what are the rules for auctions?

[bzald]

For instance if i put in all new but cheap furniture will i get more?
clean all the dirt will i get more?
etc
i did try it on the last house but i could not tell a difference if true then there no reason to go to wild re doing things?

[MonkeyGamesVR]

I would like to know this too?!

[tatiana]

It seems that the rules are broadly similar to HF1:

- Always clean everything, inside and out. It is sometimes possible to paint over the dirt to make it disappear.

- Replace any worn, missing or discoloured paint, panelling, wallpaper, etc. inside and out. If it isn't entirely worn, use Copy Style to find the exact same thing in store and make repairs.

- When entering the property, take out your Flipper Tool, put it in Edit Style mode and point at every piece of furniture you can find. Find out the name of the piece, and decide whether you wish to sell it or edit its appearance.

- If you decide to sell it, make sure the replacement is broadly in the same price category. If you furnish too cheaply, the buyers will pay you less. However, every house has a hidden "maximum price", so going too expensive will eat into your profits.

- If you like the size and style of the furniture piece, it's best to edit it or even leave it as it is.

- Use a combination of Edit Style and Copy Style to replace worn textures on doors and windows. 90% of the time this works as well as replacing the entire item! The same tip also works well on kitchen cabinets, unless they are completely shattered.

- Small accessories don't seem to affect the price.

- Finally, if it is possible to add extra rooms (for example with a basement/garage conversion) do it! Extra bathrooms, toilets and bedrooms are especially valuable. Add extra doors or windows where needed.

[Kathykins]

Small addition to Tatiana's post: Don't forget to check if all lights are wired to light switches. And that there ARE lights in every room, of course. I've forgotten a few times.

[tatiana]

Small addition to Kathykins post: The additional light switches you buy in the store are never wired. So if an existing switch is wired in a particularly confusing way, it's often easier to replace it with a new one and make the connections you want :)

[MonkeyGamesVR]

I sell everything I can now, easy mony including the light switches and do my own later.
Then doing a firm trash cleanup, clean it with spray and cloth, windows too and then dress the house. Furniture takes a bit longer for me as I always change stuff and seem to never be able to decide what I put in there and if someone else would like it lol.

I figure that in real life it's about the same thing, take the time you need to fix, clean etc. and you love the result, at least I do though. Whatever it takes, make sure you take every corner like tatiana said and make adjustments remove some walls etc.

I loved the first one HF1 and love this one too HF2. I should changes jobs and be a real HF and I am thinking about it now, I think im getting pretty good at it :)

[Kathykins]

Originally posted by tatiana:

Small addition to Kathykins post: The additional light switches you buy in the store are never wired. So if an existing switch is wired in a particularly confusing way, it's often easier to replace it with a new one and make the connections you want :)

Oh and adding to that, don't use your tool to "Duplicate" switches with confusing wiring. Been there done that :| Now I rather just sell every lightswitch (because to me they all are weirdly coloured anyway, its the brown, wooden switch from HF1 all over again) and place new ones.

[tatiana]

Originally posted by Kathykins:

Originally posted by tatiana:

Small addition to Kathykins post: The additional light switches you buy in the store are never wired. So if an existing switch is wired in a particularly confusing way, it's often easier to replace it with a new one and make the connections you want :)

Oh and adding to that, don't use your tool to "Duplicate" switches with confusing wiring. Been there done that :| Now I rather just sell every lightswitch (because to me they all are weirdly coloured anyway, its the brown, wooden switch from HF1 all over again) and place new ones.

Weird coloured switches never bothered me! I just use Edit Style tool on them. Using the palette tab is seldom necessary, as there is a nice white option in the drop down menu ;)

[bzald]

ahh thanks everyone that makes a lot more sense now i will do some test to see how much the price goes up thanks.

[tatiana]

A small addition to the discussion: I figured out Exactly how surface finishes work:

When you pick them up, the visual looks like boards, but it is actually applied in little squares. The default size without perks is 9 squares arranged in a 3x3 grid, but you can also do the same 9 squares in a straight line, and use the same amount of material!

I have replaced the panelling on the cheapest beach house the other day:
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198202127392/screenshot/2304220023005499068/
I replaced it everywhere I could reach. The blue stuff is custom painted wood with the widest pattern size - about 3 boxes at about 670 gold each. The natural wood is driftwood, no pattern. Don't remember exactly how many boxes, but between 3 and 5, at about 390 gold each. plus some editing and copying with the Flipper tool. Overall, about 2 hours spent on the panelling, and about 3K gold, which is the price of an expensive double bed!

Was it worth it? See for yourselves:
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198202127392/screenshot/2304220023005501049/

Of course I did some other alterations - demolished the kitchen/lounge wall and the lounge/corridor wall; put a washing machine under the stairs; put in a toilet, sink, ceiling spotlight on the wall, plus a door, in the upstairs nook between the bedrooms; put in the missing doors in the upstairs bedrooms. And followed my own advice everywhere else. But I feel like replacing the panelling accounted for at least some of the profit!

[Little Goldfinch]

Thanks so much, everyone! It extends my enjoyment of the gameplay to know about correct Auction rules and how Surface Finish actually works and what a difference it can make.

[bzald]

thank you all i feel like this has helped not just me but several other people solve how we should approach selling the house

[tatiana]

Originally posted by bzald:

thank you all i feel like this has helped not just me but several other people solve how we should approach selling the house

You're welcome! Glad I could help!

[tatiana]

I've figured out another tip, and decided to post it here:

The Edit Style screen that you see when editing an item has a "Go to store" button in the bottom right, which takes you straight to the store page for that item! The item will be set to its default options, but this still saves you a ton of time looking for an exact replacement in cases when it cannot be repaired.