Getting a house in Skyrim is frustrating : V - Skyrim

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:02 am

This. I wanted to buy a house in Markrath so I did all the quest I could for the jarl. It turns out I have to be level 20 to do a certain quest that grants me permission to buy property. Why can't I do the quest at any level? Even if I do get my butt kicked.

Indeed, this one is pissing me right off. I quite liked Markarth's look and feel on my first speedy playthrough(did a standard Nord Warrior and blitzed the MQ and Civil War for the stories, so I could do RP characters without stressing over them), so I created my character background with it in mind. I steal a horse from Whiterun, leg it all the way over there, do the work the Yarl and Steward have available...and nothing. Then I find out they put some stupid arbitrary level limit on the quest which gives you the option to purchase the house. Nine bloody levels of carefully hoarding every last septim I could find in order to afford the house, and now there's not enough left to do in Markarth to actually get me to level 20. Bloody pointless.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 11:33 am

Use the http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Alchemist%27s_Shack?

Or perhaps http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Skyrim:Meeko%27s_Shack, but I cannot remember if that has any containers.

There are many shacks all around Skyrim...

Yes, but since the respawn time seems to be in game 30 days, there's no way to know if a container is secure until after a long time.

Otheral nailed my point. At least one house anywhere should be free to purchase without having to do any quest.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:04 am

Once we have our grubby little hands on the construction kit, we'll know which locales have safe containers and which do not.

In all likelihood, there will be some wilderness shack someplace which, by omission or design, has a couple of safe containers.

And if not, then yes... mods.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:21 pm

apart from that the guy who sold me the breezehome forgot to mention what was wrong with the houes, mine had bad plumbing and broken shingles.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 2:45 pm

I'm not talking about the economic aspect

I'm talking about the absence of a humble shack/cabin for beginners and the necessity to get involved into petty quests to get it.

First, unlike Oblivion, there's no option to buy a small abode for beginners. While getting enough money to buy a fully fledged house is not a problem, it may be a problem to get it early enough to avoid wandering around with the inventory almost full. So, bar starting the MQ, the other option is to visit the major big town and get involved into petty quests, sometimes very specific ones. (Riften being the worst in this regard). Paying up front is not an option because all the Jarls and their stewards always need some idiot for their mundane tasks. Never mind that I carry enough gold to buy and equip a full army...

Joining a faction is not an option either. With the sole exception of the mage guild, you're not given a safe harbor (and safe containers, above all!) by anyone else.

How difficult it was to implement at least ONE house that could be purchased right from the beginning with no prerequisites ?

I thought sure the companion guild gave you a place to sleep and store things.
The first place in riverwood should be good too.

But honestly, it makes sense. They just don't sell land and houses in the city to just anyone.
Barrels in riverwood and whiterun are safe as well.
Normally I can have the whiterun house in a matter of a couple hours after starting a new quest. You do not get anything worth keeping in that time, and doing the bounty quests is a good way to level up combat skills and bring in some cash.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:27 pm

I am not going to post spoilers, but there are several areas that you can use as your own that will let you sleep and use storage without items disappearing. You just have to find them, but you are not going to locate them in the middle of a city or town.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:47 pm

Did you read my post? I said gold IS NOT the problem. At a certain point I had 50K+ and I did not even touch any quest.

The point is NO house, no shack, not even a damn permanent room at a inn is available without getting involved in (sometimes lengthy and annoying) quests

Bounty quests are all that is required for a house in whiterun, you do not ever have to touch the MQ, just don't talk to the Jarl about dragons.
I did two bounty quests and got the house offered to me.
It takes no time at all.

He didn't say it was hard to get the money for a house, he said you couldn't get one with out having to activate some quest that you might not wish too.

For instance, the cheepest house which requires you to activate the main quest, like I don't want too yet.

You do NOT have to activate it, just don't talk about it and do a few bounty quests. I had a house in every city, level 30+ and was almost finished with the storm cloaks when I finally talked to him about the MQ.

Are you able to learn the words if you didnt start the main quest?

Yes.

Here we go again, some one wanting something for nothing.

Look at it this way. Why should they let you buy a house? You just barely escaped being executed and now brings the news that dragons are alive again. For all they know you might be bat[censored] insane and one sore toe from impaling someone and wearing them as a hat. Ofcourse you would have to prove yourself.

This.

Because having a empty house in your city generates no tax income at all, and cost them money in the end, since a empty broken house lowers the house value of the other houses around it.

OP is not asking for the house in Whiterun without the quest, he is asking for a shack anywhere without a quest.

There are plenty of places to safely store loot with out buying a house, if you want something for nothing go find the barrels in whiterun outside the player home are safe. The same for the ones in riverwood outside the blacksmith area. The chest in riverwood house is safe, the lady even offers you her bed and storage as well as gifts from her.
Its in the dialog, she tells you stay as long as you like.

Winterhold offers a bed and storage, so does the companions.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:09 am

I don't see much point in owning a house other than using it for sleeping.

Sleeping is the last thing you want a house for.

Storage man, storage!

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:45 pm

Does anyone know that Ralof's sister invites you to stay in her house for as long as you need to, so you can live there and store your stuff permanently? You share the place sure but its more than enough until you get your own house (like an hour later in Whiterun).

Lets invent another problem now and start a new debate....

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:37 am

Does anyone know that Ralof's sister invites you to stay in her house for as long as you need to, so you can live there and store your stuff permanently? You share the place sure but its more than enough until you get your own house (like an hour later in Whiterun).

Lets invent another problem now and start a new debate....

That's right!
Well done sir, I forgot about that.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:03 pm

It's not about buying the house, it's about doing the main quest stuff related to unlocking the option.

I know that but someone said dragons don't show up unless you own the whiterun house and that just isn't the case.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 3:25 pm

I leveled my BS-ing to Dwarven...then ran Understone Keep for Dwarven metal twice daily (it regens)---
Made hundreds of Dwarven bows (iron ingot and 2 dwarven metal ingot)...I have the white run house
, Honeyside in Riften, and the Solitude house--->25k gold....
The gold mounts up fast doing the above.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:38 am

Marry someone who already has a house.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 8:08 pm

Yes, but since the respawn time seems to be in game 30 days, there's no way to know if a container is secure until after a long time.

Otheral nailed my point. At least one house anywhere should be free to purchase without having to do any quest.

They don't respawn, as the articles you quoted CLEARLY states.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 6:25 pm

I noticed I had no where to store my junk I wasnt selling, pelts etc. So I did the main quest as it seemed linked to the home, that also unlocked dragons, which you can avoid killing after the fact, but why would you? Anyway I had just over 5k barely level 7, so no problem. Now I own Riften and Solitude houses, although I tend to stick to Solitude.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 1:26 pm

Chop some wood, earn some money =D

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:44 am

An option for those who don't want to touch any part of the main quest is to marry someone who does have a house and move in with them. It's not as satisfying, but at least it's a place for you to store your things. You could also join one of the guilds that gives you a bunk (i.e. mages) or do a certain quest in Markarth that gives you a house for free.

I apologize if this has already been suggested somewhere in this thread. I stopped reading responses after they turned into bickering.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:16 am

Seriously, it takes like 5-7 quests that take no time at all to unlock the whiterun house.

Just do it.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 5:40 am

5k Was super easy bro, just turn Lydia into a mule and have her carry all the heavy expensive armours and weapons around. Along with Fortify Strength pots, you can almost get everything out of every dungeon back to a seller. The one in White Run is the best, as she's right next to the main door, so even if your over-encumbered you can just walk over to her.

In addition to that, if you follow the Imperial Quest line, you are given access to a chest to store your stuff. I checked it in the console and it says your character is the owner of the container so your stuff should be safe.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 9:32 am

It would be nice if there was some kind of lodge, or a few permenant rooms in inns that you could own for after doing a quest or just outright buying it.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 10:48 am

I'm not talking about the economic aspect

I'm talking about the absence of a humble shack/cabin for beginners and the necessity to get involved into petty quests to get it.

First, unlike Oblivion, there's no option to buy a small abode for beginners. While getting enough money to buy a fully fledged house is not a problem, it may be a problem to get it early enough to avoid wandering around with the inventory almost full. So, bar starting the MQ, the other option is to visit the major big town and get involved into petty quests, sometimes very specific ones. (Riften being the worst in this regard). Paying up front is not an option because all the Jarls and their stewards always need some idiot for their mundane tasks. Never mind that I carry enough gold to buy and equip a full army...

Joining a faction is not an option either. With the sole exception of the mage guild, you're not given a safe harbor (and safe containers, above all!) by anyone else.

How difficult it was to implement at least ONE house that could be purchased right from the beginning with no prerequisites ?

Wait where in Oblivion!?!?

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 12:49 pm

Marry someone who already has a house.

That sounds like a good idea too.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:07 am

I stayed at Hod and Gerder's house in Riverwood and was able to use their wardrobe to store everything I wanted. Then when I got my house in Whiterun I moved the stuff there. Some of the items did turn to stolen but I didn't care since it's stuff I just kept in my house anyway and my current character is a law abiding citizen.

You have to be creative in the beginning and store stuff in barrels and things but you can do it. Then get your first house and dump everything in there.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:17 pm

It's ridiculous that you have to do quests before you can buy a house. I wanted the Whiterun house, but I also didn't want dragons appearing and tearing the bejesus out of the countryside and small towns. So I didn't do the prerequisite quest, and am instead going to buy the much more expensive Solitude house.

» Tue Dec 13, 2011 7:02 pm

Wait where in Oblivion!?!?

"My Imperial City Shack".