The Hearthfire add-on (built into Special and Anniversary Edition) lets you buy an empty plot of land and build your own home on it — complete with a garden, animal pens, an armory and even an adoption-ready children's bedroom. This guide walks through the whole process. To buy a ready-made city home instead, see the house-buying guide.
Step 1: buy a plot
Three buildable homesteads are available, each unlocked by helping its hold and buying the plot from the local steward for 5,000 gold:
- Lakeview Manor — Falkreath (steward of Falkreath).
- Windstad Manor — Hjaalmarch (steward in Morthal).
- Heljarchen Hall — The Pale (steward in Dawnstar).
Step 2: gather materials
At the plot you'll find a carpenter's workbench, a stone quarry, a clay deposit and a wood pile. The core materials are:
- Sawn logs — buy from any sawmill owner, then collect from the wood pile.
- Quarried stone — mine from the quarry at the plot.
- Clay — dig from clay deposits at the plot.
- Iron ingots, nails, hinges and locks — smelt iron ore into ingots and craft the fittings at a forge, or buy them from general goods and blacksmith merchants.
Step 3: build the house
- Use the carpenter's workbench to build the Small House first — this is the entryway every layout starts from.
- From the entryway you choose to either keep the small house or expand it into the full Main Hall, then add up to three wings (an enchanting tower, greenhouse, armory, kitchen, and more).
- Build interior furnishings at the same workbench, then place crafted pieces inside.
- Hire a steward (a follower you assign) to buy furnishings, livestock and even a carriage for the property.
Tip: a faster materials run
If you just want to finish building, you can spawn materials with the console — for example player.additem <ItemID> <amount>. Look up sawn log, nail and hinge codes on the item codes list. Console commands disable achievements for that save.
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to build a house in Skyrim?
The Hearthfire add-on (included in Special and Anniversary Edition). After buying a plot you need building materials: sawn logs (bought from a sawmill), quarried stone and clay (mined at the plot itself), plus iron ingots, nails, hinges and locks crafted from iron at a forge.
Where do I get quarried stone and clay?
Both are gathered at your homestead. Clay is dug from deposits on the ground around the plot, and quarried stone is mined from the stone quarry beside the house — use the quarry and the clay deposit directly, no pickaxe required.
Where do I buy sawn logs?
From the owner of any lumber mill — for example Hod in Riverwood or the mill at Half-Moon Mill. Buy logs in bulk, then take them from the wood pile beside your carpenter's workbench as you build.
How many houses can I build?
All three Hearthfire homesteads — Lakeview Manor, Windstad Manor and Heljarchen Hall — can be bought and built in the same playthrough, one in each of their holds.