Skyrim Hearthfire guide: 7 essential tips and secrets

By Iain Wilson for CVG UK

HOW TO... FIND BUILDING MATERIALS

There are three main building materials used in house construction - clay, quarried stone and sawn logs. By scouting the area around the workbenches on your plot of land you should find deposits of clay and quarried stone, which can be mined with a pickaxe for a limitless and free supply of those materials.

Sadly you can't cut your own wood at the lumber mills, so you'll need to speak to the mill owner and purchase sawn logs from them. Most but not all mills offer this service, so if the option doesn't come up then head to another mill and try again - the mill nearest your plot of land should always have wood available. Once bought, the sawn logs will automatically be delivered to your house and will appear as stacks outside.

HOW TO... EXPAND YOUR HOME

Once you've stocked up on building materials, you can begin extending your house by using the drafting table to initiate construction of the Main Hall. This adds a dining hall, a cellar and two upstairs bedrooms to your property, and opens up options for construction of wings to the west, north and east of the building. There are three different choices for each wing as follows:

West:

• Bedrooms - additional beds plus a balcony area on the roof
• Enchanter's Tower - an arcane enchanter and a rooftop tower balcony
• Greenhouse - grow ingredients for alchemy and food

North:

• Alchemy Laboratory - an alchemy lab and a rooftop tower balcony
• Storage Room - additional space for storage and display items
• Trophy Room - construct and display stuffed specimens

East:

• Armoury - equipment for smithing armour and weapons
• Kitchen - a stove and spit for cooking
• Library - bookshelves for book storage and a rooftop tower balcony

Once the Main Hall has been built you can remodel your original Small House to become an Entryway using the drafting table, which opens up new furniture options for that area. Outside you can construct a vegetable patch, an animal pen and stables as well as a unique item for each plot of land. These are:

• Heljarchen Hall - Grain Mill
• Lakeview Manor - Apiary (Beehive)
• Windstad Manor - Fish Hatchery