectural styles, and let your households evolve naturally across the map.

💬 Have a unique moving strategy or a funny relocation story? Share it in the comments below—your tip might help another player avoid a digital disaster!