Welcome to our twenty-second official The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit! If you missed all the info on The Sims 4 Story Starter Kits, you can read more about what they are and how they work in our introductory article!

Is it possible to take Christmas too far?

For this month’s The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit, we’re bringing you TWO households living on one Residential Rental. Two married couples are getting ready for Christmas but while some of them see the season as a chance to get closer to their neighbours, others see it as a competition!

The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit: Festive Feud

They say people from all different walks of life can meet in the most unexpected of ways at the most unexpected times and nothing proves that more than living in a unit in close proximity to strangers. Sometimes, those strangers become lifelong friends. Other times, they wish they’d never crossed paths. And on rare occasions, they can be both. Which is exactly what happened for the Brights and the Harks.

Ethan and Joey had been happily married for several years. They settled in their first home; a cozy little duplex on Merry Lane that they rented for a reasonable rate, where they planned to focus on their careers and save up money to buy their own home. Over the years, they saw a few tenants come and go in the unit attached to theirs, never exchanging more than a friendly hello when taking out the trash.

Until the Brights moved in, that is. While the Harks were on their way up in life, the Brights had recently been dealt a bad hand. Bryon was laid off from his good-paying Business job, forcing him and his wife, Joyce, to downsize. They rented out a small duplex right next to the Harks. The layoff couldn’t have come at a worse time for them; they were expecting their first child, a baby girl, very soon.

Joyce managed to stay in good spirits throughout the situation. Her job was flexible and paid enough to keep them afloat as long as they needed, their new home was in a nice area of town, and the new neighbours were even nicer. Especially Ethan, whom Joyce hit it off with right away. They became instant best friends and had each other over for coffee almost every day, bonding over their shared love of literature. Besides, Bryon hated that Business job. This could be a blessing in disguise for him. Now he had the chance to find what he really loved.

Well, with Christmas approaching as well as Joyce’s due date, Bryon decided he was going to do everything he could to make his daughter’s first Christmas the most magical Christmas ever when she arrived. Bryon had always loved building things with his hands and his new part-time Handyman gig allowed him to indulge in that interest even more. He went absolutely crazy decorating their half of the duplex with his skills. Nothing was left untouched, not even his company’s pickup truck. And the roof? Yeah, he managed to get a massive Christmas tree up there. Nobody knows how.

Bryon’s uh… loud taste in Christmas décor wasn’t really Ethan’s thing but he watched his neighbour’s antics with lighthearted amusement, joking with Joyce about it during their coffee visits. But Joey? Oh no. Joey found the neighbour’s gaudy taste downright offensive. Christmas was NOT supposed to look like every elf in the North Pole threw up on your house! Christmas was supposed to be elegant! Tastefully understated! He took great care every year matching the perfect shades of beige and cream together to create a minimalistic, sophisticated display on his house! And this funhouse monstrosity next door was ruining his perfect aesthetic!

As soon as Bryon got wind of Joey’s disdain for his Christmas décor, it was all-out war between the two of them. Every time Joey complained about a new decoration Bryon put up, Bryon would put up even more decorations. Things got really ugly when Bryon put huge snowflake sculptures on the hedge that divided their driveways. It resulted in a screaming match across the hedge over the legal technicalities of whether the hedge was on Joey’s property or Bryon’s. Joey even eventually went so far as to call the landlord to file a vandalism complaint over what Bryon did to the hedge. And then he started spying on his every move trying to catch him “vandalizing” their property again.

Both Ethan and Joyce are completely fed up with their husbands. The way Joyce sees it, this is no longer about trying to find a new passion or giving their daughter the best Christmas ever (which she won’t even remember because she might not even be born by Christmas for goodness’ sake!). It’s just about getting on Joey’s nerves. And as far as Ethan’s concerned, Joey’s acting like a control freak. Who cares if the neighbours have ugly decorations?! Christmas is a time for generosity and understanding, not petty competition!

Can Ethan and Joyce figure out a way to stop this ridiculous war between their husbands and have a merry Christmas, or will the feud between Bryon and Joey end up destroying the wonderful friendship between Ethan and Joyce?

The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit Household Info:

Joyce Bright

Age: Young Adult
Pronouns: She/Her
Romantic Interests: Men
WooHoo Interests: Men
Romantic Exploration?: No
Traits: Generous, Bookworm, Cheerful, Gregarious (Bonus)
Aspiration: Discerning Dweller
Likes: Gardening, Hip Hop Music, Writing, Pink
Dislikes: Winter Holiday Music, Mischief, Grey
Skills: Writing 5, Charisma 4, Gardening 3, Flower Arranging 2
Career: Freelance Writer
Relationships:
- Bryon Bright: Husband
Packs Used: For Rent, Seasons, Holiday Celebration (Free DLC)

Bryon Bright

Age: Young Adult
Pronouns: He/Him
Romantic Interests: Women
WooHoo Interests: Women
Romantic Exploration?: No
Traits: Cringe, Family-Oriented, Loyal, Domestic (Bonus)
Aspiration: Big Happy Family
Likes: Winter Holiday Music, Handiness, Green, Red, Comedy
Dislikes: Brown, Classical Music, Programming
Skills: Handiness 5, Comedy 4, Cooking 3, Charisma 2
Career: Handyman (Level 1, Part-Time, Morning Shift)
Relationships:
- Joyce Bright: Wife
Packs Used: For Rent, Seasons, Holiday Celebration (Free DLC)

Ethan Hark

Age: Young Adult
Pronouns: He/Him
Romantic Interests: Men
WooHoo Interests: Men
Romantic Exploration?: No
Traits: Creative, Bookworm, Geek, Gregarious (Bonus)
Aspiration: Neighbourhood Confidante
Likes: Video Gaming, Brown, Green, Writing, Painting
Dislikes: Handiness, Gardening, Orange
Skills: Writing 5, Charisma 4, Painting 3, Video Gaming 2
Career: Writer (Journalist, 6)
Relationships:
- Joey Hark: Husband
Packs Used: For Rent, Seasons, Holiday Celebration (Free DLC)

Joey Hark

Age: Young Adult
Pronouns: He/Him
Romantic Interests: Men
WooHoo Interests: Men
Romantic Exploration?: No
Traits: Nosy, Snob, Ambitious, Dastardly (Bonus)
Aspiration: Seeker of Secrets
Likes: Grey, Winter Holiday Music, White, Brown, Programming
Dislikes: Handiness, Red, Green, Pop Music, Comedy
Skills: Programming 5, Photography 3, Charisma 2
Career: Tech Guru (Start-Up Entrepreneur, 7)
Relationships:
- Ethan Hark: Husband
Packs Used: For Rent, Seasons, Holiday Celebration (Free DLC)

Household Notes:

These Sims 4 Story Starter Kit household should be able to purchase their units fully furnished with their default starting funds. Make sure you import the family into CAS, then move them in. If you move them into their unit straight from the Gallery, they will not have the funds I set for them.
The Hark household is intended to live in the 1-12 Merry Lane unit.
The Bright Household is intended to live in the 2-12 Merry Lane unit.

The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit: 12 Merry Lane Duplex

This charming suburban duplex boasts privacy and community all on one lot. Live close to the neighbours while still having your own space, with private front and back entrances, separate garages, and two spacious backyards with a tall fence in between. It’s the perfect living arrangement. Close enough to see your neighbours when you want to. A fence tall enough to avoid them when you don’t.

The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit Lot Info:

Lot Type: Residential Rental
Rent Per Day: §305
Number of Units: 2
Unit Ratings: 4 Stars
Tenant Rules: None
Size: 20×15
Beds: 3
Baths: 2
Lot Traits: None
Lot Challenges: None
Packs Used: For Rent, Seasons, Holiday Celebration (Free DLC)

Your The Sims 4 Story Starter Kit is waiting for you! Get The Household and The Lot by downloading them from the official Gallery Website linked on the buttons below. Or, follow SnarkyWitch in the Gallery and look for Festive Feud – Bright, Festive Feud – Hark, and 12 Merry Lane Duplex! You can also find all our The Sims 4 Story Starter Kits by searching the hashtag #StoryStarterKit in the Gallery!

12 Merry Lane Duplex

Hark Household (1-12 Merry Lane)

Bright Household (2-12 Merry Lane)

Credits: