Life on the surface can be overwhelming and living in high rises is miserable. It’s time to abandon the above world and become happy like a hobbit underground. That might be a bit hard to budget for in the real world, but inThe Sims 4you can build an underground mansion that’ll make the whole shire jealous.

For Simmers who like to experiment with unconventional builds, like to entertain guests outdoors, or just want more room to garden, an underground home can be a fun way to mix things up with the design of your Sim’s home and provide ample space for activities.

A basement in The Sims 4 with a small section cut out for use as an outdoor space.

Using The Basement Tool

The first step in creating a great underground base is to be familiar with the basement tool.Take some time to experiment with the tool to feel comfortable with it, but you will find it mostly acts the same as the square room tool but underground.

Once you place your initial basement, you’re able to expand or add rooms just as you would for a house on the surface.

Brick stairs lead down into a small outdoor patio space.

Underground living doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the luxury of multiple floors, although you will have fewer of them.Make use of a secondary underground floor to create a distinction between living and sleeping spaces.

One of the major advantages of building an underground lot is that Sims who prefer to use a lot of outdoor space can do so without sacrificing the size of their home.

Kitchen with an industrial aesthetic with large windows leading to a small underground patio.

Making An Underground Entrance

Every good house needs an entrance, especially if that house is underground.Build a small outdoor spacethat can allow your Sims to have an area to walk around in before entering the home.

The primary function of this open pit is to provide access to the underground home.Place a set of stairs, so your Sims get into the pit. Once you have that done, you can build a few rooms off the initial pit and add your front door. Take the time to design a window-heavy outdoor patio for this area.

The Sims 4 downstairs hallway in a dimly lit brick basement.

Small outdoor patios are more than just decorative as this will also allow you to set up the only windows that will let light into your underground home. Alternatively, you might want to lean into more of an underground bunker style. In which case, build walls around the top of your entrance.

You can place outdoor plants in your outdoor entrance space, including trees! This lets you make some unique outdoor spaces with trees that are below ground level.Be sure to have plenty of space whatever you place in the entry space, so it doesn’t interfere with your Sims getting in and out, or clipping through the windows!

An underground house with an entrance leading to a small outdoor section and a pool in the background.

Letting The Light In

Now that you have your entrance set up with plenty of windows to let light in, take the time to find out where the natural light reaches.Use the clock tool to change the time of day to get a sense of what your underground bunker will look like throughout the day.

Once you know where the natural light lands set up your living space in a way that maximizes your Sim’s access to natural light. This will make the living spaces of your underground home feel less claustrophobic.

Alternatively, limit the natural light in your Sim’s home as much as possible to achieve an underground bunker aesthetic.

The first floor of your home should focus on what your sim will be doing throughout the course of the day. Place your kitchen, living room, parlor, dining room, and any activities that you will have your Sim switch between on this floor.

That may seem like an interior decorating tip, but this aligns more with keeping your sims productive.The more stairs you add between your Sim and the activities they need to do, the more time they spend walking between tasks rather than doing those tasks.

If you can afford it, consider adding a second bathroom to your living quarters floor. All you need for this one is a toilet and a sink to avoid your Sims having to climb up and down stairs.

Place your kitchen near the entrance to make it easier for your Sims to host outdoor dinner parties using the barbecue.

Divide the various spaces on this floor using half walls in order to keep this floor as naturally lit as possible.attempt to align your largest pieces of furniture either against the back wall or parallel with the natural light.

Creating A Sleeping Area

Now with a space to live their lives, your Sims need a quiet area to sleep. Use the basement tool to create your second floor and add stairs to get down.Since this is mostly a way to keep your Sims from waking each other up, you can keep it simple.

Since the downstairs hallway is going to be much smaller than in the rest of the house, you can widen your bathroom to make room for individual passages to the bathroom. This reduces traffic in your hallway, preventing any unfortunate accidents.

A single hallway with a bathroom at the end will service as an excellent basis for you to build whatever rooms you want off of it.You will want to focus on bedrooms for this floor, but adding a small study for late night reading is a good use of space.

It is perfectly fine to have your downstairs hallway be only one square wide, but if you have more than one Sims living in the house, it is better to have the hallway be at least two squares wide.

Use The Outdoor Space

Once you are satisfied with the interior of your underground home, return to the surface. While you could havethe ground above your home be an empty lot, it is a waste to not experiment with the unique opportunity.

Without a building above ground on your lot it would look very empty, so take the time to spruce it up, perhaps with spruce trees! Either way, taking the time to fill up your lot with plants, outdoor activities, and other decorations will turn an empty lot with a hole into a gorgeous vista.

If you decide to place a pool, be careful it does not intersect with your house.Pools and basements occupy the same underground area, and you can ruin your hard work if you’re not careful!

It is important you do not block the stairs down into your underground home with your decorations!Be sure to leave at least one square width around any decor you place so that your sims can get around.

One of the biggest advantages of an underground home is that there is no building for your trees and bushes to clip through. you may build a forest on your lot without any worry about pine needles in the bathtub.

The outdoor space of your underground house is where you may set the tone for your build. Use lush green lawns with space for gardening to create a hobbit-style homestead. Or place harsh desert and dead plants to give your underground home a survivalist bunker vibe.

At this point, all that remains is to take the time to make your final adjustments and tailor your underground home to your tastes and enjoy better living, underground!