A home gives you safe storage, crafting stations, a bed for the Well Rested bonus, and (with Hearthfire) a family. There are 5 city houses to buy and 3 homesteads to build.
🏙️ City Houses
You usually must become Thane of a hold (help its Jarl and the locals) before you can buy the house from the steward.
| House | City | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breezehome | Whiterun | ~5,000 | Cheapest; available early after Dragon Rising |
| Honeyside | Riften | ~8,000 | Has a back porch and garden on the lake |
| Vlindrel Hall | Markarth | ~8,000 | Carved into the Dwemer stone city |
| Hjerim | Windhelm | ~12,000 | Requires the "Blood on the Ice" quest first |
| Proudspire Manor | Solitude | ~25,000 | The grandest; the capital's finest home |
🏡 Hearthfire Homesteads
The Hearthfire DLC lets you build your own house from scratch. Buy the plot (~5,000 gold) from the local Jarl's steward, then use the drafting table and carpenter's workbench.
| Homestead | Hold | How to unlock the land |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeview Manor | Falkreath | Do a favour for the Jarl of Falkreath |
| Windstad Manor | Hjaalmarch (Morthal) | Do a favour for the Jarl of Morthal |
| Heljarchen Hall | The Pale (Dawnstar) | Do a favour for the Jarl of Dawnstar |
Building Materials
- Sawn Logs — buy from any lumber mill (or chop wood and use the mill).
- Stone & Clay — mine on your own property (free, unlimited nodes on-site).
- Iron Fittings, Nails, Hinges, Locks — craft at your workbench from iron ingots.
- Straw, Glass, Goat Horns — for furnishings; buy from general goods traders.
Wings & Family
Start with the Small House, then replace the entrance with a Main Hall and add up to three wings: an Enchanter's Tower, Alchemy Laboratory, Greenhouse, Armory, Kitchen, Storage Room or Bedrooms. Outside you can build a garden, apiary, fish hatchery, grain mill and stable. Add a child's bedroom and you can adopt up to two children from Honorhall Orphanage or the streets of Skyrim.
Hire a steward (a follower or hireling) to auto-supply building materials, buy animals and guard the homestead. Marry someone via the Amulet of Mara and they can live there too.
💬 Community Strategies & Discussion
Did you find a hidden chest? Struggling with a boss? Share your tips and questions with other mercenaries below!