Outdoors and Landscaping — The Sims 3 eGuide

Deck

The majority of your decorating attention is bound to be spent indoors, but don’t ignore the exterior of your house. A bright deck or a compelling garden will surely increase the happiness and health of your household as well as draw the attention of neighbors.

What better way to increase your social circle than having the house on the block everybody wants to visit? You are not limited strictly to a simple deck, although that might be the easiest thing to build after your initial move. Be sure to experiment with trees, rocks, and flowers sooner rather than later. As the old saying goes: You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.

Household Get-Together

The contemporary deck is a good way to get the household outdoors and relaxing on their days off, something that is essential for maintaining a healthy mood. Setting up a little barbecue next to the pool makes your house the focus of the block, as neighbors will turn up the charm for a chance to enjoy a little sun, a little water, and a lot of free grub.

A) Contempo Outdoor Living Lounge
§200
B) Knack Outdoor Table
§85
C) Rendezvous Picnic Table
§235
D) Barbe-Cute
§600
Hunger: 4, Group Activity
E) Fuzzy Logic Picnic Basket
§150
Hunger: 4, Group Activity
F) Foot-and-hand-ball
§85
Fun: 6, + Athletic
G) Sky Screamer Swings
§400
Fun: 3, Group Activity
H) Step Lights
§75
I) The Aftergloe II
§35
J) Aquatic Ascent Ladder
§315
K) Sea Underwater Pool Lights from Landgraab Industries
§35

Outdoor cooking

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Hunger	Fun	Cooking	Group Activity
Birthday Inferno Birthday Cake	30	3	12	2
Fuzzy-Logic Picnic Basket	150	15	60	4			x
Portable Fire Pit	295	29.5	118	2	4		x
Carnivore XL	300	30	120	2		x
Barbe-Cute	600	60	240	4		x
Deluxe Agile Grill	1200	120	480	5		x

Outdoor seating

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Environment	Comfort
Community Bench	85	8.5	34
Comtempto Outdoor Living Lounge	200	20	80		1
The Breckenridge	325	32.5	130		2
Herkimer Loveseat	400	40	160		2
The Dawdler Lounge Chair	515	51.5	206	2	2
Sticky Bench	650	65	260		2
Tomorrow Lounger	750	75	300	2	2

Outdoor activities

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Fun	Logic	Athletic	Group Activity
Baseball	65	6.5	26	5		x
Foot-and-hand-ball	85	8.5	34	6		x
Schuper Schprinkler from Schprinkler Tech	90	9	36	5
The Waxbottom Slide	335	33.5	134	8
Outdoor Chess Table	350	35	140	4	x
Skyscreamer Swings	400	40	160	3			x
The Juungal Jungle Gym	550	55	220	8

Pool Items

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Environment
Pool Rules Sign	13	1.3	5	1
Sea Underwater Pool Lights from Landgraab Industries	35	3.5	14
Mesmerizing Mosaic	212	21.2	85
Aquatic Ascent Ladder	315	31.5	126

Private Getaway

Adventurous design should not be limited to four walls. The greatest room of all is that which exists under the broad sky, so construct a garden where you can truly escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Majestic trees are wonderful sentinels for your outdoor getaway, surrounding a secret garden that you can share with those you love or retreat to by yourself just to unwind and remember exactly what’s important in this world.

A) Herkimer Loveseat
§400
B) Sleeping Gnome McNulty
§35
Fun: 2, Environment: 1
C) Obelisk Vine
§145
Environment: 2
D) Burb-Light
§45
E) Stoic Bollard
§100
F) Limelights
§30

Outdoor lights

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Environment
Limelights	30	3	12
Patio Party Lamp	30	3	12
The Aftergloe II	35	3.5	14
The Little Lamp That Could	35	3.5	14
Volcano Table Torch	35	3.5	14
Cobblestone Fence Light	40	4	16
Burb-Light	45	4.5	18
Mason Lamp	50	5	20
Path Glow Garden Lighting	50	5	20
Simple Porch Light	70	7	28
Step Lights	75	7.5	30
Stoic Bollard	100	10	40
Pele's Postlight from Nothing Atoll	125	12.5	50
Ankle-Height Light by GamGleam Industries	175	17.5	70
Apology Streetlight	200	20	80
Clean-Wave Streetlight	245	24.5	98	2
Seramorson Streetlamp	335	33.5	134	2
The Streetbrite	340	34	136	2
Hard Knocks Streetlight	500	50	200	2
The Champ	565	56.5	226
Multifunction Searchlight Device	4,500	450	1800	1

Lawn ornaments

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Environment	Fun
Shocking Pink Flamingo - 2nd Edition	5	0.5	2	1	2
Party Balloons	15	1.5	6	1
Sleeping Gnome McMulty	35	3.5	14	1	2
Square Hay Bale	4	0.4	1.6
Round Hay Bale	65	6.5	26
Obelisk Vine	145	14.5	58	2
Fire Hydrant	150	15	60
Beach Sign	201	20.1	80.4
Traditional Sign	223	22.3	89.2
Modern Sign	242	24.2	96.8
Mission Sign	270	27	108
Country Sign	318	31.8	127.2
Contemporary Sign	322	32.2	128.8
Stacked Hay Bales	350	35	140
Cemetery Sign	365	36.5	146
Commercial Dumpster	659	65.9	263.6
Town Clock	1200	120	480
Farm Windmill	2130	213	852
Outdoor School Bell	2500	250	1000
Military Guard Tower	6475	647.5	2590
The Plaza Gusher	50000	5000	20000	9
Landgraab Industries Science Facility Fountain	60000	6000	24000	10
F-Class Hunter-Killer	75000	7500	30000	10

Transportation

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value	Speed
Vertistation Bike Rack	35	3.5	14
Car-Spot Parking Space	150	15	60
Bi-Trike for Kids	250	25	100	1
NostalgiCycle	250	25	100	2
Closure Garage Door	600	60	240
Sloppy Jalopy	950	95	380	3
Big Lemon	1200	120	480	3
Vorn P328	3700	370	1480	4
Wornado Triage	4500	450	1800	4
4-Everything Van	6100	610	2440	4
Yomoshoto Evasion	9800	980	3920	5
Tofunda Wagon	19600	1960	7840	5
VFN Kompensator	36000	3600	14400	6
Bwan Speedster YL	85000	8500	34000	8
Margaret Vaguester	105000	10500	42000	10

Plants and Rocks

There are several categories of outdoor decor for your gardens and lawns, including trees and rocks. These are wonderful building blocks for unique corners of the world where your Sims can grab a few moments of much needed solitude or silence. The costs of building a garden are often far outweighed by the benefits of natural beauty on the soul, so be sure to add some green to your yard as soon as possible.

Trees

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value
Small Bamboo Tree	65	6.5	26
Small Aspen Tree	95	9.5	38
Buckhorn Tree	100	10	40
Bamboo Tree	115	11.5	46
Aspen Tree	125	12.5	50
Small Pear Tree	130	13	52
Small Spruce Tree	140	14	56
Small Black Gum Tree	150	15	60
Small Cherry Tree	155	15.5	62
Pear Tree	165	16.5	66
Small Fir Tree	180	18	72
Spruce Tree	190	19	76
Black Gum Tree	200	20	80
Tall Fir Tree	210	21	84
Small Juniper Tree	245	24.5	98
Cherry Tree	250	25	100
Small Purple Tree	260	26	104
Small Cypress Tree	265	26.5	106
Large Juniper Tree	270	27	108
Fan Leaf Palm Tree	275	27.5	110
Tall Cypress Tree	300	30	120
Small Western Cypress Tree	315	31.5	126
Oak Tree	320	32	128
Purple Tree	325	32.5	130
Classic Palm Tree	335	33.5	134
Large Western Cypress Tree	340	34	136
Willlow Tree	350	35	140
Creepy Tree	400	40	160

Shrubs

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value
Brambles	5	0.5	2
Waterlillies	8	0.8	3.2
Cattail	9	0.9	3.6
Pampas Grass	12	1.2	4.8
Cattails	10	1	4
Coleus	15	1.5	6
Boston Fern	35	3.5	14
Buckhorn	40	4	16
Boxwood	50	5	20
Banana Leaf	60	6	24
Round Hedge	70	7	28
Evergreen	80	8	32
Hedge	85	8.5	34
Topiary Plant	95	9.5	38

Flowers

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value
Hydrangea	1	0.1	0.4
Dandelions	2	0.2	0.8
Popular Pansies	8	0.8	3.2
Clover	10	1	4
Clover w/Diagonal Corners	10	1	4
Clover w/Rounded Corners	10	1	4
Daisies of our Lives	10	1	4
Ice Plant	10	1	4
Ice Plant w/Diagonal Corners	10	1	4
Ice Plant w/Rounded Corners	10	1	4
Lithodoroa	10	1	4
Lithodoroa w/Diagonal Corners	10	1	4
Lithodoroa w/Rounded Corners	10	1	4
Moss Rose	10	1	4
Moss Rose w/Diagnonal Corners	10	1	4
Moss Rose w/Round Corners	10	1	4
Phlox	10	1	4
Phlox w/Diagonal Corners	10	1	4
Phlox w/Rounded Corners	10	1	4
Plot of Daisies w/Diagonal Corners	10	1	4
Plot of Daisies w/Rounded Corners	10	1	4
Perennial Pansies	11	1.1	4.4
Agapanthus	12	1.2	4.8
Dianthus	14	1.4	5.6
Marigold	16	1.6	6.4
Solo Sunflower	17	1.7	6.8
Sunflowers	19	1.9	7.6
Heather	20	2.0	8
Azaleas	22	2.2	8.8
Classic Daisies	23	2.3	9.2
Laizy Daises	24	2.4	9.6
Vivid Roses	25	2.5	10
Pink Roses	35	3.5	14
Wild Rosey Roses	40	4.0	16
Semi Roses	42	4.2	16.8
Rosey Roses	45	4.5	18

Rocks

Object	Price	Daily Depreciation	Fully Deprec. Value
Landscaping Rock - Small Round	5	0.5	2
Landscaping Rock - Horizontal	6	0.6	2.4
Landscaping Rock - Medium Round	15	1.5	6
Landscaping Rock - Square	18	1.8	7.2
Landscaping Rock - Vertical	30	3	12
Ancient Rock	35	3.5	14

Community Objects

There are a handful of objects that exist at community locations, like the graveyard and parks. These objects have limited interactions, such as just being able to view the Grim Reaper statue at the graveyard. However, you can adjust the color of streetlight to truly customize the town to your liking. With just a few clicks of the mouse, you can line the streets with a rainbow of colors.

Object	Interactions
Flagpole	None
Picnic Table	Sit
Public Lightning	Turn On/Turn Off, Change Color
Public Statue	View
Public Trashcan	Rummage

Breakable Objects

Some objects just break down over time or with multiple uses. If an electrical, mechanical, or plumbing object breaks, you can either summon a repair technician to fix the object for §50 or attempt to fix the object yourself. The higher the Handiness skill of the Sim trying to repair the object, the greater chance it will succeed.

When an object breaks for the first time, the chance of it breaking again increases. The more it breaks, the more likely it is to break again. At a certain point, the object may completely break down and need to be replaced. If an object breaks beyond repair or is destroyed in a fire, you get a slight insurance payment to help offset the cost of replacing the object.

Occasionally, objects will spill water on the floor around it. To sop up the water, choose the Mop interaction on the puddle. Mopping up a puddle right away is important, especially if you are going to be tinkering with an electrical object nearby.

Some objects can be upgraded so they do not break or catch fire. See the Handiness skill section in the Simology chapter to learn more about upgrading objects so they don’t break, don’t catch fire, and even clean themselves when not in use.