Which is the best house to own in Skyrim? Answered

Like many other RPG games, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim presents the player with plenty of choices during its long playthrough. You will be asked to choose during various scenarios: from world-shattering events and local factions to more menial things such as where to sleep and who your companions will be. And that’s not even getting into character-building choices that you’ll have to make. But at a certain point, you will want to settle down. To put down your roots and take a piece of Skyrim for your own. You will have to pick a house (or several). But what will be your best pick? Which house is the best choice to make your primary abode?

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Best house in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Skyrim offers several enticing options to settle down in. There are a couple that you will get provided for free or for a nominal payment. Then there are the extravagant ones that will cost you an arm and a leg. However, sometimes you have to invest to get the best out of anything.

Our proposal is somewhere in the middle of the road, but we suggest that your best choice in Skyrim would be to pick Lakeview Manor. As the name suggests, this house provides a glorious view of the nearby lake. It is located near Falkreath, more precisely southwest of the Riverwood village. There is just one caveat to this choice — Lakeview Manor requires the Hearthfire DLC.

It is technically considered a ‘homestead,’ which in game terms means that you are buying a charter from a Jarl, who then allows you to build on the land. That’s right, that means that you will have to build up Lakeview Manor from scratch. And that’s what makes it the best, along with the amazing location. It will take some investment, but the payoff of getting a house that is just the way you want it is more than worth it.

When your Dragonborn arrives at Lakeview charter lands, you will find that all there is to it is a drafting table, a carpenter’s workbench, an anvil, and some materials. You will have to take all that and hire help to construct the Skyrim house of your dreams.

While you can move more people into the home once it’s finished, Lakeview Manor also comes with a few staff members. There’s the bard who will move in shortly, called Llewellyn the Nightingale. Then there’s Gunjar, the carriage driver. And last but not least, there’s Rayya, who’s a Redguard housecarl, there to protect the place.

Other house to consider Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

There are other houses that could’ve easily been considered the best pick. What they have against them — by admittedly a small margin — is that some require a DLC, some aren’t that impressive, some are super expensive, or their locations aren’t as optimal. But it still bears mentioning a few of them:

• Severin Manor: Morrowind aesthetic, and it’s free! A bit small though.
• Hjerim: found in Windhelm, it’s arguably the biggest house you can get.
• Proudspire Manor: this Solitude villa is the most expensive piece of real estate in Skyrim.
• Honeyside: homey and best pick for crafters, found in Riften.
• Windstad Manor: if you’re looking for another homestead with more of a tundra aesthetic.