It's one of the game's emblematic skills, present since the very beginning. The DIY skill is your Sim's ability to repair and improve objects. A low level could lead to, let's say, disastrous results, while a higher level will improve your characters' daily lives. It's a skill that needs no introduction, yet here's a guide to it!
Start tinkering
As in real life, all Sims start from scratch when it comes to DIY. At this level, you'll have to content yourself with trying to repair a few objects, or go to the library to upgrade your skills. Reading a manual has the advantage of not risking your Sim's life. I remember a Sim in The Sims 3 who had the good idea of repairing the stereo with his feet in the water, with a low skill level. Suffice to say, he saw all the radio stations scroll through his head in a matter of seconds...
In short, once your Sim has made a little progress, you should be able to give him a few simple tasks, such as repairing his sink. On the face of it, the risks are fairly low, and it'll be easy for him to pick up a few points.
If you ever get the Sims 4 City Life expansion, don't forget that you can activate the "Gremlins" terrain challenge, which will break objects on your terrain at night. You can use it as practice!
Cabinetmaking
But skill isn't just about repairing things. In The Sims 4, your Sim can also make them. In Purchase Mode, you'll find a piece of furniture called a "Cabinetmaker's Workbench". With it, you'll be able to create a few small objects. You'll start with mini sculptures, and then build entire pieces of furniture by level 2.
Incidentally, woodworking is a good way to earn a few simflouzs. With good-quality items, you can earn twice as many simflouzs as you spend on materials. It takes a little time, but it can pay off! Of course, the larger the object, the higher the price. Our little horse sculpture that cost 10 simflouzs will sell for 20. Isn't life great?
Enhance objects
Now that you've got your little reputation as a Sunday handyman, let's start improving your Sim's home. When you start repairing items, you'll see little notifications informing you that your Sim has picked up upgrade parts. It's a bit like the little screws in an IKEA cabinet. There are always some left at the end, and you put them aside for the next time you want to do something. From time to time, piles of parts will be found on the floor after a repair job, and you can rummage through them for extra parts.
Depending on the item being repaired, you'll come across several types of upgrade parts. Common parts, plumbing upgrades and electronics upgrades. These parts can be used to reduce the cost of upgrading objects in your yard. Most furniture can be made unbreakable or self-cleaning. You can add an automatic soap dispenser to your faucet, or improve the quality of the food in your fridge.
With a skill level of 9 you can upgrade a computer to add RAM or improve its security system to speed up hacking. At this level you can also add TV and radio channels or the virtual gaming machine to enhance your skill.
Each skill level unlocks new upgrades and a few additional woodworking creations.
| Level | Unlocked interactions | Unlocked sculptures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Recovery of parts from waste, repair of objects | Knife block, Horse sculpture |
| 2 | Basic plumbing upgrades (automatic cleaning, soap dispenser, water jets), Talk about DIY, Buy upgrade components | Bar stool |
| 3 | Possibility of finding improvement parts | Elephant sculpture, Rabbit sculpture, Dragon sculpture |
| 4 | Advanced plumbing improvements | Pedestal table |
| 5 | Decreased risk of electrocution, Basic kitchen improvements (automatic cleaning, quality improvement, fridge freshness), Bragging about your skills | Large bear sculpture, Large lumberjack sculpture |
| 6 | Possibility to find rare upgrade parts | |
| 7 | Faster plumbing improvements, Advanced kitchen improvements (brewing, quality improvement on microwaves) | |
| 8 | Basic improvements on electronic objects (hi-fi systems, televisions, etc...) | Violin |
| 9 | Advanced improvements on electronic objects (faster hacking, less breakage, better graphics card, additional radios) | |
| 10 | Recovered parts are always of rare quality, Faster kitchen improvements, Possibility to teach DIY | Toilets |
Finally, the little bonus, know that having unlocked the level 10 of the DIY skill, you will unlock the entrance to the Forgotten Cave.
