Skyrim: Which Hearthfire Home Is The Best? (2024)

There are a total of three unique houses for you to buy and build in your vision within the Hearthfire DLC in Skyrim. Each of these houses has its own unique features and sits in its own distinct little biome. It can be difficult to pick which one you should buy first. All of these houses are prime spots for taking off your gorgeous armor and settling down.

The following information is a 'buyer's guide' to each house that explains both the terrain surrounding each homestead and any unique features that they may have. The Hearthfire houses are great, especially considering that each Hearthfire home has a unique feature you can build to obtain a specific type of material or special item.

Updated May 26, 2024 by Quinton O'Connor: In the spirit of our effort to provide as much information on Hearthfire's three homes as possible, we have added some notes on the particulars of the gameplay possibilities that'll open up once you've set down roots with one.

3 Heljarchen Hall - It's Close To Whiterun

Heljarchen Hall is extremely close to Whiterun, being just a few minutes walk or horse ride from this massive and popular city. You may enjoy playing without fast travel, and having Whiterun so close to your house is a very beneficial trait. The terrain around Heljarchen Hall is a combination of both the Whiterun hold and the Pale, making for a snowy grassland exterior.

The fact that this house is so close to one of the biggest cities in the game and that the terrain surrounding it is so distinct and diverse makes for one of the best reasons to choose this as your home. This land is one of the best places to hang your sword.

Since it's so close to Whiterun, it's also a bit easier to build than the others. No long loading screens are necessary when you run into town for supplies like glass or hay - you can just head over to Whiterun and talk to the local blacksmith or general store owner; this is a much better alternative to fast-traveling far across the map.

How To Buy Heljarchen Hall

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Similar to other player homes in Skyrim, you need to complete a few tasks before you have the option to buy Heljarchen Hall. You also need to collect a pile of gold to purchase the plot of land, so there are two requirements in total you need to fulfill before you can start building at this location.

To buy Heljarchen Hall, you need to finish the "Kill The Giant" and "Waking Giant" quests before you can speak to Skald the Elder or Brina Merilis in Dawnstar to buy the home for 5,000 gold, depending on whether the Imperials or Stormcloaks are in charge of The Pale.

Unique House Feature - You Can Build A Grain Mill For Converting Wheat Into Flour

Heljarchen Hall has a Grain Mill that can convert wheat into flour, which is especially useful if you would like to cook all the new recipes that Hearthfire adds to the game.

Flour is essential for many different recipes in Skyrim, and you can gain a lot of it by using your own Grain Mill. This feature is entirely unique to Heljarchen Hall, and as such, you will enjoy using it quite a bit if you have training in the culinary arts.

It would also be useful for survival, so you can keep your inventory stocked with food and your hunger satiated. If you choose to live here, consider building a Kitchen to pair with your Mill.

2 Lakeview Manor - It Has The Most Beautiful Scenery

Lakeview Manor has stunning forests surrounding the homestead that you obtain with this plot of land. You can see beautiful sites such as the massive lake and even the Bleak Falls Barrow dungeon from the comfort of your own house. Lakeview Manor is within Falkreath hold, and as such, this house is near a large forest and other foliage.

You can hunt in this area because wildlife is abundant within the dense, mysterious forestry of Falkreath hold. Falkreath's beautiful atmosphere is on full display here, so if you're putting up roots with an eye for prettiness, Lakeview's hard to top.

Building is also made easy by this abundant forest life. There are two clay, two iron ore, two corundum ore, and two silver ore veins within close walking distance of the main house. If you are looking for animal skins to build up your trophy room, then hunt in the nearby wilderness for bears, wolves, and more.

How To Buy Lakeview Manor

You can purchase Lakeview Manor once you become the Thane of Falkreath. Becoming the Thane isn't too difficult, as all it requires is for you to complete side quests for citizens in the area. One of the most important quests you have to complete to become Thane involves defeating a Bandit Leader, as well as helping three citizens.

Once you become the Thane of Falkreath, you can purchase the plot of land and start building Lakeview Manor for 5,000 gold. You can speak with Tekla or Nenya to purchase the land.

Unique House Feature - You Can Build An Apiary For Harvesting Honey

An Apiary is a bee farm, and you can get an unlimited supply of honeycomb by building one of these at Lakeview Manor and stopping by to check the apiary every few in-game days.

You can build this beehive outside the house, and this is the only location where you can use your own apiary because no other house in Skyrim features this mechanic.

Honeycomb is very important for crafting several different potions, mostly relating to light armor, block, and stamina. As such, crafters of Skyrim are quite happy with the apiary at Lakeview Manor.

This is one of the best exclusive housing features in the game, and it's easy to see why with all the uses that honeycomb has in Skyrim.

1 Windstad Manor - It's Spooky And Dangerous

The atmosphere of the other two Hearthfire houses is beautiful, and the scenery is superb; however, Windstad Manor takes a different approach and adds a spooky theme to the house's location.

You will find that the swampy terrain next to Morthal is quite creepy, and even your NPC spouse will make a comment about it occasionally while living there. Although this uneasy atmosphere isn't for everyone, some mages will prefer the seclusion and tranquility of Windstad Manor to the other areas that have higher populations.

If you want to live out your dream of having a secret house in the middle of a swamp, Windstad Manor has you covered. While this environment might not seem abundant with the resources needed to build your own house, it's not without its advantages. Though you won't encounter as many material veins nearby, there is a Stormcloak Camp to the southeast, so close that you can walk there and back.

How To Buy Windstad Manor

Windstad Manor is the perfect home for a mage or vampire if you want to really play into the role, since it's in a secluded, swampy area, so you may want to purchase this house after creating a new character but not know which quests you need to complete before you can buy it.

You can buy Windstad Manor after you complete the "Laid To Rest" quest in Morthal. After you finish this mission, speak with either Pactur or Aslfur to buy Windstad Manor.

This plot of land costs 5,000 gold, which isn't nearly as much money as many of the larger player homes you can unlock outside the Hearthfire DLC.

Unique House Feature - You Can Build A Fish Hatchery To Farm Your Own Fish

The Fish Hatchery is the unique feature of Windstad Manor, and it allows you to hatch your own fish within the pond next to the house.

The reason that this is so useful is that fish can be used as alchemy ingredients to create a host of different potions that are vital to your survival on the higher difficulties of Skyrim.

You can place either a fish or fish eggs inside the fish hatchery and then come back a few in-game days later to find that the fish has multiplied, and you now have more ingredients that you can pick up.

This is an extremely useful feature, especially if you are visiting Windstad Manor regularly. Some fish are very rare and hard to find in the wild, which makes the Fish Hatchery even better.