It’s annoying. You’re playing The Sims 4, you’ve got this perfect vision for a rugged werewolf pack living in the woods of Granite Falls, and then you realize—wait, I can’t actually live here. For years, Maxis has kept a strict border between where your Sims can sleep and where they can vacation. Destination worlds like Granite Falls, Selvadorada, and even the newer Batuu (if that’s your thing) are strictly off-limits for permanent residency. It honestly feels like an arbitrary restriction. Why can’t my Sim just own a cabin in the woods without paying a daily rental fee?
This is exactly why the all worlds are residential Sims 4 mod movement started.
🔗 Read more: Surging Sparks Booster Bundle: The Truth About Those Pull Rates
Players got tired of the "Vacation Only" tag. They wanted to live in the jungle. They wanted to raise a family in the pine forests of Outdoor Retreat. While the developers have slowly loosened the reigns over the years—remember when we couldn't even build on certain lots?—the community had to take matters into their own hands to truly open the map.
The Problem with Static Destination Worlds
The game engine handles "Destination" worlds differently than "Residential" ones. In a standard world like Willow Creek, time passes normally, neighbors walk by, and you have a mailbox. In a destination world, the game expects you to be a visitor. You’re essentially "checked in" to a lot.
If you've ever tried to stay in Selvadorada for more than a few days, you know the struggle. You have to keep renewing the rental. You can’t easily go to work or school without the game getting a bit wonky. It's a system designed for a 2014 era of gaming where stability was prioritized over total freedom. But it's 2026 now, and players want every inch of the map available.
How the All Worlds Are Residential Sims 4 Mod Fixes It
The most famous solution for this is the "All Worlds are Residential" mod by Zerbu. Zerbu is basically a legend in the Sims modding community, known for deep-level script changes that Maxis usually avoids.
This mod does exactly what the name suggests. It flips a switch in the game's code that tells the UI, "Hey, these worlds aren't special." Once installed, Granite Falls and Selvadorada show up in the world select screen just like Oasis Springs or San Sequoia. You can move a family in. You can buy a house. You can finally have a mailbox in the jungle.
It’s not just about moving in, though.
When you use the all worlds are residential Sims 4 tweak, you change the ecosystem of the world. Suddenly, you see townies walking around who actually live there. You don’t have to deal with the "Vacation" UI overlay that constantly reminds you how much money you’re burning per day. It makes the game feel like a true open world, or at least as close to one as the Sims 4 engine will allow.
The Risks: What Most People Get Wrong
People think installing a mod like this is a one-click fix with zero consequences. Honestly? That's not how script mods work. Because this mod touches the world-sorting layer of the game, it can be fragile.
- The Batuu Problem: Dealing with Star Wars: Journey to Batuu is a nightmare for modders. Because that world has such specific "mission" scripting, forcing it to be residential can sometimes break the NPC spawning. If you live in Batuu, don't expect the local mailman to show up without a glitch.
- Game Updates: Every time Maxis releases a patch, script mods break. If you have Sims living in Granite Falls and a patch breaks the mod, your save file might get confused about where those Sims actually "exist."
- Lot Types: Even if the world is residential, you still have to manually change the lot type to "Residential" in Build Mode. If you forget this, you're just a squatter on a rental lot.
Is It Better Than the Official Solution?
Technically, Maxis gave us a "workaround" a while back. They allowed us to change the lot types of some lots in destination worlds to "Rental," and you can technically "vacation" forever if you have enough Simoleons. But that sucks. It’s not the same as owning the property. You can’t receive mail properly. You can’t easily join certain career tracks that require home-base interactions.
💡 You might also like: The Tic Tac Toe Game: Why We Can't Stop Playing a Game We Can't Win
The all worlds are residential Sims 4 mod approach is superior because it treats the Sim as a resident, not a tourist. You get the "Home" sentiment. You get the stability of a permanent address.
Real-World Examples of Why You’d Want This
Imagine you're playing a "Rags to Riches" challenge. You want your Sim to start with nothing in the middle of the jungle. Without this mod, you're forced to pay rental fees, which defeats the purpose of being "broke." With the mod, you can buy a $0 plot of land in Selvadorada and actually struggle to survive against the elements.
Or maybe you’re a builder. Some of the most beautiful lighting in the game is tucked away in the destination worlds. The golden hour in Granite Falls is unmatched. If you want to build a sprawling estate there and actually play in it, the residential mod is your only real path.
Expert Tips for Using the Mod Safely
If you’re going to dive into the world of residential expansion, you need to be smart about it. Don't just dump files into your folder and hope for the best.
First, back up your saves. I cannot stress this enough. If the mod corrupts the world data, you want a version of your family that is still safely tucked away in Willow Creek.
💡 You might also like: Harry Potter video games: Why we're finally getting the magic right
Second, check the Venue Changes requirements. Often, Zerbu’s mod requires another small file called "Venue Changes" to allow the UI to show the "Residential" option in worlds where it’s usually hidden. If you don't see the option to change the lot type, you're likely missing this specific component.
Third, watch out for the "World Select" screen. Sometimes, adding too many residential worlds can make the map icons overlap or look crowded on smaller monitors. It's a visual bug, but it can be annoying.
The Future of World Management in The Sims
There are rumors that The Sims 5 (or Project Rene) will move away from these hard boundaries entirely. But we're still here playing The Sims 4, and we likely will be for a few more years. The fact that we still need a all worlds are residential Sims 4 mod in 2026 shows that there's a disconnect between how Maxis thinks we play and how we actually play.
We don't want "zones." We want a world.
Until the developers officially remove the "Vacation Only" tag from the remaining restricted worlds, the modding community is the only thing keeping the gameplay fresh for veteran players who have already explored every inch of the base game maps.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Game
If you're ready to make the jump and turn your vacation spots into hometowns, follow these specific steps to ensure your game doesn't explode:
- Check Version Compatibility: Go to Zerbu’s official Tumblr or website. Do not download the mod from a third-party "re-upload" site, as those are often years out of date. Ensure it matches your current game version (e.g., 1.103 or higher).
- Clear Your Cache: Before installing, delete your
localthumbcache.packagefile in your Documents/Electronic Arts/The Sims 4 folder. This forces the game to recognize the new world parameters. - Test with a New Save: Don't use your 10-generation legacy family for the first run. Create a "Test Sim," move them into Granite Falls, and see if they can go to work and receive mail. If the mailbox works, you're golden.
- Update Your Mailboxes: Destination lots often don't have mailboxes by default. Once you change a lot to "Residential," you must go into Build Mode and manually place a mailbox, or your Sim will never get their bills (which sounds great until the power gets cut off).
- Monitor NPC Behavior: Keep an eye on the locals. If you notice that no one is walking past your house for three days, you might need to "Reset" the zone using a tool like MCCC (MC Command Center) to jumpstart the NPC spawning engine in that specific world.
The freedom to live anywhere makes the game feel significantly larger. It turns those niche expansion packs you bought years ago into vital parts of your daily gameplay loop again.