The Beginner's Guide to Homesteading

It has been added to skyrim by The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire.

Known locations (Skyrim)

 * Found on the first Carpenter's Workbench encountered.

Content
If you're like most people, you've always dreamed of owning your own steading and building your own home. But where to start? Never fear, you hold in your hands the guide to everything you need to know. Before long, you'll be gazing complacently across your well-tended lands from the porch of your own manor house.

Getting Started

There are two vital pieces of equipment that the prospective homeowner needs: the Drafting Table and the Carpenter's Workbench.

Your Drafting Table is where you'll lay out the plans for each stage of your new house. Don't worry about making a mistake here - you can always change your mind, and making a new plan costs you nothing. Remember: measure twice and cut once.

Your Carpenter's Workbench is where you'll do the actual construction. Once you've settled on a plan at the Drafting Table, you can start building your house at the Carpenter's Workbench. Avoid the common beginner's mistake - don't try to build the roof without building the proper supports first!

Space for the Family

If you have a spouse or children, you'll certainly want to get the house in a livable state as soon as possible. Your loving spouse will no doubt make do with nothing more than a rood over her head and a bed to sleep in, but what about the children? Don't worry - all they need is a bed and a chest or dresser to store their treasures, and they will be perfectly content.

Building Materials

You will need a lot of supplies to complete your house, but it isn't necessary to gather everything you need ahead of time. Unless you're in a hurry, you can just build in stages as materials become available. You'll enjoy watching your home progress from dream to reality.

The most common materials you'll need are sawn logs, cut stone, and Clay. Luckily, these are plentiful in Skyrim - in fact, most building sites will have one or more easily accessible sources of clay and stone. For sawn lumber, any lumber mill owner will be glad to sell and deliver as much as you need.

You'll need a lot of nails - fortunately even a novice blacksmith will soon find themselves turning iron into nails with ease.

When you turn to furnishing your completed house, you'll need a much wider variety of materials. Some of them, such as straw and glass, are commonly obtained from general goods stores. For the rest - the whole of Skyrim will become your general store!

Hiring a steward

Once your estate is well-established, you may wish to consider hiring a steward to help manage your affairs. A good steward can be invaluable - from hiring a carriage driver to buying a cow to keeping you supplied with building materials - freeing you to enjoy the fruits of your labors.

Before hiring a steward, it's advisable to bring a potential candidate to your manor and observe whether they are a good fit for your requirements. Remember, you are putting your entire estate into their hands - you need someone you can trust implicitly.

Building Your House

The rest of this guide will review plans for each room that you might want to build.

Appearances

 * The Elder Scrolls V: Hearthfire