Skyrim: The Best Houses With Hands-on Experience [Top 18]

In the cold, harsh province of Skyrim, it is difficult for you, as an adventurer who has yet to take an arrow to the knee, to get your hands on a beautiful, cozy cottage to stay in. However, you need a place to store your items and a place to call home. For that, you should know your options and what are some of the Best Houses In Skyrim. Also, keeping in mind that you need a place to store your items, it is a good call to find a place with a storage chest that does not respawn new items.

Here are the details about the best houses: 

18) Apprentice Mage Quarters (Hall Of Attainment)

First up, we have the Apprentice Mage Quarters, which are located inside the College Of Winterhold. The infamous college is where a person goes to learn about magic and hone his magic arts. Furthermore, the college has a questline attached to it, and due to this, the college is also referred to as the Mage Guild.

17) Anise’s Cabin

Next up is Anise’s Cabin, which is a small shack next to Riverwood. It is a good little place with an underground cellar that can be accessed from a trap door next to the bed. It also has a storage chest from where your items will not despawn. However, you should know that the seemingly innocent woman, Anise, is not so innocent. At first, you will have to lockpick the trap door, and when you enter the cellar, you will find a letter.

Furthermore, this letter will link Anise with witchcraft, and when you exit, she will attack you with magic. Once she has been dealt with, the place is yours. It also has an enchanting table and an alchemy station. It is a perfect starting base as you can access it at the start of the game.

16) Hod And Gerdur’s House

Now, we have a house also located in Riverwood, and it can only be obtained if you follow Ralof out of Helgen. Once you meet up with Hod or Gerdur, they will give you a key to their house where you can rest. The place has a bed and a cooking pot for your convenience. And the best part is that it is the first house you will gain and is free of cost.

15) Alvor And Sigrid’s House

Next on our list is Alvor and Sigird’s house, which is very similar to Hod and Gerdur’s house, but to acquire this one you will have to follow Hadvar out of Helgen in the start. This house also is in Riverwood and has a bed with a cooking pot. However, the plus point for us was that it is close to the entrance of Riverwood and the main shops. And Alvor himself is a blacksmith, so it is easier to sell off my good to Alvor and Lucan.

14) The White Phial

Now, the next house that we will be talking about is a bit different place than usual, and the method of acquiring it is also somewhat different. The White Phial is an alchemy shop in Windhelm, and there is a quest associated with it, also called “The White Phial.” Once you complete the quest, the old owner of the shop will pass away, and his assistant Quintus Navale will take over. 

And what you can do from there is grab hold of an Amulet Of Mara. Use the amulet to marry Quintus, and now you will have access to the Windhelm Alchemy Shop. Also, with it comes all the rare alchemy ingredients, so it is a great place to settle.

13) Delphine’s Secret Room

Moving forward, we have Delphine’s Secret Room which we personally used a lot in our playthrough. It is located in Riverwood inside the Sleeping Giant Inn. Where Delphine disguises herself as a maid; further, at the start of the game, after completing a few quests, you will find out about Delphine’s true identity, and she will lead you to a secret room behind a wardrobe door and a fake back panel.

Once she leads you in there, you will have access to the room forever. Next, you will find that there are a bunch of resources in there, with an alchemy table and an enchanting table. Furthermore, there will also be two chests that you could make use of. And there will also be a few steel arrows, some swords, books, and a replenishable amount of alchemy.

12) Hjerim (Winterhold)

In Skyrim, each of the big cities holds has its own house, which you can purchase from the Jarl’s steward given that you become a thane of that specific city. And Hjerim is the house that you can gain once you are on good terms with the Jarl. 

Also, the house costs 12000, and an additional 9000 is needed to max it out with all the upgrades. And you can get this house before the Blood On The Ice quest. However, to upgrade it and have the cleaning package, you will have to complete the quest. After which you will also have access to the secret room there. 

11) Vlinderl Hall (Markarth)

Next, we have another city house which is in Markarth this time and is called the Vlinderl Hall. It is a beautiful piece of Dwemer Architect and is the highest place in the whole of Markarth which means that you will gain a good view of the city. And to get your hands on this beautiful house, you will have to be on good terms with the current jarl or the new jarl, which you will place by progressing through the Civil War quest.

It is a great place to settle and is not that hard to gain access to. However, it does cost 8000 to purchase the property. And you will need an additional 4200 to upgrade it to the max.

10) Honeyside (Riften)

Proceeding onwards, we have another old house, which is the Honeyside. It is the house in Riften that you can gain if you are on good terms with the jarl. It all depends on whether you have completed the Civil War quest line or not, as the Jarl will change accordingly. 

And the property costs 8000 to purchase with an additional 4300 in upgrades which will give you some essential things like an Arcane Enchanter and Alchmey station.

9) Breezehome (Whiterun)

The beautiful city of Whiterun offers you a little abode in its heart which is called the Breezehome. It is the first purchasable property that will be available to you. All you have to do is complete the first few quests of the game until you acquire the Dragonstone during the Bleak Falls borrow quest.

After which, you will be allowed to buy the house from the Jarl’s steward for 5000. One of the cheapest houses in Skyrim, and its upgrades only cost 1800. Furthermore, it is located right at the gate of Whiterun, which means you will have access to all the region’s traders. Furthermore, it is located in the most peaceful and beautiful city in our opinion.

8) Windstad Manor (Hearthfire DLC)

Let us now venture into the Hearthfire DLC, which includes customizable lands in Skyrim upon which you can build your dream house according to your liking. The land is purchasable from the steward of the Jarl of Hjaalmarch or Solitude. The plot of land is located right across swap, which is right next to Solitude. It is on the delta of River Karth and  River Hjaal. 

7) Heljarchen Hall (Hearthfire DLC)

Up next, we have another Hearthfire DLC house. However, this time it is located in the Pale on a slope of a hill that is in the snow region, which makes it a beautiful place to settle as you have an amazing view. Furthermore, you have to acquire the piece of land from the steward of the Jarl of Dawnstar, who will sell it to you for 5000.

6) Castle Volkihar (Dawnguard DLC)

Castle Volkihar is a part of the Dawnguard DLC, and to obtain it, you will have to side with the vampires during the Dawnguard questline. Once you kill Harkon during the questline, you will gain access to the Castle and will be seen as its new owner. At this point, you can use it as your base of operations. It is the perfect base for a vampire lord as it features every little thing that a vampire could need for his pleasure. 

Lastly, it is totally free to obtain, and it is associated with a huge and very intriguing questline. And the only downside to it is that it is located in the far northwest corner of the map of Skyrim.

5) Severin Manor (Dragonborn DLC)

Severin Manor is the only proper house available in the Dragonborn DLC and is also the only house located in Solstheim. It is to the right of the port in Raven Rock along the road next to the forge. It is a magnificent manor designed in the traditional Redoran style.

Overall a solid place to have and, personally, one of our favorites. The only downside is that it is in Solstheim, which makes it a big nuisance to travel every time to Solstheim just to store your items. Otherwise, it is a great place to stay at.

4) Proudspire Manor (Solitude)

It is located in the capital of Skyrim, Solitude, next to the Bard’s College on the street to the Blue Palace. It is the most expensive house available in Skyrim. To purchase this property, you will need an astounding 25000 just to have the house. Next, you will have to drop another 14000 to upgrade it all the way fully. However, 3000 can be saved if you do not have the Hearthfire DLC, as you will not be able to add the children’s room.

3) Dawnstar Sanctuary

Moving onwards, we have the Dawnstar Sanctuary, which is the home to the Dark Brotherhood, assassins of Skyrim. An absolute masterpiece of a residence that any single person would love to have, as it is pretty well hidden with a very creepy door. And a whole bunch of rooms that are specifically designated for each type of activity.

2) Arch Mage’s Quarters

Now the second-best house on our list is the Arch Mage’s quarters which is the best possible location for a mage as it has a lot of alchemy ingredients that are planted in the center of the room. It also has a bunch of soul gems and an alchemy station, and an enchanting table.

1) Lake View Manor (Hearthfire DLC)

Now, the best house to have in Skyrim, according to us, is the Lake View Manor, which is yet another Hearthfire DLC. The house is between Falkreath and Riverwood, between a dense forest. And also overlooking Lake Ilinalta. It is the most beautiful house in Skyrim location-wise. Also, the children that you house there will respond by saying, “I like it here; the lake is so pretty.” Yet again, cementing it as the perfect house.

If you want to buy the land of the Lake View Manor, you will have to gain the trust of the Jarl Of Falkreath and ask his steward to sell the land for 5,000. Which will only give you the land, and later, you will have to work on the site to make it into a house according to your liking.

And with this, we bring our Best Houses list to an end. Where we listed the Top 18 houses in Skyrim, the list was totally based on our opinion, and if you have a different house in mind that could make it in the list or even top the other houses in the list, then please do let us know through the comment section down below.

Up Next

• Best Skyrim VR Mods
• Skyrim: How To Get Nightingale Armor
• Skyrim: How To Get Serana As A Follower
• Skyrim Wives & How To Marry Them