I've downloaded so many houses and all the instructions say choose the lots and houses bin, I don't see that anywhere. I've googled stuff and its telling me the same thing. Can someone possibly screencap this so called button or give me exact, idiot proof directions?

I just read this: Basically, go to "edit town" mode and click the empty houses tab in the bottom right of your screen. The icon is the outline of a house (not the filled in house) Click on that and all your downloaded houses are there.
I don't see a button like that anywhere.

i install downloaded house like this...

1.place the house to MyDocument/Eletronic Arts/TS3/Downloads

2.Open TS3 Launcher

3.Find the "Download" tab

4.Check the house you downloaded and click "InstaLL"
(wait till it install finished)

5.your house should be installed

I know how to do that, I just can't place the lot anywhere in the neighborhood.

Hi There,
I hope this helps. The first pic is what I get when I click on Edit Town.







Click on the lot and select place copy, then drop the house onto an empty section.

Cheers (Sorry for the Large images)

I think the problem is that there are no lots like in Sims 2, Zaza. You'll have to place the houses (which you've obviously found) onto one of the existing lots already in the town. I know.. it sucks.

make sure that A) The empty lot where you try to place your house is the right size. B) The lot where you're trying to place it has the right zoning. If you try to place a comercial lot you first need to have an available empty lot that's zoned for comercial, you can click on an empty lot to change zoning.

thanks everyone
Nobody bothered to tell me that you have to demolish existing houses to place new premade houses. Or maybe it was common sense that I totally overlooked.
Stupid EA, but I guess there's a reason.

There should be empty lots in both neighbourhoods, no need to demolish lots unless you want to place several huge lots and there aren't any ample sized ones left.

thanks for the help; I too was going crazy trying to find out how to place lots!

Yep, first try to find empty lots that your new houses can fit and only demolish houses if you really have to or they have the view that you want for your house.

I hope EA release that neighbourhood editor thats been rumored. Not being able to place lots, or choose the size you want gets so fricken annoying. But hey, thats just me :D

I hope with the neighborhood editor that they allow you to create lots that have the beautiful vista moodlet because any house that has great views should have that moodlet.

There's plenty of unused lots, but regardless it wouldn't let me place anything unless I demolished a preexisting lot. I can build on those unused lots, but I can't place lots.

You can't place larger lots into smaller lots, only smaller into larger or exactly the same. So the lots you, personally, downloaded must be over 60x60, because there are at least 2 empty 60x60 residential lots available in Sunset Valley. Also, you can't put a community lot on a residential lot or vice versa unless you first click on that empty lot and choose to change the zoning from it's menu. Also, if you convert a community lot into a residential lot, you will have to bulldoze the lot after in order to place a house. That is the part that sucks for me, because once you bulldoze a place, any moodlets (like beautiful vista) will disappear and you can't get them back in that same game.

bluegenjutsu
No, none of the lots are too big for the lot and they aren't community lots. It just simply doesn't let me place them on lots that are unused. I have to demolish a prebuilt house on a lot to place one I downloaded.

I don't know why that would be different for you, then, unless you have installed some mod that is interfering with your lot placement. Try deleting your cache files to see if that helps. The cache files are located in your C:\Users\Donna\Documents\Electronic Arts\The Sims 3 folder and have the word Cache in them. It is safe to delete cache files because they get recreated when you start your game. I've done it several times already.