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Adventuring is the main draw of Skyrim, whether it be to complete quests, find valuable loot, or explore interesting locations. Sooner or later, though, you’ll want to find a place to relax in between adventures, one where you can safely stash your loot and maintain your equipment. While you can purchase a home in each of the main cities in Skyrim, they aren’t easy to personalize, even once you’ve bought some refurbishments and decorations.
If you have the Hearthfire DLC, you can spend some gold to buy a quiet plot of land. Though it’ll take a bit of work, you can build a homestead that suits your character. Lakeview Manor is one of these buildable homesteads.
Where to find Lakeview Manor
Lakeview Manor is situated close to Falkreath, a short distance to the northeast of the city. It can be easily accessed by traveling through the mountain pass near Falkreath, or heading north to Lake Illinata, then east upon reaching it. Partway down this path, you can see the open plot on your right.
Once built, Lakeview Manor fits perfectly into the nearby woods and the mountain to its rear. True to its name, the manor also overlooks the nearby Lake Illinata, which makes for a beautiful view during your downtime between dungeon diving. The area also has a few valuables and points of interest nearby, too. The Conjurer’s Stone can be found northeast of the manor, just along the road, and a wolf den with some loot is located in the west. You can also mine Silver Ore, Iron Ore, Clay, Quarried Stone, and Corundum Ore in the vicinity of Lakeview Manor. There are also several fishing locations all along the nearby lake.
How to obtain Lakeview Manor
If you want to obtain Lakeview Manor, you’ll need to gain the favor of Falkreath’s Jarl, first. To do this, you’ll either need to complete a couple of quests, or become the Thane of Falkreath. In either case, you will earn the right to purchase the manor.
Earning the right
Depending on how far down the Civil War questline you are, either Siddgeir or Dengeir will be Jarl. If the Jarl is Siddgeir, you’ll need to complete a couple of tedious quests to even hold a proper conversation with him. First, he’ll ask you to fetch him a bottle of Black-Briar Mead as part of the Rare Gifts quest. This quest can be skipped by reaching level 9 before going to Falkreath and reading the letter that essentially offers you the position of Thane.
The other possible obstacle is a quest requiring you to clear out a bandit camp, which works like any other bounty of that nature. By completing these two quests, you will be able to accept the quest to become Thane if you haven’t unlocked it already. Note that you won’t have to do either of these quests if Dengeir is Jarl.
The Thane of Falkreath quest is fairly simple, as it only requires you to assist three citizens in Falkreath, then report back to the Jarl. Who you help is up to you, but if you’re looking for the three quickest citizen quests, I suggest you help Hert, Mathies, and Thadgeir. Hert and Mathies want you to gather wood and crops for them respectively, while Thadgeir wants you ro deliver Berit’s Ashes to Runil. If you have the Investor perk from the Speech skill tree, you can invest 500 gold into Gray Pine Goods to count as one favor. Once you’ve helped three citizens, go back to the Jarl to receive your new title.
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Purchasing Lakeview Manor
Once you’ve become Thane of Falkreath, you will be able to purchase the plot of land for 5,000 gold from Nenya or Thekla, depending on the Jarl. These are the stewards of Falkreath, and will reside in the Jarl’s hall. This is a one-time cost, but you will need to spend a bit more over time as you develop the land.
Building Lakeview Manor
After you’ve parted with your 5,000 gold, you’ll have a pleasant plot of land, but an empty plot all the same. If you want a home worthy of the Dragonborn, you’ll need to build it yourself.
There are a few resources nearby that you can use to help you. There are several Clay deposits and Quarried Stone veins, along with a few Iron Ore deposits to get you going. Once you’ve mined or bought some resources, take them to the Drafting Table positioned nearby and plan out the first part of your home. It’s nothing more than a small cottage, but you can easily expand it into something far greater should you choose to. That said, you’ll need to source some lumber before you can begin construction. Any sawmill will do, so either pay a visit to Riverwood or Halfmoon Mill near Falkreath and buy up some materials. They will be available at Lakeview Manor immediately upon purchase.
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To construct your house, take your materials to the Carpenter’s Workbench next to the Drafting Table. There, you can start laying the foundations of your manor, starting from its humble beginnings. Some parts of your house will also need iron materials, which you’ll need to craft yourself. This can be done at the anvil next to your Carpenter’s Workbench. Once you’ve built the cottage, you can add the Main Hall, plus a Cellar once the hall is complete. This is where things get more customizable, as you’ll be able to add three wings to this hall with a good degree of variety. You’ll also be able to remodel your cottage into an entryway, if you’d like. If you intend to add wings to your manor, you have quite a bit to choose from. Here are your options:
- East Wing – Armory, Kitchen, or Library
- West Wing – Bedrooms, Enchanter’s Tower, or Greenhouse
- North Wing – Alchemy Laboratory, Storage Room, or Trophy Room
Keep in mind that you’ll only be able to build one of the three options for each wing, so you can’t have everything. That said, you’ll quickly notice that your work isn’t finished after you’ve built the wings of your manor. The interior is sparse, and certainly not a place you could call home.
Decorating Lakeview Manor
Once you’ve built the exterior of your manor, your next focus should be the interior. You’ll have a whole lot to build if you want your manor to look presentable, but the look and utility is more than worth the effort. Each room will have a Workbench inside, which lists every decorative craft for that room and its requirements. After you’ve properly furnished Lakeview Manor, your Dragonborn will finally have a place of their own to call home.
