How do you add a Sim to a household in The Sims 4?
How to add a Sim to a household in The Sims 4
Make friends with the Sim, then choose Friendly > Ask to Move In. Or open Manage Households, select the household and use Transfer Sims Between Households. To make a new Sim, edit the household with the pencil icon and add one in Create a Sim. A household can have up to 8 members, pets included.
Pack: Base game.
Steps
- Ask to move in: build a strong friendship with the Sim. Click them and choose Friendly > Ask to Move In.
- Transfer: open Manage Worlds, then Manage Households. Select one of the two households.
- Click the icon with two arrows, Transfer Sims Between Households. Pick the other household.
- Move the Sim from one side to the other, then confirm.
- New Sim: in Manage Households, select the household and click the pencil icon. In Create a Sim, add a new Sim next to the others and confirm.
Controls
| Action | PC | Mac | PlayStation | Xbox |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open the cheat console | Ctrl + Shift + C | Cmd + Shift + C | L1 + L2 + R1 + R2 | LB + LT + RB + RT |
Household limit
A household can have 8 members. Pets and horses count toward the 8. Move a Sim out first if the household is full.
Add to Family cheat
Open the cheat console and type testingcheats true. Shift-click the Sim you want and choose Add to Family. The command behind it is sims.add_to_family.
Common problems
Ask to Move In does not show
The friendship is not high enough yet. Build it past the halfway mark. Some guides call the option Ask to Join Household.
The game says the household is too big
The limit is 8 Sims and pets. Move someone out in Manage Households first.
The Sim has children who must come along
Children cannot stay alone. Move them in too, or leave an adult in their old household.
Add to Family is not in the Shift-click menu
Type testingcheats true first. On console, some cheats turn off trophies and achievements for that save.
Cheats on this page
Open the cheat box with Ctrl + Shift + C on PC, Cmd + Shift + C on Mac, or all four shoulder buttons on PlayStation and Xbox. See every Sims 4 cheat.
testingcheats trueTurns on the game's cheat mode, which the commands marked testingcheats need. testingcheats false turns it off. More on testingcheatssims.add_to_familyMoves a Sim into your household. Shift-click the Sim with testingcheats on to get the option, or pass the Sim.
In the Sims 4 database
More how-to guides
Play your Sims somewhere new
LifeSim is a free life sim in your browser, set in real cities. It can bring in a household from your Sims 4 Tray files or a save: import a Sims 4 household. It doesn't change your Sims 4 game.
Sources
- SnootySims: How to add Sims to a household
- GGRecon: How to add a Sim to a household
- Sims Community: Splitting and merging households
- Sims Community: Manage Worlds guide
- EA: The Sims 4 cheats
Checked on November 5, 2026.
Questions
How do you ask a Sim to move in Sims 4?
Make good friends with them. Click the Sim and choose Friendly > Ask to Move In.
How many Sims can be in a household?
Up to 8, counting pets and horses. Only mods go past this limit.
How do you edit a household in Sims 4?
Open Manage Households, select the household and click the pencil icon. This opens Create a Sim for that household.
Can you add a Sim from the Gallery to your household?
Yes. Open the Gallery, select the Sim and choose Place Household. The game asks if you want to merge them into your household.